June 22, 2011

Tater Trot Tracker

Trot Times for June 21

by Larry Granillo

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Summer is officially here.

Well, it is if you go with that whole "northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun" definition of summer. I generally prefer the "baseball season is underway" definition of summer, which means we've been in summer for two-and-a-half months already. The scientists can say what they want - I know what really matters.

How about some trots?

Home Run of the Day: Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox - 24.21 seconds [video]
Paul Konerko is batting .331/.400/.610 with 21 home runs for the White Sox this year. This is the fifth straight game he has hit a home run in. That is one heckuva season he's having for himself down on the Southside. He probably deserves a little more recognition than he's getting right now.

J.J. Hardy's home run is worth mentioning only because it looks like a Pittsburgh fan actually prevented Jose Tabata from catching the ball in the first row of the stands. Whoops. (See the video.)

Slowest Trot: Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals - 27.54 seconds [video]
This isn't another payback trot, like Ramos did to Arizona a couple of weeks ago. No, this trot registers so slow because it is of the walkoff variety, the final piece of a five-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth. Maybe it didn't need a 27-second trot, but it was a home run very much deserving of a celebration.

Quickest Trot: Michael Young, Texas Rangers - 19.35 seconds [video]
One of three home runs to come in under twenty seconds, Young edged out Alexi Casilla for the quickest trot of the day.

All of Today's Trots

Wilson Ramos.........27.54    Wily Mo Pena.........21.4
Seth Smith #1........25.15    Jason Bay............21.34
Chris Young..........24.93    Seth Smith #2........21.22
Paul Konerko.........24.21    Eli Whiteside........21.16
Andre Ethier.........23.66    Gaby Sanchez.........21.05
Adam Jones...........22.96*   Carlos Pena..........21.05
Mitch Moreland.......22.79    Josh Hamilton........20.46
Alex Gordon..........22.34    Yuniesky Betancourt..19.8
Brian McCann.........22.09    Alexi Casilla........19.46
Nelson Cruz..........22.03    Michael Young........19.35
J.J. Hardy...........21.85