Upton seeing stars, having All-Star month of June
Jun 22, 2011, 6:00 PM | Updated: 7:56 pm
Earlier this month Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton climbed aboard Phoenix’s light rail system with former Diamondback great Luis Gonzalez to promote the All-Star Game-themed METRO trains.
I felt bad.
Through the first two months of the season Upton was having a mediocre-at-best season (for his standards) and I didn’t feel he was worthy of being on the All-Star team. Yet here he was being made the MLB All-Star FanFest Spokesperson 40 days before the game’s greats make their way to the desert.
The calendar hit June 1 and wow, things have changed.
In the first 55 games Upton was hitting .266 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, 21 walks, 45 strike outs, 10 stolen bases and an on base percentage of .343.
In 19 games in the month of June Upton is hitting .417 with nine doubles, 11 RBI, his first career walk-off home run and an on-base percentage of .500.
Upton is on base one of every two times he steps in the batter’s box. That’s ridiculous at the Major League level.
The former No. 1 pick was named the NL Player of the Week last week for his play in the latter part of the series in Florida against the Marlins and then the two home series against the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox.
He went 16-for-29 (.552 batting average), with seven RBI, four doubles and the aforementioned walk-off home run, which prevented the D-backs from being swept by the NL West leading and now struggling Giants.
It’s safe to say Upton is seeing stars this month.
In the latest All-Star ballot numbers, released on Monday, Upton was 11th for NL outfielders. That has more to do with the lack of a Diamondbacks fanbase and people voting for the “stars” in the Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis markets than it does with the season he is putting together.
Should he be top three and a starter? No. But he does deserve a spot on the roster.
Upton being a star in the month of June makes him deserving of a star on his jersey come July 12 when the Mid-Summer Classic is being played on his own stomping grounds.
I fully expect UpTown to be represented by Upton at some point in the game.
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TY’s Outtakes
What I learned this week…
I learned Rory McIlory is going to be playing golf in our living rooms on Sunday afternoons for a long time. The kid is 22-years-old and he dominated the U.S. Open over the weekend. If it wasn’t for a horrific Sunday at The Masters he’d be two for two in Majors this year.
Tweet of the week…
I think T Pryor made more money then me last year. And his was all tax free. Grease those palms.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone 
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John Skelton
johnskelton19
This was awesome. Cardinals QB John Skelton has jokes.
Suggestion of the week…
More golf. I know, I know.
Golf Boys – Oh Oh Oh (Official Video)
