Lansing surprising plenty of NL fans By Bob Lutz The Wichita Eagle AU across America baseball fans are asking the same question: Who is this Mike Lansing guy? Wichita State baseball fans have the answer Lansing who has been busy tearing up the National League with the Montreal Expos played shortstop for the Shockers from 1987 to 199a Now three years later he’s hitting 410 after 39 at-bats in the big leagues and leads the NL in hits (16) RBIs (10) and total bases (28) “It’s one of those things that there’s no explanation for right now” said Lansing 25 "Tm really trying not to say too much about it because I don’t want to jinx myself” In the big leagues though 1ft tough to stay mum After Lansing hit a two-run sixthinning homer Thursday off Houston’s Doug Drabek the only Montreal runs during a 2-1 win he was asked to be the star of the game by the Houston radio broadcasting team When he arrived back in the clubhouse a dozen or so reporters were gathered around his stall cameras running and notebooks open Then he went back upstairs for a calHn radio show that lasted about 30 minutes “The media stuff really started to hit pretty hard in Denver when we were out there” Lansing said "Then it really got crazy after the game Thursday” Lansing who lives in Mulvane during the off-season with his wife Lisa doesn’t mind the attention even expects it After all he got into the lineup only after regular second baseman Delino DeShiekis came down with chicken pox DeShields returned Friday for a game against Colorado In Montreal Instead of going back to the bench though Lansing was in Friday's lineup as the third baseman a position he hasn't played much since his high school days in Casper Wya Thursday reporters asked Felipe Alou the Expos’ manager about Lansing’s role after DeShields’ return Alou said he would put Lansing at third base ahead of Sean Berry and Frank Bolick Asked if he had ever seen Lansing play third Alou replied: "I don’t go by statistics I go by the man You can look In Lansing's eyes and see he’s a tough man I’ve got to keep him in the lineup” “I don’t go by statistics I go by the man You can look in Lansin£s eyes and see he’s a tough man I’ve got to keep him in the lineup” Felipe Alou Expos manager t jinsing had a five-hit game last week at Colorado becoming only the second Montreal rookie to have one Warren Cromartie was the other in 1977 Only 20 players In Expos history have had five hits in a game "Playing third base is fine with me” Lansing said “As long as I’m in the lineup that’s all that matters” It was a difficult road to the majors for Lansing who missed some of his Junior season at Wichita State including the Shockers’ College World Series triumph because of a bad back He returned to WSU for his senior season in 1990 and batted 325 But instead of being drafted by a major-league team after the season he was chosen by the Miami Miracles an independent team out of the Florida State League Lansing played two seasons In Miami before his contract was pup chased by the Expos in September 1991 He played at Double-A Harrisburg last season where he batted 280 and stole 46 bases He has made what should have been a giant leap to the major leagues look like a crow hop "Being here is awesome it’s everything that everybody works for” Lansing said from the Expos clubhouse before Friday's game “I’m happy to be here but I don’t want to just be happy to be here” It is hard for Lansing to believe that his numbers are better than Bonds McGriff Sheffield Strawberry Justice Clark and Bonilla "I’m Just in one of those grooves” he said “It doesn’t matter who's throwing I was sitting around today thinking that I hit a home run Thursday off Doug Drabek He gave up four hits and I had two of them It was pretty weird to think about that” So that’s who Mike Lansing is He’s I'homme avec le baton chaud the man with the hot bat
