Base runners? Base runners?
We don't need no stinking base runners....
Like I always say, if chicks dig the long ball that's definitely good enough for me.
The team record for homers in a season is the 244 hit by Jim Fregosi's 2000 team. Let's see how those guys did it...
Catcher: Darren Fletcher (20). I doubt John Buck will match that, but he could come within a few. The 2010 team is down a few.
First Base: Carlos Delgado (41). Obviously, there is no way Overbay-Wallace will do this... By now the 2010 team is down by... let's say 25.
Second Base: Homer Bush (1). Aaron Hill has this covered, no? In fact, I'd say he makes up the entire deficit between this year's model and Fregosi's Boys.
Third Base: Tony Batista (41). I don't think Edwin Encarnacion can do this. (Of course, I didn't think Tony Batista could do this either.) I'm saying the 2010 team is down by 20, again.
Shortstop: Alex (the Pretty One) Gonzalez (15). AG Mark II is almost there already, and I can see him finishing up with 20 to 25. So let's cut the deficit to....let's say 12.
Right Field: Raul Mondesi (24). The Brown Buffalo's season ended soon after the All-Star Break. Travis Snider might be able to match this total, but let's not count on it. We'll bump the deficit back up to 15.
Centre Field: Jose Cruz (31). I'd say Vernon is right on track. No change.
Left Field: Shannon Stewart (21). If Fred Lewis hits 21 homers, it'll be as surprising as... well, Shannon Stewart hitting 21 homers. Boost the deficit back up to 25.
Designated Hitter: Brad Fullmer (32). Which is where we all figured Adam Lind ought to wind up. Well, maybe that's not going to happen. He should still be good for at least 25 of them, anyway. Deficit goes up to 30...
The Bench: Everybody else on the 2000 team combined for just 18 homers, led by the Immortal Todd Greene who had 5. The 2010 team can match that right now, thanks mainly to the 16 already banged out by the Amazing Jose Bautista. He's not actually a bench player, of course. He's the Rover! But really, I see no reason Joey Bats can't hit another 15 of them. Other bench guys - Molina, the fourth outfielders, whoever - may add another 5. Which still leaves the 2010 team about 10 short...
Moving along. The team came through that nasty 23 game stretch I was so worried about in pretty decent shape. I would have settled for 10-13. Instead they went 14-9, and celebrated by sweeping the Always Hapless Orioles. Does anyone else remember when the Orioles were universally regarded as baseball's model organization? You young ones are gasping in disbelief right now, aren't you. But it's true, they really were...
And now another Tough Stretch looms...
That would be the rest of the current home stand, which consists of six games with the Beasts of the East (the Certainly-Beastly-This-Year Devil Fishies and the Always Beastly Yankees.) After that comes a nine game road trip, which begins in Tampa Bay and then moves on to a couple of NL parks, Coors and Petco. That's right - the Jays will visit, in succession, the greatest hitter's park in the history of the game (although in truth the humidor has done a great deal to make that phenomena a thing of the past) and the worst hitter's park in the history of the game.
If that doesn't confuse our boys, nothing will...
Yes, it's another tough stretch ahead. I hope they can go 6-9....
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20100530215252504