It's all confidence, and playing every day is the whole thing. You have to know that you belong out there, and the only way you're going to find out is if you play every day. You have to know you can compete with the Piazzas and the Griffeys. If you're intimidated by a guy before you go out and face him, there's no way you're going to hit him. Jenkins, who bounced back and forth between Milwaukee and Class AAA Louisville last season, had no reason to be confident.
Every game is like the seventh game of the World Series.
You're out there trying to get two or three hits to show them you belong out there. But when you're coming off the bench and pinch hitting, it's tough to get any rhythm. But when you're in the lineup and you know you're going to be there all night, you know it's not the end of the world if you don't get a hit your first or second at-bat. Little by little, Garner has been demonstrating his confidence in Jenkins in subtle ways, such as playing him against left-handed pitchers and gradually moving him up in the lineup. On Tuesday, Garner placed Jenkins in the No. 5 slot for only the ninth time this season.