Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Yunel Escobar: Have Some Fun...

I watch the Atlanta Braves play a lot. They are winning, it is a contagious attitude moving around the team, and all the guys are having fun. Winning and leading your division will allow a ballplayer to have a little fun, and the Braves are soaking it all in. All except one. I never see shortstop Yunel Escobar smiling. The cameras are not always on him of course, and I don't recall any of the announcers bringing it up, but he just doesn't seem to be happy at the ballpark. Escobar has always had a propensity to be a little on the temperamental side. A little moody with a tendency to pout when things begin to go south on him. He probably won't win the Most Mature Ballplayer Award anytime soon. He can allow an error to change his total demeanor for an entire game. But the kid can flat out play. He has a cannon for an arm, he can make all the plays in the field, and until now has been more than capable with a bat in his hands. This year he is hitting only .241 with no homers. Last year he hit .299 and smacked 14 round trippers. The Braves will need Escobar cooking on all cylinders during the second half of the season if they want to stay atop the National League East. Yunel needs to get hot. He needs to get happy. He needs to have some fun.

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