You’d think that a single home run would be enough for most players, but not today. Mark Teixeira hit three, with at least one from each side of the plate (now with 13 on the season). The big Tex is just heating as Robinson Cano can attest the second half is where the money is made. Fielder hit two to move his total up to 16, and June total up to 8, and Kevin Youkilis hit two too (lame I know) moving his season total up to 13 as well. Not only was he the fourth player in Braves history to hit a homer from each side of the plate in the same game with a total of three home runs, but Jeff Clement the Mariners rookie catcher hit his first major league home run in the top of the ninth driving in two. Then in the Sunday night game Eric Patterson decides to join Jeff the Clementine and hit his first too. Pretty exciting day if you ask me, and here are other feats from around the league:
Jeff Baker- Has been raking. In the last ten he has a line of 12/4/8 and .416 Ave. His June line is at 13/5/11 with .425/.455/.925 (Ave, OBP, SLG) Clint Barmes better start hitting (5/16 in rehab, but 3 of those hits came on one day) or he may be out of a starting role. However, Baker and Barmes should co-exist in the line up as the Rockies travel to the AL parks next week and one shallsee at bats as the DH.
Elijah Dukes- Since going five for six on Friday, he has been hitless in eight at bats. Prior to today June has been amazing for this arrested development(al) player as his .325/.409/.506 line shows that he is driving the ball around the park. The best part, he has stolen five bases too.
Brandon Morrow- Didn’t travel with the team to Atlanta due to back spasms; wouldn’t blame him the way today went (that and the Atlanta airport blows like an aids stricken whore). He is supposed to make it to New York for the Mets series. Be careful with back spasms as they typically don’t go away without extended rest.
Chase Headley- Started his young career with six straight games with a hit, and hit two homers before his oh-fer day today. Maybe like Braun last year when he was sent down until June because of his defense, and then came up and raked. But don’t expect such high production. Once his scouting report gets around he will tone it down a bit. However, better to try a rookie than an underachieving veteran as their ceiling is WAY higher.
Jason Giambi- I was watching some SportsCenter after the Spain-Italy game (Yes, I love soccer and will watch it. I also like football, hockey, black coffee, and nice long walks on the beach…), and noticed that he has the nastiest stache in the game. I am surprise that moms let their children watch the Yankees knowing that Jason ‘Pedistache’ Giambi would be playing. Just sick! Oh, and he was 3/3 2 RBI, a double and get this a stolen base. To boot he is hitting like he did in 2006 (OPS .957)
Jared Burton- My noted middle reliever. May was nasty to him, and April was, well not much better. He showed excellent strike out potential last year when he k’d 39 in 43 innings of work. This year he has k’d 41 in 39+ innings of work well showing good control (only 13 walks, and last year he only had 22). Now that June has rolled around and it is finally warm everywhere in the country he has pitched mighty fine allowing a minuscule batting average (.171), ERA (.77), and whip (1.03). He has only allowed 1 run, and has a K/BB or 12/5. If you are looking for a good source of K’s and respectable ERA and WHIP he is your Man.
Seth McClung- Good start over the weekend picking up the ‘W’ against Baltimore. In 6 2/3 innings he allowed 3 hits and 2 runs and k’d 6 in a pretty decent start considering he was all over the place (5 walks). It was only his second start in which he walked over 1 batter (the other time was when he walked 6 and was shelled by the Braves). I am thinking he will stick in the rotation and get about 6-8 more wins, with an ERA around 4 and a WHIP near 1.25. Nothing to write home about but definitely worth it in NL only leagues, and deeper mixed leagues.
Looking at Jeff Baker in ‘06, he looked like he was going to be absolutely monstrous given a full time spot in ‘07. That year, he not only handled AAA with no problem, but he performed [at Coors] coming into the show an extremely impressive level. If he had been given the chance to play regularly last year I think he would have been an all-star shoe-in. But instead he skipped around as a utility guy and his offensive output paid for it.
If he is given any kind of regularity I think he can be one of the better hitters in the game. If only he had that opportunity…. By now that may actually be lost however.
I agree with your analysis on Baker. I was looking at him a lot last year when I started our league. I am not sure about him being an all star shoe in, but definitely a better player than most. Lets be honest for a second and say Clint Barmes probably wont hit like he did before his injury, and that Clint might still get hurt again. That would be enough for the Rockies to keep Baker at 2nd for next year.
That of course would be ideal for Jeff, but Baker isn’t the most solid defensive player there is. The only knock on Baker is that he is on the wrong team at the wrong time. He can still be one of the better hitters in the game given more time, but I don’t think Talent evaporates, it is still there but a lot of things play into that talent being fulfilled.