OT - God DAMN , Raul!

[youngLion]

I noticed this stat in the tap article about PEDs. I'm pretty indifferent to steroid stories now but something else really caught my eye: Ibanez has knocked 20 homers this season. TWENTY! That's ridiculous. Ibanez has always been what you'd call a professional hitter; I've been following him since his days with Beltran in KC, but I didn't expect him to break out like this at 37. It's a great story. He's never really been in a very good lineup before between the Royals and Ms, and it's clear that he's found a perfect spot behind Rollins, Utley and Howard.

[tsherkin]

Isn't he hitting in a new park that's a hitters' park?

It's like looking at the Yankees and being surprised that three of them have 12 HR already (Teixeira has 18 and A-Rod has 8 already).

[evilRyu]

they talked about this today on PTI.... he apparently lashed out on a blogger who suggested he was on steroids.. I don't blame either party to be honest...

[evilRyu]

btw, tsherkin, what does "On Leave" really mean anyway

[youngLion]

Isn't he hitting in a new park that's a hitters' park?

It's like looking at the Yankees and being surprised that three of them have 12 HR already (Teixeira has 18 and A-Rod has 8 already).

Well it's not that new anymore but I'm not sure about Citizen Bank park, that may very well be a factor. Still it seems to me that being in a decent lineup is possibly the biggest factor. In Seattle the middle of the order was occupied far too often by the likes of Jose Vidro and Richie Sexon. In Kansas I guess they had a decent heart between him, Sweeney and Beltran but they never had any other hitters around them. I just think this is a great story for a consistently underrated player.

Who knows if he would have been so successful here, but Ibanez was firmly number two on my offseason free agent wish list, right behind Milton Bradley

[RINSE]

Isn't he hitting in a new park that's a hitters' park?

It's like looking at the Yankees and being surprised that three of them have 12 HR already (Teixeira has 18 and A-Rod has 8 already).

No, Ibanez is a beast and a terrific hitter.

[s e n s i]

http://www.drunkjaysfans.com/2009/06/cu ... -john.html

Interesting conversation about the legitimacy of a blogger speculating whether or not Ibanez is juiced.

[Mustard_Tiger]

It's a hot streak.

Unless he's on steroids. Then maybe it isn't a hot streak.