Note: Daniel Murphy is 24 Years Old
In last night’s win, Daniel Murphy had a career-high five RBI, including a ‘home run,’ and a run-scoring single and a two-run double.
Murphy also made an error in with two outs in the ninth inning on a ground-ball from Christian Guzman, and had trouble picking up a low throw from Ramon Martinez in the first inning.
Following the game, Murphy told reporters that Jerry Manuel essentially banned him from taking extra batting practice in the indoor batting cages this week.
…man, he does love the cage… in spring training, he was in that sucker every time i walked by… and, in the few times i have walked by the cage in Citi Field, i’ve seen him in there or hanging around the cage a ton too…
…from what i understand, manuel believes muprhy’s slump could be the result of overworking in the cage, which is not all that uncommon for young players, who are used to a different workload and rhythm in the minor leagues…
Murphy had just one hit in his previous 16 at bats, during which he’s batting average dropped roughly 10 points.
He’s now hitting .262 with 17 RBI on the season.
…i am not sure why people forget he’s just 24 years old, and still has less than 300 at bats for his career… he’s learning, not just about major league pitching, but he’s learning the pace of the game, how to manage his body and stay strong over the course of a long season, complete with coastal flights and odd game times, etc… as a fan, i tend to take that stuff for granted, i just expect these guys to hit, period, end of story… but, the reality is, they’re kids, growing, learning, adjusting, etc., and doing it at a level of play they’re not entirely used to… it takes time… this is not t o say he should be allowed to strike out every at bat for three weeks, i mean, the team has to win too…
