By Don Ketchum

The dirt on Brandon Wood’s baseball pants is a good sign. He is actually playing.

Playing, yes, but in what is a departure from his previous years in the major leagues, he is playing well.

Time will tell if Wood, a former star infielder at Phoenix Horizon, lands a spot as a utility player on the Colorado Rockies’ final 25-man roster. But if the early spring is any indication, he just might have a legitimate chance to stick.

Wood, who turned 27 on March 2, had two more hits on Monday (March 12) in an 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, raising his spring average to .438 (7 for 16), including two doubles and two triples.

Expectations for Wood were in the stratosphere when he was the No. 1 pick of the Angels in the 2003 amateur draft.

Reality kept him from reaching those heights. He was the Angels’ Minor League Player of the Year, but when he reached the top level, nothing seemed to go right, particularly with the bat.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Wood reached the end of the road with the Angels, who placed him on waivers in April of 2011.

He combined to hit .216 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs, but his career average languished at .186.

Wood signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies and was invited to their big-league camp at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.

He has tried to figure out a way to break through with his hitting and thinks he might have found it, with the help of the Rockies’ coaches.

Wood looked at video of himself when he played at Horizon. The coaches saw, too, and suggested he try to stand upright, creating more space between his waist and shoulders to see the ball better and to get a better swing. He also is trying to make sure he keeps his feet on the ground and rests his head against his back shoulder (right).

“I feel pretty good right now. I owe a lot to “Trace’ (Rockies manager Jim Tracy) and the coaches,’’ Wood said.

Taking the new hitting approach seemed a bit awkward at first, but now that he has had more repetitions, it is becoming more natural.

Wood has played at all the infield spots and even a few innings in left field. Former Rockies player Glenallen Hill has worked with Wood on his outfield defense.

“I haven’t played there since little league, but I’m willing to work at it,’’ Wood said.

Whatever method you can use to get dirt on your baseball pants is good. It shows you are playing.