"If the TV cameras happen to pan the dugout at AT&T Park on Saturday afternoon, and they settle on a big guy lounging in the corner of the Indians dugout wearing shades, flip flops and a Tommy Bahama shirt, that would be Travis Hafner hard at work.

The Indians open a nine-game interleague trip Friday in San Francisco. The DH is verboten in National League parks, which means that outside a pinch-hitting appearance once a game, Hafner is going to have plenty of time to study the sight lines of the Giants' jewel of a ballpark on the shores of San Francisco Bay, the Diamondbacks' Chase Field in Phoenix and Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark.

Hafner would love to play, and manager Manny Acta would welcome him at first base, but he just can't do it. The surgery he underwent in October of 2008 on his right shoulder made throwing a baseball a non-option. For most of 2009 and 2010 Hafner had enough trouble just swinging a bat.

This year is different. Hafner is hitting .338 (44-for-130) with seven homers and 29 RBI. With runners in scoring position, he's hitting .500 (18-or-36). He has 15 RBI in his last nine games.

When Hafner comes to the plate now, he looks like the Pronk of old. He oozes danger, sporting a two-day growth of beard with the top couple of buttons on his jersey undone. What's more he has the quick bat to back up the bat intentions.

Lamented Acta after watching Hafner hit a two-run homer in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over Colorado, "Travis is at his peak right now. He's so intimidating and locked in at the plate. It's just sad that we're not going to see him for nine games ... very sad." "