Tuesday, July 22, 2008

En Honor De Nuestro Monstruo de Cuadrangular

Luke Scott es el hombre

by Matthew Taylor


Luke Scott is a man of his word. After
promising O's skipper Dave Trembley "I'll get hot the second half," Scott earned American League Player of the Week honors right out of the gate following the All-Star Break.

Scott went 7-for-13 with three home runs and six RBI in four games, a return to form from the month of June when he posted a 1.090 OPS. Scott added an iconic moment to the mix on Saturday when he introduced Oriole fans to the "Walk-Off Slide" following his game winner in extra innings against the Tigers.


Scott has quickly become a fan favorite in Baltimore, a result facilitated not only by his performance on the field but also by his humble, friendly nature. Or maybe it's just the fact that, unlike in previous years, when O's player talk these days about energy boosters provided to them by teammates it has nothing to do with B-12 shots. Consider this anecdote from Kevin Millar's MLB blog:

"Luke Scott mixes this protein drink that we call candy. It's blueberry, but he puts in apple sauce, berries and vinegar. Basically, it's an antioxidant health drink, but it makes you happy and makes you feel good. It's a great little mix to drink after batting practice, and you get bummed out when he's out of the ingredients. I learned my lesson when I got sick from following his health tips during Spring Training, but I'm giving him a second chance with the candy."

Even David Simon is a Luke Scott fan. The question is, Will Scott stay on the Birds' roster long enough to keep T-shirt Tuesday on Aug. 19 from being an ironic promotion?

For as much as O's loyalists love the guy, Luke Scott ignited the passions of Venezuelan League fans to perhaps an even greater level. If Wiki sources are to be believed, those fans nicknamed Scott "El Monstruo de Cuadrangular" or "The Home Run Monster." You can witness some of that passion in the tribute video below.


So kud-"O's" to Luke Scott. But given your choice between two 30-year-old fan favorites, which O's player would you keep: Luke Scott or Brian Roberts? Vote in Roar from 34's poll.

[Image source: Flickr. Click photo for original.]


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