Twins left fielder Rondell White has spent much of the season hovering around the .200 mark, but he's swinging the bat well when the team needs him the most.

White was the only Twin to have success against Oakland lefty Barry Zito in Game 1 of the AL division series, going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run.

``Just see the ball, hit the ball,'' White said. ``Pretty simple game plan.''

It didn't look that easy for most of the season. The Twins signed White in the off-season, hoping he could provide some pop in the designated hitter spot that the team has sorely lacked for a long time. But White struggled with shoulder problems early in the season, hitting .136 with no homers and five RBIs in April.

As late as Aug. 31, after a lengthy stint on the disabled list to try and get his shoulder right, White was still hitting just .215.

``That was a joke,'' White said. ``It was tough. I'm just really happy to be here. (Manager) Ron Gardenhire had faith in me and stuck with me. I could've just as easily been at home watching this series on the couch.''

Gardenhire ended the experiment in the DH spot, moving the 34-year-old to left field, and White has flourished ever since.

Seemingly more comfortable with his duties in the field, White hit .351 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in September as the Twins rallied to win the AL Central title.

``He has been swinging the bat very well,'' Gardenhire said. ``This is a good pitching staff we are facing here. (Zito) doesn't make it easy and Rondell put some good swings on the ball today. That would be beneficial if we could get a few other guys to join in.''

© The Canadian Press, 2007