remembering abreu

MLB’s Home Run Derby can get a little tedious, but it does provide a few unforgettable exploits. For instance, who doesn’t remember Bobby Abreu’s 41-homer performance in winning the 2005 contest at Detroit’s Comerica Park? Former Jackson Generals star Abreu, who isn’t playing in 2013 (but isn’t retired either), showed some pop in his lengthy big league career, belting 287 homers. But the most he hit in one season was 31 with Philadelphia in 2001. He caught lightning in a bottle that July day in 2005, hitting a record (since broken) 24 bombs in the first round of the competition. The 41 total is still the record. Years from now, more people are likely to remember that power display than they will the fact that Abreu was a career .292 hitter who could also draw walks (1,456) and steal bases (399). For the record, he hit 16 homers for the 1994 Generals. More impressive in those days was his throwing arm in right field.