Q-C's Peterson ready for break

For Brock Peterson, a chance to play in the Midwest League All-Star Game couldn’t come at a better time.

"I don’t like to sit, and I’ve been sitting too much lately," the Swing of the Quad-Cities infielder said. "I’d prefer to play in 140 games in 142 days if I could, so I’m looking forward to going over there just because it will give me a chance to get on the field."

Peterson will be a reserve for the West team in Tuesday’s game, hosted by the Cedar Rapids Kernels, but he is hopeful that he will see four or five innings of work.

"I need that," he said. "I need to get back into it."

Swelling in one leg, the result of fouling too many balls off in the same spot, forced Peterson to sit out two of the Swing’s four games at South Bend last week and limited him to duty as a designated hitter the rest of the week.

He returned to the field Sunday, collecting one of the Swing’s five hits while starting at first base.

"Right now I just need to be out there. I’m not quite 100 percent, but there’s nothing that’s going to keep me off the field now," Peterson said. "I want to play."

He’s especially eager to experience the all-star event.

"It does mean a lot. It was something I wanted to achieve last year (while hitting .290 at short-season Elizabethton), but I didn’t quite get it done," Peterson said. "It’s going to be kind of cool, something I’ll always remember."

Peterson has been a steady contributor to the Quad-City offense during the first half of the season.

A 49th-round selection in the 2002 draft, the Chehalis, Wash., native is hitting .256 and is second on the team with 31 RBIs and 11 doubles. Peterson also has drawn a Swing-best 26 walks.

"I haven’t had too many ups or too many downs. I got off to a good start, especially offensively, but I feel like I can do more," Peterson said.

"I’ve been getting one hit a game pretty regularly, but I know I need to pick that up. I need to have those two- and three-hit games in the second half. That will get me closer to .300, and I feel like that’s where I belong."

Peterson understands that also will help the Swing achieve its team goals.

"The last two weeks of the first half have been good for us. Taking three of four in South Bend and two out of three from (Beloit) tells us that we can compete with some of the best teams in the league," Peterson said.

"There’s a real good attitude in the clubhouse right now, and we know that getting off to a good start in the second half will be important. We need to keep working even if this is the break. We need to build on our finish, and I think that will happen."