Keon Broxton says he’s had some good pitches to hit, but has watched them go by. Credit: Mike De Sisti

By of the

Pittsburgh— Keon Broxton admitted he was suffering from the dreaded "paralysis by analysis."

In going 0 for 14 with 10 strikeouts to open the season, the Brewers' rookie centerfielder was thinking too much at the plate, becoming passive and taking too many called third strikes. He vowed to change that beginning Friday night with the opener of the three-game series against Pittsburgh.

"I think sometimes I overthink and get out of my game plan," he said. "I've had some good pitches to hit and didn't pull the trigger. I've been working in the cage and changing my stance a little bit. I'm trying to incorporate that into the game. I've got to get my confidence back and stay positive.

"The change I made was keeping my hands tighter to my body and keep my body straight up, so on pitches away I'm not dipping my shoulder and fouling them off. Now, it's just the mental aspect of the game and staying within myself. I think I've been freezing myself a little bit."

Broxton did draw a walk in his first at-bat but then went 0 for 2 with a strikeout to leave him 0 for 16 for the season with 11 punch-outs.

Manager Craig Counsell, who stuck with Broxton in the No. 9 spot in the batting order against left-hander Jeff Locke, said there was nothing wrong with his centerfielder that his first big-league hit wouldn't cure.

"This is what happens every year at the start of the season," said Counsell. "We focus on the guy 'raking' and the guy struggling. Keon's the guy struggling, so we're focused on him.

"He's having a tough time. You put him in there until he comes out of it. The best way for him to come out of it is to be in there. I can't say I've thought about (removing him from the No. 9 spot)."

Honoring Jackie: Beyond seeking to break loose at the plate, Broxton looked forward to wearing No. 42, as all players did on the annual Jackie Robinson Day, to honor the man who broke the game's color barrier.

"It's awesome," he said. "I've always wanted to wear No. 42. You'd always see the players doing it on TV and I wanted to be part of that. It's an honor just to put this uniform number on in honor of Jackie Robinson."

Of the annual tribute to Robinson, Counsell said, "What I like is they've done a great job keeping the day feeling like it's the first time. Baseball has done a wonderful job every year when the day comes around of highlighting the importance of it and the greatness of the man, and what it represents."

Rare appearance: In conjunction with the annual tribute to Robinson, USA TODAY ran a cover story on the alarming decline in African-American pitchers in the big leagues. Of 449 pitchers on opening day rosters, only 14 were African-American — seven starters and seven relievers.

No team had more than one black pitcher on its staff until the second day of the season, when the Brewers added Sam Freeman to a bullpen that included Jeremy Jeffress. It is an issue that Jeffress said is impossible to ignore but also one he said has no easy answer.

"It's not even on the kids," said Jeffress, referring to the few young African-Americans who opt to pitch. "I don't blame it on the parents because I know how much they have to worry about, but it is up to them to get their kids into stuff.

"If the kids are not motivated by their parents, who they look up to the most, it's not going to happen. African-American kids come to these games and see us out there playing, but if their parents don't get them out there, what can you do? I know parents make a lot of sacrifices, but these kids need opportunities.

"When I was going to camps and showcases, I didn't see any other African-American pitchers, so this isn't surprising."