Monday, July 10, 2006

Jermaine the juicer?


After watching Jermain Dye closely in this last series, he is NOT the same guy who played for Oakland a few years back. His last good season was with KC back in 2000. He's been injury plagued ever since. How many guys improve at the age 0f 32 after a history of injuries?
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Dye's #'s back in 2000: .321 BA, 33HR, 118RBI - his 5th year (and best) in the majors...
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He hasn't approached any of those #'s since. He only played 60 games in 2003. He supposedly is still bothered by nagging injuries.
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His #'s this season (if you double his 1st half): .318BA, 48HR, 130RBI - shattering his career bests
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The point is he hasn't been this good - ever. It's his 10th season. He's always been hurt (he missed 20 games last year). If someone has a breakout year early in their career, thats one thing. If a guy performs consistently and his #'s spike for a season, thats another. If there was a relevant reason for the spike, such as hitting in front of a Jim Thome (and not behind) well, OK.
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While no proof or even rumor has been floated out there, this is not the guy we remember. His numbers are off the charts. He doesn't pass the "eyeball" test either. Maybe he's completely healthy now or found the fountain of youth. Are we crazy here or is something just not right? We certainly don't have any proof, only suspicion. Are we missing something? We hope someone can put this to rest out there...

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