GaryMrMets
07-06-2004, 01:37 AM
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/sports/s070304d.htm
Abreu quietly putting together All-Star season
Saturday, July 3, 2004
By EDWARD de la FUENTE
Gannett News Service
PHILADELPHIA
Lost in the spectacular season Phillies first baseman Jim Thome has had so far is the quietly solid season right fielder Bobby Abreu is enjoying.
Entering Friday's game against Baltimore at Citizens Bank Park, Abreu was hitting .302 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs, and was on pace to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same year for the second time in his career.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa believes Abreu deserves some consideration for the National League All-Star team.
"He's played well enough to get that award," Bowa said. "There are a lot of outfielders with good numbers out there, but I've watched him play every day. He doesn't make a lot of noise. He just goes out and does it. You can see he wants to be a complete player."
Abreu has never been an All-Star despite batting better than .300 in six of the last seven full seasons, which often earns him the label of being one of baseball's most underrated players. The difference this year is, he seems to thrive off having Thome looming behind him.
"If you look at those guys on deck, they constantly talk," Bowa said. "They complement one another."
To slide or not.
Thome was in the starting lineup Friday and showed no ill effects after tweaking his right Achilles tendon on a play at home plate Thursday night.
As Thome came around to score on a single by Pat Burrell, he appeared ready to slide but decided against it at the last moment. That caused him to take several awkward steps and overrun home plate. He gingerly turned around and stepped on the plate.
Thome said before Friday's game that everything was fine.
"That was completely my fault," he said. "I should have slid."
"Once you make up your mind to slide, you've got to slide," said Bowa, who added he broke his ankle once on a similar play during his playing career. Phillies fodder Vicente Padilla's two weeks of refraining from throwing will be up Sunday, but there are no indications that he will be ready to do so by then, making it more unlikely the right-hander will be back in the Phillies rotation before August. "Once he does start throwing, it's like spring training again," Bowa said of Padilla, who has been on the disabled list with tendinitis in his upper right arm since late May. . . . Orioles starter Matt Riley was delayed from throwing the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning because of a bird that had come to rest between the mound and home plate. Third baseman Melvin Mora solved the problem by picking up the bird and carrying it to the Orioles dugout. . . . Bench coach Gary Varsho coached third base Friday and will continue to do so through the weekend in place of John Vukovich, who is in California attending the funeral of his father. John Vukovich Sr. died Tuesday at age 94.
Abreu quietly putting together All-Star season
Saturday, July 3, 2004
By EDWARD de la FUENTE
Gannett News Service
PHILADELPHIA
Lost in the spectacular season Phillies first baseman Jim Thome has had so far is the quietly solid season right fielder Bobby Abreu is enjoying.
Entering Friday's game against Baltimore at Citizens Bank Park, Abreu was hitting .302 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs, and was on pace to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same year for the second time in his career.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa believes Abreu deserves some consideration for the National League All-Star team.
"He's played well enough to get that award," Bowa said. "There are a lot of outfielders with good numbers out there, but I've watched him play every day. He doesn't make a lot of noise. He just goes out and does it. You can see he wants to be a complete player."
Abreu has never been an All-Star despite batting better than .300 in six of the last seven full seasons, which often earns him the label of being one of baseball's most underrated players. The difference this year is, he seems to thrive off having Thome looming behind him.
"If you look at those guys on deck, they constantly talk," Bowa said. "They complement one another."
To slide or not.
Thome was in the starting lineup Friday and showed no ill effects after tweaking his right Achilles tendon on a play at home plate Thursday night.
As Thome came around to score on a single by Pat Burrell, he appeared ready to slide but decided against it at the last moment. That caused him to take several awkward steps and overrun home plate. He gingerly turned around and stepped on the plate.
Thome said before Friday's game that everything was fine.
"That was completely my fault," he said. "I should have slid."
"Once you make up your mind to slide, you've got to slide," said Bowa, who added he broke his ankle once on a similar play during his playing career. Phillies fodder Vicente Padilla's two weeks of refraining from throwing will be up Sunday, but there are no indications that he will be ready to do so by then, making it more unlikely the right-hander will be back in the Phillies rotation before August. "Once he does start throwing, it's like spring training again," Bowa said of Padilla, who has been on the disabled list with tendinitis in his upper right arm since late May. . . . Orioles starter Matt Riley was delayed from throwing the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning because of a bird that had come to rest between the mound and home plate. Third baseman Melvin Mora solved the problem by picking up the bird and carrying it to the Orioles dugout. . . . Bench coach Gary Varsho coached third base Friday and will continue to do so through the weekend in place of John Vukovich, who is in California attending the funeral of his father. John Vukovich Sr. died Tuesday at age 94.