Marveling at Mora
With Melvin Mora hitting .500 over his past 15 games and coming within one hit of the cycle twice in the last three games, it's only natural that everybody is talking about him right now. O's beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec trolled the catacombs of Comerica Field yesterday for impressions of the team's hottest hitter and biggest run-producer.
Dave Trembley: "I told you, he’s The Natural. Incredible. He hit it like he knew it was coming. He probably did. He’s had an incredible streak. It’s not for me to say. It’s for me to sit back and watch and appreciate it and enjoy it and for him to take all the credit in the world."
Terry Crowley: "Melvin got a cortisone shot right before the All-Star break and the three days rest allowed the shot to work. We talked about it a lot when he came back after the break. He seemed to think that they hit the right spot. That coupled with the rest that he had the three days, he just took off. I’ve seen Melvin hit the ball really, really good before. I’ve seen him have a season in which he hit 27, 28 homers. I’ve seen him have a season in which he .340 for us. But this bit of a streak right here, this is as hot as I’ve seen him. It’s been six weeks now."
Tigers manager Jim Leyland: "He’s an outstanding player, an outstanding hitter. When you’ve got great hitters – really good hitters, really hot hitters – and you don’t make them uncomfortable, they wear you out. And that’s what he did to us. I’m not talking about where you hit somebody or any of that stuff. But if you just keep throwing it out over the plate, really good hitters, they’ll do what he did to us."
Aubrey Huff: : "Man, it’s been awesome. Even his outs are hard. He’s [become] one of the best third basemen in the league in a matter of two months. Everything he’s hit has just been whacked. It’s like whatever he wants to do, he’s doing it right now. I’ve never seen anybody this hot before in my life."
Marvelous Melvin: "When you are locked in, you go to home plate with a confidence that you are going to hit the ball hard no matter what. That’s the only thing as a hitter we’re thinking about before you go to home plate...I’m not surprised because if you’ve been working for this, you deserve it. I’ve been working all year long. When I was hitting .230, .220, I never gave up. I was always working. It didn’t matter what I hit."
Associated Press photo
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Comments
Pete wasn't it just last year that people were screaming for Crowley to be fired?
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Pete's reply: Last year? How about last May.
Posted by: lewesjim | August 18, 2008 8:03 AM
dude memlo totally came unhinged yesterday!
Posted by: the Wayward O | August 18, 2008 8:07 AM
Where are all the Melvin bashers now?
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Pete's reply: I don't know, but I'm a little worried, so I sent out a search party.
Posted by: Dave | August 18, 2008 8:22 AM
Incredible job by Mora, I was in the camp that would rather have had two first round picks for him and get younger, but he has justified the extension the Orioles gave him.
Pete, I think you should write a column paralleling the Ramirez and Murray trades. They were traded under very similar circumstances and Luccino was involved in both, and I have a feeling like us, the Sox will live to regret that deal.
Posted by: joe | August 18, 2008 8:59 AM
Most impressive is the win on Sunday that Mora contributed too...
We need Teixeira...Sign the petition!
http://bringmarkhome.withthispetition.com
Posted by: Hatepaste | August 18, 2008 9:06 AM
Makes one have to reassess. Everyone was talking about dumping Mora and Huff and even Roberts. Well, Roberts must NOT be traded as he's the spark of this team.....AN ORIOLE!! And now it appears Mora should be the O's third baseman ... period. Why not? Right now he's the best in both leagues. And Huff is hot. Sign MT for first base this off season, plug in SS, and add two front end starters and the O's will most definitely contend next year ...not in 2 or 3. Out of 30 major league teams they're 5th in most runs scored and they have chemistry. Why break that up? Just add to it. Don't be stupid.
Posted by: oldetoys | August 18, 2008 9:20 AM
Keep that picture, its the first time I've seen Melvin smile in his 9 years with the Orioles.
"J" as in joyful when you are hitting .500.
Posted by: Deke | August 18, 2008 9:49 AM
By the way, where are all the fans that wanted to run Terry Crowley out of town back in May when the Orioles were not hitting a lick?
Posted by: Deke | August 18, 2008 9:56 AM
As I and many others were saying just a couple months ago, Mora is over-the-hill and shouldn't play regularly, if at all. A pleasant retirement community would welcome a former O's All Star.
Oh my! Just one more sad mistake in my life as an expert baseball fan.
Posted by: George | August 18, 2008 12:33 PM
Wow, let's not get crazy in the other direction now. Enjoy the good times while they last, but, I've seen enough baseball over the years to know that next season Mora and Huff could look very much like 2007. Let's hope they both continue hot thru the end of the season, and then trade them while their value is at it's highest. We cannot let the euphoria of the moment derail the long range plan. This team is not winning any pennants in Mora's career as an effective everyday player. Melvin, we love ya, but the future of this team is youth. Keep going strong, and you can win a pennant next year in another uniform, while the return we get will help the O's win in the following years. Of course, that would require dropping the no trade clause...
Posted by: John Galt | August 18, 2008 1:16 PM
Let's not forget that Melvin also plays a great third base. Great to see him healthy and happy. People also forget that Huff is only 31 years old and can play 3 positions. Keep him, keep Roberts and get some pitching. I'd love to have Teixeira, but bottom line is if they had any starting pitching they'd be contending this year.
Posted by: Matt | August 18, 2008 2:31 PM