Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
If we define MVP (and let's face it, the definition is always subjective) as the player who came through when his team needed him most, then the AL MVP for April was Torii Hunter.
With cleanup hitter Vladimir Guerrero out with a strained pectoral muscle, Hunter moved up from fifth in the order to fourth – and hit eight homers in the month, 40 percent of the team's total and one shy of the franchise record for April.
More importantly, as the team grieved over the death of Nick Adenhart and coped with an absurd rash of pitching injuries, Hunter did all he could to lift the spirits inside the clubhouse.
"All in all," manager Mike Scioscia told FanHouse, "we're moving forward, and he's been a big part of that."
It comes as no surprise that Hunter has been a bright spot for the Angels, since bright spot is his natural position.
Few players enjoy their job as much or are so constantly smiling.
But the smiles came harder in April.
For the first week or two after Adenhart's death, "It was quiet. No music was playing. Nobody's smiling. Nick Adenhart's jersey was in the locker [as a tribute] and everybody was just staring at it.
"For a week and a half, two weeks, we were to the point where baseball means nothing. You could tell the way we were playing – it was like, 'Whatever.' Guys would strike out – 'Whatever.' I've never been that way. And I could see it, and feel it."
Hunter said his wife and mother had to remind him, "You've got to keep the spirits up, you've got to keep smiling, keep these guys up."
For Hunter, it reminded him of dealing with the death of Kirby Puckett in March 2006. Hunter was with the Twins then, and Puckett was his mentor. "He raised me," Hunter said.
So Hunter took it upon himself to spread some sunshine in the Angels maudlin clubhouse.
"I try to be myself," he said. "I come in smiling. If I come in sad, and they see a guy that's been around the league for a while and he's sad, he's not talking, then it kind of messes up the clubhouse. ... So I come in with a smile and I crack jokes with guys and I play the music. I just try to get their minds off the stuff that's been going on."
Said Scioscia: "This guy, he's a source of strength for everybody that's around him. He's just a special person. He's always there for the guys.
"You can tell a lot of things about people when there may be bumps in the road and things aren't going well, and I think that's where Torii really shines."
He certainly has at the plate, and it's not the first time that he has used what he calls the "safe haven" of the diamond to get away from personal tragedy. After going on the bereavement list because the death of his grandmother last July, Hunter hit .309 over the next 36 games, with seven homers and 28 RBI.
This April, Hunter tied for the AL lead with a .714 slugging percentage and was sixth in OPS (1.094).
"He's a player," No. 3 hitter Bobby Abreu said. "He's a player. He's a gamer. He knows what to do. And he's a leader."
Typically, he gave credit elsewhere – Abreu, who batted .357 for the month.
"The at-bats he has – I'm on deck and I'm watching (and thinking), 'Damn,' " Hunter said. "So when I come up to the plate, I want to do the same thing he's doing. So he's actually making me better."
Pressed for an explanation of the hot start, Hunter got coy.
"This year I learned something different in spring training," he said. "It was just something really small. I'm not going to tell anybody."
Was it mechanical?
"Mental," he said. "Mechanics is your mind. I'm not a mechanical guy.
"I got a mental trick now, and it's a lot of fun. You know what it is?
"Swing at strikes."
And then he laughed, that great laugh that had been missing for a while in his clubhouse.
Overheard and Understood
• "The Dodgers would have to self-destruct not to win their division," said a scout who has seen the NL West. Another agreed, saying, "The Dodgers are going to run away with the division, even with their pitching questions."
| Chart of the Week | |
|---|---|
| The Diamondbacks had an unusual schedule in April, with more home games against the Rockies (six) than total road games (four). Arizona was just the fourth team to play 18 home games before May 1, but they failed to take advantage: | |
| Team | April Home Rec. |
| 1979 Mariners | 8-10 |
| 1984 Padres | 13-5 |
| 2008 Cardinals | 12-6 |
| 2009 D'backs | 8-10 |
• Oakland has had at least three players on the DL for every game since the start of the 2007 season.
• A scout who recently saw Rays phenom David Price mused that Price might be a two-pitch pitcher better suited to relief. "They're trying to develop his changeup," the scout said, "and he's throwing so many of them he's losing command of his fastball."
• When 40-year-old lefthander Ken Takahashi got in Saturday's game for the Mets, he became the fourth-oldest player to make his debut. Takahasi, who came to the majors after 14 years with Japan's Hiroshima Toyo Carp, was called up last Monday. The other 40-somethings to reach the majors for the first time were Diomedes Olivo (41) of the 1960 Pirates, Satchel Paige (42) of the 1948 Indians and Chuck Hostetler (40) of the 1944 Tigers.
• The Cubs are 0-8 when they commi at least one error and 12-3 when they don't make an error.
• Former Yankees manager Joe Torre would often compare Robinson Cano to Rod Carew. It's not that farfetched. Comparing Cano's career totals through Saturday vs. Carew's first 597 games (thanks to baseball-reference.com):
| Player | AVG | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | R | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carew | .305 | 685 | 108 | 26 | 23 | 231 | 313 | .760 |
| Cano | .305 | 708 | 157 | 15 | 67 | 326 | 323 | .811 |
• MLB saw 27 grand slams in April, second-most for the month (there were 32 in April 2000).
• Florida radio broadcaster Dave Van Horne, in his 41st season (he spent 32 years with the Expos), called a game in his 50th different stadium when the Marlins visited the Mets' Citi Field last week.
