by Kevin Moore | Aug 11, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT
Detroit Tigers outfielder Derek “Thrill” Hill has made the most of his opportunity after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo for the second time this season.
The Tigers recalled Hill on July 16 and Hill has given the team a reason to keep him on board.
Hill recently achieved a memorable accomplishment.
On August 8, the Tigers took on the Cleveland Indians.
On the mound for the Indians was Zach Plesac. It was the top of the second inning with two runners on and two outs and Hill was up to bat.
Hill connected on a two-strike pitch that left the yard and what made it special was that it was the first home run of his career.
It doesn’t get much better than that, your first home run is not a solo shot, but a bomb with runners on.
You could see the joy in Hill as he rounded those bases and headed into the dugout. And his teammates were excited to see him go yard.
That’s something he will always remember, He had to flex one time and show that he has some pop in that bat of his.
Hill joined the team for the first time in June and immediately showed flashes of being a dual threat with a promising future.
Since the season started, the Tigers have dealt with injuries, especially in the outfield.
There have been many different rotations in the outfield and Hill is making sure that he is producing each game that he’s playing.
Hill had an impressive month of July after rejoining the Tigers. Through 14 games in July he hit .286 with 12 hits, eight runs scored, and two RBI.
Derek Hill Is Back In The Bigs | The Tigers Outfielder Is Looking To Stick Like Glue
While he has not been an everyday starter, Hill has made an impact being on the team.
The 25-year-old has faced some adversity this season when he suffered a shoulder sprain colliding with a wall back in June.
But that did not stop our MLBbro from getting back to the field and performing at a high level.
The former first round pick has done nothing but tear it up in the minors this season and now he’s looking to do that in the majors.
Before being recalled in July, Hill hit .320 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 33 games down in Toledo.
With those numbers, the Tigers had no choice but to give him an opportunity. Now that he’s in the Motor City, he’s hitting .260 with 20 hits and eight RBI through 27 games.
Every time he steps on that field, Hill is being evaluated and he knows that he has to continue to play out of his mind if he wants to remain on the team throughout the season.
As things stand, he has a good chance of finishing the season in a Tigers’ uniform.
by Kevin Moore | Jun 24, 2021 | THE TWO HOLE
The Detroit Tigers have a talented young player by the name of Daz Cameron. The 24-year-old has been raising some eyebrows recently with his impressive stat line.
Cameron has had success at the plate as he is currently riding a five-game hitting streak after his 1-for-3 performance against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 23rd. During his hitting streak, he is batting .350 with two home runs and six RBI.
Our MLBbro has not been with the Tigers long this season, but his presence has been felt on multiple levels. Through nine games, he’s posting a .242 batting average with three stolen bases, and eight RBI.
And peep this, he made his MLB debut with the Tigers during the 2020 season. He appeared in 17 games and did not hit a home run. Fast forward to this season and he’s already got three jacks in nine games. So there is some pop in the 6-foot-2 185-pound frame of Cameron.
Now that’s how you make a name for yourself right there. Cameron had a big performance on June 20th against the Los Angeles Angels. With the game tied going into extra innings, the Tigers needed a clutch at-bat and Cameron was the man that came through.
He hit a two-run single in the 10th inning to propel the Tigers to a 5-3 win over the Angels on Father’s Day. What made it even better was that his father, former 17-year major league veteran Mike Cameron, was in attendance the entire series.
“That was definitely something that I will never forget,” Daz Cameron told The Detroit News. “I was glad to see my family here.”
This brother was on fire the entire series against the Angels. The game before he came through in a big way, he went 2-for-4 with a home run at the plate.
You know nothing too shabby right? Just another day at the office for Cameron. It has not taken him long to adapt and perform.
Watching him play, you can see that he was made for these moments. He does not shy away from the spotlight and he’s as calm as they come.
With how he’s been playing lately, there’s no question the Tigers have to find a way to keep him in the lineup. A defining moment for Cameron came in his second game of the 2021 season. That’s when he hit his first home run off his career.
And he did it off one of the top relievers in the game, Chicago White Sox’s Liam Hendricks.
“I was just looking to be ready to hit,” Cameron told mlive.com. “He throws hard and his fastball runs a little bit. I just wanted to be sure I got on top of it.”
“It felt good coming off the bat. I squared it up good and when I saw it fly, I knew it had a chance to go out.”
Going forward, our MLBbro will look to keep himself in the Tigers’ lineup and help make an impact on the team. One thing is certain, this kid was born to ball and make baseball better.
by Brandon Carr | Apr 7, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF
Just when you thought it was safe to turn away from the TV, Real Deal Akil Baddoo comes through on Tuesday with his first career walk-off hit.
It’s the bottom of the 10th inning with runners on first and third. Real deal Akil Baddoo faces a 2-1 pitch count and rips an RBI single to right field to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
This has been a week of firsts for the Class A baller who seemed to come out of nowhere, hitting an Easter Sunday homer on the first pitch he saw in his MLB career. The feat landed him in the Tigers history books as the ninth player to go yard in his first career at-bat.
He followed that performance with a two-out Grand Slam against the Twins on Monday afternoon, making Real Deal the only player in franchise history to homer in his first two career games.
After being showered by the team with a Gatorade ice bath, Baddoo, during his post-game press conference, said:
“Always stay ready. Be ready for your shot, be ready to shine and take advantage of it, and that’s what I did.” He added, “I was looking for something off-speed, I got it, and we ended up getting the dub.”
Real Deal Akil entered Tuesdays’ matinee as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the eighth inning. (Don’t ask us why he was on the bench, to begin with) which ultimately landed him in rightfield, where he later ended the game with one swift flick of the wrist.
“He’s been looking forward to these moments for his entire life, and he’s taking the opportunity and running with it,” said A.J. Hinch during the post-game press conference.
Hinch goes on to say, “One of the things we’ve talked about since day one is his maturity, his calmness, and demeanor. There’s so much to like about him in those moments, and clearly, early in his career, he’s showing he can step up pretty big for us.”
After Tuesdays’ heroics, he is the only player with two home runs and a walk-off hit in his first three career games since Clevelands Josh Bard in 2002. He’s also the first Tigers player with a walk-off hit within his first three career games since Gabe Alvarez did it in 1998.
Baddoo was an unknown prospect that never played above Class A until this season. He spent most of 2020 recovering from Tommy John’s surgery on his left (throwing) elbow, which derailed his 2019 campaign.
While formulating his comeback, Baddoo sought inspiration on film from some of the game’s most notable names, like Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, and Willie Mays, who are his three favorite players.
If he keeps raking like this, he too could be mentioned amongst the greats one day.
Next for the Tigers is the series finale against the Twins, with the first pitch scheduled for Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.
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