How appropriate that on Milton Bradley's 28th birthday, he provided the last of a series of HRs on 28 consecutive pitches by Vicente Padilla. OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but HRs on 3 consecutive pitches? C'mon guys, work the count a little. Hee hee hee! Kidding--loving it!
Are we far enough underway yet to draw some preliminary conclusions? Sure, why not. Here's how it looks from my vantage point. If you're wondering where my vantage point is, by the way, it's exactly where Frank Thomas hit his mammoth HR to (briefly) tie the game. The fan directly in front of me caught it (jerk). If you see a replay of Thomas' HR, and spot a guy, flanked between Melody and andeux, looking like the Michelin Man in a heavy silver jacket, that's me.
- As if on cue, as soon he reached about 70 "prep at-bats," Frank Thomas has started hitting like Frank Thomas. Look for more of the same.
- Joe Kennedy is looking like a good call at LOOGY. He has, so far, done everything you could have hoped for from Rincon, with less drama.
- Even with the monkey (and you know who you are) off his back, Dan Johnson's bat still looks slow through the strike zone. Not good.
- Bobby Crosby has now gone 32 at-bats for the season without a walk. Really not good.
