Bobby Abreu has finally done what his detractors said he couldn't do: Bring a championship to Philadelphia all by himself.
Ok, Ok, Ok, so it isn't something we can brag about to people from other cities. But it's all we've got for now, so let's enjoy it shall we?
The show that No. 53 put on last night in the Home Run Derby wasn't something that will go into the official record books in terms of events that count for anything, however, it will be something that elders will relate to youngsters every year when they settle in to watch the Home Run Derby, "Hey, that's nothin' kid, I once saw Bobby Abreu hit one shot after another, 41 in all..."
In other words, while Abreu's performance in the Home Run Derby won't garner him any MVP awards or Hall of Fame consideration by itself, it will draw much more attention to what Bobby Abreu does day in and day out -- flat out hit and score.
Is his defense suspect? Without a doubt. He can cover some ground and he has a nice arm, but agile he is not. Is there a more complete, well-rounded offensive force in the game today, the one where Barry Bonds is out of the game? No, there isn't, and as much as it will pain some people to read this, I have to say it:
By the time Bobby Abreu's time in Philadelphia is through, he will be one of the top-ten Phillies of all-time.
Seriously. He certainly has his flaws, but what other great player in Phillies history doesn't?
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The photograph above, taken by Morry Gash of the Associated Press, comes from a gallery on Yahoo! Sports. What is amazing to me is that it shows how steady Abreu's head remains throughout his swing, while the rest of his body rotates at a high rate of speed.
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More on Bobby Abreu...
..."Vote for Pedro and for Bobby"
..."Polarizing and Perplexing"
..."Grips"
..."Bobby and the Hall" from Baseball Musings
