Spring surprises: Detroit's Rodriguez hitting homers
This fictional hero uttered one of his trademark phrases after his knee was injured during a freak accident involving a mail cart. "Pain don't phase me."
Grammatical issues aside, it reiterates the mental make-up and focus of athletes. Did I stretch things too OK, so how about a real example?
Look no further than fantasy superhero Albert Pujols. Pujols is battling an elbow injury that will require surgery at some point. The plan is to perform the procedure at season's end.
However, I'm among many that worry that this could happen sooner because of one or two reasons. First, the pain may become too much (see the Tate line above). More importantly, the Cardinals are playing in a much-improved division and could be out of contention early enough to where management pulls the plug. I'm not sure how the latter plays out, but the elbow injury isn't slowing down Pujols in the preseason. Entering Thursday's play, Pujols had recorded a stellar .381 batting average (16-for-42) with five home runs, six doubles and 12 RBI.
He's one of the top surprises this spring. OK, so perhaps it's not a total surprise, but can he do it for 162 games?
Let's review some of the other surprises (positive) and news as we hit the final run of spring training games ahead of the 2008 season. Obviously, the list could extend indefinitely, but we'll keep up the pace.
The fabulous comeback story of Josh Hamilton from 2007 has carried over into the new season. Skeptics looked at his 19 home runs and .292 batting average for the Reds in 2007 and said "Do it again!"
And he has most certainly done so under the Arizona sun. Hamilton has been positively scorching the ball this spring, ripping at a robust .556 clip (20-for-36) with two home runs and 13 RBI. According to reports from Texas, Hamilton is currently slated to bat clean-up for Ron Washington. Given that former batting champion Michael Young (five straight years of 200-plus hits) is hitting ahead of him, Hamilton should have ample RBI opportunities ahead of him.
The Mariners opened a competition for the right field slot vacated by the trade that sent Adam Jones to Baltimore. Wladimir Balentien has played well, and we know what Brad Wilkerson's all about, but what about the versatility and hitting ability demonstrated by Mike Morse?
Despite being shuffled all over the diamond (1B, 3B, SS, LF and RF), Morse has batted .526 this spring (20-for-38) with two home runs and 11 RBI. For most young players, not knowing where you're slated to play day-to-day would impact their performance, but Morse has handled things brilliantly. This is a pattern that could carry into the season, particularly if slugger Richie Sexson begins to struggle as he did in 2007.
I head back to the Rangers for a moment with a quick nod to John Halpin favorite David Murphy. The former No. 1 pick of the Red Sox has put on a power display in camp, connecting for four home runs and 10 RBI in 40 at-bats. Murphy entered Thursday's action with a batting average of .400.
The Cubs are trying to find a spot for backup first baseman Micah Hoffpauir, who has turned in a strong performance this spring. He may ultimately lose out to veteran Daryle Ward to open the year, but we haven't heard the last of Hoffpauir. The 28-year-old prospect batted .319 with 40 extra-base hits and 73 RBI in 310 at-bats for Iowa in the Pacific Coast League last year. Hoffpauir entered Thursday's action with a strong .413 batting average (19-for-46) with two home runs and seven RBI.
Former Cubs outfielder Angel Pagan is making some noise with the Mets this spring. The Mets have a number of players in the outfield battling injuries as spring training winds to a close. As such, Pagan received an extended look from manager Willie Randolph. He's batted .333 (20-for-60) with 10 RBI and three stolen bases.
Expectations are huge for the Detroit Tigers in 2008 following the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera, but look who's quietly putting balls into the seats again. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez leads the Tigers with six spring home runs while hitting at a torrid .395 clip (15-for-38). I know it's only spring training. However, the return of Rodriguez's power stroke is something to be excited about for owners who have been snagging him late in drafts. Rodriguez hit only 11 home runs in 502 at-bats last season.
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| Some were expecting Jarrod Saltalamacchia to post a big season, but he may be shipped down to Triple A to start the season. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images) |
I just can't stay away from the Rangers. I'm compelled to circle back to the battle for the starting catcher slot. The arrival of Jarrod Saltalamacchia had many penciling in huge home run production in Arlington, but he's not currently assured a starting role in any capacity, let alone a slot on the roster. Gerald Laird was the better backstop entering camp, but he's also packed his bat this spring. Laird is batting .290 with four home runs and eight RBI. Saltalamacchia entered Thursday's action with a meager .182 batting average with one home run. He's made strides behind the plate, but the presence of Laird and Adam Melhuse means that Salty may get shipped to Triple-A to continue the refinement of his skills behind the plate.
The back injury that continues to sideline Eric Chavez may have opened the door for the A's to reward a fine spring from second baseman Brooks Conrad. The former Houston Astros prospect batted .267 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI and 12 stolen bases in Triple-A ball last season. Conrad owns a strong .381 batting average (16-for-42) and leads the A's with 13 RBI this spring.
Former first-round draft choice of the White Sox, Joe Borchard, has resurfaced in Atlanta. Borchard possesses a strong .313 batting average (10-for-32) with 11 RBI and a league-leading seven doubles. Of course, he's also struck out 10 times, a factor that could keep him out of the mix. It'll be interesting to watch how the Braves pursue their outfield rotation as camp breaks.
Another player I highlighted in my prospecting piece earlier in the week was San Francisco Giants infielder Eugenio Velez. Velez has played tremendously for Bruce Bochy, successfully stealing 10 bases in 13 attempts while batting .309 (17-for-55). Granted, only four of those hits went for extra bases, but this team needs a sparkplug on the basepaths. He could get an extended look.
I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the strong spring turned in by Giants teammate Ray Durham. Durham is eager to put his dismal 2007 season behind him, and he's been able to turn the page in camp. He's batted .436 with six extra-base hits and eight RBI, making him an intriguing late-round addition to your middle infield.
With Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey battling injuries, the Angels were banking on more consistent outings from Jered Weaver this spring. He hasn't disappointed, earning four wins while surrendering two earned runs in 14 innings of work. Both runs came on solo home runs. In fact, Weaver has surrendered only five hits. I expected Weaver to take a step forward this spring, but he now has the look of a legitimate ace.
The Twins received several players in the Johan Santana deal, and while the speed element of Carlos Gomez was anticipated (eight spring stolen bases), nobody could have anticipated Phil Humber would make such a strong case for a spot in the rotation so quickly. Humber pitched nine scoreless innings before surrendering two runs to the Orioles on Tuesday. He's allowed two earned runs in 12 innings this spring (1.50 ERA) with seven strikeouts. The former first-round pick of the Mets just might be ready to make some noise at the big league level.
The final pat on the back goes to the Red Sox players for their stance in the compensation piece. It was a great showing of solidarity that warrants a mention here. Now, onto Japan to get things started.
I'll circle back with a fresh batch of positive spring training stories in my blog next week. It's certainly something we need following a strange off-season.
Unfortunately, I'll need to look at the other side of the coin following the holiday weekend. I'll note some of the more disappointing turns of spring training. No doubt, the injury issues surrounding Kerry Wood and B.J. Ryan will factor into the list.
Have a great weekend.
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