Reason to be optimistic about a J-Up rebound
As J-Up’s thumb healed last year, his power returned. He had a .441 slugging percentage in August, .522 in September and hit 9 of his 17 homers after July.
'I look in front of me, no ball. I look behind me, no ball. I look in my glove and see the ball. I say to myself, Rufino, you one lucky guy!'
As I mentioned on a previous thread, hitters with thumb and/or wrist injuries can’t grip the bat correctly, meaning they can’t really hit. But J-Up was playing for Kirk Gibson, a manly man meathead who wanted him in the lineup if he was ambulatory, because, by God, that’s how Gibson played (and how he managed to fall significantly short of his enormous talent). So rather sit out a few days and let the thumb heal, Gibson was challenging J-Up’s manhood and leaning on him to play. J-Up’s lucky to be away from the fool.
“Manly man meathead” is immediately enshrined in the Great Phrases Hall of Fame, skipping the five year waiting period.
If the home-road splits still scare ya, let Dave Cameron set your mind at ease:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/justin-upton-is-not-a-park-effect-mirage/