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Do IT this week: Layering
Player showing more than power this year in his bid to rejoin the Indians
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Apr 20, 2009
COLUMBUS: Michael Aubrey can hit a baseball. Far.
There's never been any doubt about that.
In fact, he has collected home runs at every level he's played, including finally last season in the major leagues for the first time.
But the question remains: Can the Tribe's first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2003 draft out of Tulane stay healthy enough to play himself into an everyday position with the Indians before he gets too old?
Aubrey, who turned 27 on April 15, has battled an alphabet of injuries over his six-plus-year professional career. Ailments including quad, abdominal and hamstring strains to a scary right-knee injury, a lingering lower back stress fracture and last year's nagging shoulder soreness have sidelined him for parts of every season in which he has played.
Could this be the year Aubrey stays healthy? And even if he manages to do so, does the struggling Tribe have room for another one-dimensional slugger?
''He needs to play first base, get out there and stay healthy, run the bases aggressively and not show any limitations based on the injuries,'' Triple-A Columbus manager Torey Lovullo said. ''And Michael's doing that. His gears have changed a little bit, which has helped his overall game. He knows he gotta put this thing in motion.''
Baseball wisdom goes that as long as a guy can hit a home run, it doesn't matter how slow or physically limited he is on the bases.
But so far this season, Aubrey is showing more than power. In his first 11 games of the season while playing first base and designated hitter for the Clippers, Aubrey is batting a healthy .472.
In 36 at-bats, he has gathered 17 hits — the most of any Clippers player — including three doubles, a triple, a home run and eight RBI. He also leads the squad with a .500 on-base percentage, a .694 slugging percentage and a 1.194 on-base plus slugging percentage.
''We view him as a guy who's going to get at-bats and put himself back on the map in a way that he can play back in the big leagues,'' Lovullo said. ''We know that he's an offensive player who can put up numbers with the best of them.''
Aubrey started last season in Double-A Akron — his fifth stint with the Aeros — but quickly moved up to Triple-A in May. After just two weeks in Buffalo, Aubrey made his much-awaited major league debut with the Indians May 17 in Cincinnati as a pinch hitter.
Fittingly, Aubrey's first major league hit was a home run off the Reds' Edinson Volquez, coming May 18 in his first career start at first base. His second homer came just days later in Chicago against the White Sox, off Javier Vazquez.
But with the Indians' front office looking more and more for multidimensional athletes who can play more than one position and make their mark on the game in many ways, Aubrey was taken off the Indians' 40-man roster in the offseason and out-righted to Triple-A in January after clearing waivers.
''I guess I'm kind of stuck in the middle right now,'' Aubrey said. ''At one point I was the kind of young prospect expected to do everything. Now, although I'm a little older, I still feel like I can help the team and even any big league team. So my goal right now is to force the issue and make them make a decision on me. That's all I can control.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians and Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
COLUMBUS: Michael Aubrey can hit a baseball. Far.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 08:41 AM, 04/20/2009
Easy, Big Fella. . .You'll get your chance.. .
Mentor, OH
Posted 08:56 AM, 04/20/2009
Not likely it will be with the Indians.
Good news is we have yet another very limited first baseman/DH that can hit some. Like Garko.
Bad news is every minor league organization has 2 or three guys like Garko and Aubrey so they have very little trade value. Neither is a star level hitter like Hafner was when healthy.
So Aubrey basically is insurance in case Garko is injured. Even at that LaPorta is nearly ready and can also play the OF and looks like he will be that star level player.
I would love to find a team that would want a Garko or Aubrey and throw in Sowers and a few more nobodies and get one decent starters. Bring up LaPorta and let him play first and LF.
Fairfield, CT
Posted 11:01 AM, 04/20/2009
Rick,
Garko is far superior power hiiter to Aubrey. And he can play a little OF. You are right about Aubrey having no chance in Cleveland. Aubrey is not only behind Garko, but behind Shoppach and V-Mart as well.
Your hope is a pipe dream though. No one is giving up a starting pitcher for out spare parts. You might get a few bullpen guys tho - and it looks like they will get work.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:04 AM, 04/20/2009
See if he can learn how to pitch. :)
Posted 12:14 PM, 04/20/2009
Too bad Mike doesn't have the multi-dimensional assets of Dave Dellucci.
Canton, OH
Posted 04:07 PM, 04/20/2009
@ MarK. . LOL !!!!!!!!!! I'm spittin' pop all over my keyboard & monitor !!!!!
Posted 06:03 PM, 04/21/2009
don't forget we designated this guy for assignment last year and no one wanted him. he cleared waivers and landed back in buffalo.
nevermind the fact that he is buried with garko, martinez, and possibly laporta ahead of him at 1b.
