Broad Street Heroes

By: Travis (a Mets fan)

As the second half of the MLB season rolls around there is an oddity going around.  While power production by way of 60 hr seasons might be dead and gone, a different type of power surge has sparked my interest and the interest of other baseball fans as well.  Veterans not known for their power are putting up big home run numbers.  Take for instance Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers.  Inge may have had a weak performance at this year’s Home Run Derby, but Inge has stroked 21 long balls this season.   This is Inge’s ninth season in the league and in his first eight years of MLB service Inge hit 93 career home runs, with his most being 27 back in ’06.   Philadelphia Philles all star outfielder Jayson Werth has bombed 20 long balls this season as compared to his 57 total his first 6 years in the bigs.  Werth’s power may not be that much of a surprise because he has hit for power since recovering from a wrist injury that plagued his career when he played for the Dodgers (and he is playing in the launching pad also known as Citizen’s Bank Park).  Russell Branyan of the Seattle Mariners has been known as a decent power consistent strikeout machine throughout his career, but Branyan has cut down the K’s and put up 22 home runs at the break compared to his 132 dingers in a 10 year career with 20 being his highest single season total. The list goes on and on: Aaron Hill popping 20 homers, Ben Zobrist with 17, Adam Lind with 19.  All of these guys are considered veterans, and all of them are showing power that no one could have projected or seen. I wonder if the clock will hit twelve and the Cinderella seasons for these players will come back to reality, or if these guys are in for the long haul. We shall wait and see.