Resurgence

Comebacks are not only a wonderful part of baseball, but of life as well. I always like to root for the underdog, or somone who is going through a rough stretch. It's about hope. In keeping with that idea, every year there is a player from either league who is voted to be the Comeback Player of the Year. These are individuals who have had success in the past, but have struggled to repeat that success since. The award is given to acknowledge the fact that these men have returned to their productive ways. Of course it is way too early in the 2010 season to doll out any awards, but there are a few guys who have had such great starts to this season, that we should take some time to evaluate their resurgences.
I'm sure there are some players I will unintentionally overlook, but it's early in the season, and there are some particular performances that happened to catch my attention more than others. So without further ado, let's do some praising.
First off, there is San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito. When it comes to past success, you can't do much better than winning a Cy Young award. In 2002, Zito cemented his place in history by winning 23 games and losing only 5. While posting a meager 2.75 ERA and striking out 182, Zito dominated the American League with his devastating curveball. This signiture pitch dropped like a dead duck, and fooled some of the best hitters in the A.L. But eventually hitters caught up to it, and/or Zito lost his effectiveness, because the bulk of his remaning years in Oakland were not quite as good. He signed an exorbinant contract in 2007 with the Giants, but hasn't posted a winning record with the club yet. Many baseball appreciatives, myself included, have looked upon this as one of the worst free-agent signings of all-time.
But Zito is trying to put those complaints to rest this year. So far in 2010, the lefty has gone 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA and has struck out more batters than hits he has allowed. Whether his pitches are sharper, or whether he's just having a lucky run, I couldn't tell you. I haven't had the pleasure of watching him pitch yet this season. But if Zito continues to post these kinds of numbers for a full season, he could silence a lot of naysayers about that contract of his. Until next year, at least.
Another player having a comeback year is in the same division. Second-baseman Kelly Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks is off to a blazingly hot start. Kelly made his way through the Atlanta minors and had a cup of coffee with the Braves in 2005. Then took his place as an everyday guy from '07 onward. During that stretch he proved to be a guy who could hit for a decent average, belt about 15 homers and steal about 10 bags a year, while putting up a solid OBP. But in 2009 his numbers took a dive, and thus, so did his playing time, until the Bravos decided to part ways with the young man this off-season. The Diamondbacks perhaps saw a (cough)diamond(cough) in the rough with Johnson and gave him a shot. And all he's done to repay them this year is smack eight homeruns, drive in 15 runs and have a .393 OBP. These numbers will obviously level out, but Johnson has the potential to hit 20+ homers for a season, and if he can keep that on-base percentage high, he could score 80-90 runs again, like he did in '07, '08. Great job Kelly.
One more player that deserves some hype is Vernon Wells. Like Zito, Wells is in the midst of a contract that he is not earning. Until this season anyway. Vernon is an anomoly of sorts. He hit 33 homers one year, 23 the next, then back up, then down. Same with his average. He hit .317 in 2003, then hit .272 the following year. He seemed like a player that could never put everything together in one neat little package. But this year Vernon is bidding to put the Toronto Bluejays on his side for good. So far Wells is hitting .333 with a .398 OBP. He has 7 HRs and 14 RBIs and 11 doubles, which is already half of his entire 2008 doubles total. Vernon might never quite live up to his contract, but he's helping the team win, and in the end, that's what it's really all about.
Just a quick note on a few other players having great starts. Andy Petitte will go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, but rarely has he gotten off to a hotter start to begin a season. He's 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Not bad for a 38 year-old. First-baseman Paul Konerko of the White Sox has 8 dingers and 14 RBIs. Nice job Pauly. But perhaps most extraordinary case is that of Livian Hernandez. Hernandez is pitching for the Nationals, and doing things he's probably never done before. Livian is 3-1 in 2010, but his ERA is a microscopic 0.87. And his WHIP (which stands for Walks + Hits in Innings Pitched) is just 0.871. This means that less than one person is reaching base on average. That leads to wins. But of all the players that are having great years so far, I think Livian will be the most likely to come back to Earth, and relatively soon. Livian is a crafty pitcher and knows how to win, but these numbers are unsustainable, even for an elite pitcher in his prime. So, enjoy your resurgence Livian and others. Comebacks are great, but they do mean you were just losing.
Thanks www.baseball-reference.com for the stats.
Thanks www.bayareasportsguy.com for the pic.
P.S. If you are ever wondering who the legal owner of any of the past pictures I've used is, just click on it, and it will show you their URL. I'm writing this in hopes that I don't one day get sued. Thanks.