Heading into the beginning of this season, I thought Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames were interchangeable parts. They were basically the same type of player (25 homeruns, mediocre fielding corner outfielder) so I always felt since Monroe was given more time, he’d be the best guy to trade since he has more value. Then Monroe stuggled out of the gate while Thames tore it up in a part time role, eventually working himself into the lineup with more frequency.
Now, the tables have turned and Monroe has been red hot. Both he and Thames hit homeruns yesterday, but Monroe is now at .276/.311/.507 while Thames is at .273/.346/.587. I’d still rather have Thames in there every day, but it’s hard to argue with Leyland riding Monroe’s hot streak.
Francisco Liriano is a great pitcher, until he throws against the Tigers. Once again, Zach Miner outdueled the phenom. Although Jesse Crain’s four walks in the seventh were just as big of a reason for the Twins loss then Liriano was. The Twins had pulled the game to within a single run before Crain blew up in that four run seventh inning.
Tonight we have Brad Radke going up against Nate Robertson.
I like how he seems to be willing to take a walk lately. He had 15 before August and already has 4 this month. It’s not exactly Barry Bonds, but it could be a sign he’s seeing the ball better. Of course, they could just be dancing around him a bit because he’s killing the ball.
--Posted by Matt on August 8th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
A couple of weeks ago, I heard an analyst talking about how Monroe was really working on hitting breaking pitches. And since then, I have noticed him sitting on breaking balls and staying back better. Even though he still gets his strike outs, I think his at bats are getting longer and he is seeing more pitches.
I like the guy, so I hope some of these habits stick.
--Posted by Ben on August 8th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
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I don’t know what to say. I have been railing against Monroe all season, basically because of his career numbers, which are bad for a corner outfielder, but hey, the guy is on fire, so maybe he’s figured something out.
I don’t know what to say about any of this. I’ve predicted doom over and over again for this club, but they refuse to lose more than one occasional game at a time. Incredible. What’s happening is magic, and for once I am speechless.
Go Tigers!
--Posted by Dan on August 8th, 2006 at 6:25 am