"I'm very confident that it's now going to allow me to become a player who can hit 30 home runs and drive in 100,'' Hillenbrand, the subject of widespread trade rumours, said yesterday in a telephone interview from his home in Arizona. "I've been in this game a certain number of years and I felt it was time to take things to the next level. You can quote me on that: I think I'm going to hit 30."
Let this also serve as the prediction thread:
1) Can he do it?
2) Will it be as a Jay?
3) Will he make the All-Star team again?
My Shea Hillenbrand All-Star jersey pretty much dictates that my answer must be "yes" to all three. It's like that thing controls my mind sometimes.
And speaking of the Shea Hillenbrand All-Star jersey -- a few days ago I was wearing it while killing time at a Starbucks/Chapters in Brampton with baby Theo, both of us waiting for Mrs. Hank to finish work. I was drinking coffee, and Theo was eating raisins. A guy walked past, slowed down to have a good look at my jersey. Then he walked back the other way, looking at the jersey again. Then he came past a third time, and this time he stopped and said, "Did you win that jersey off of Robert Dudek?"