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  Eric Degerman is SportsTriCities.com's managing editor. Eric is a longtime Tri-City Herald sportswriter who spent several years covering a variety of sports, including the Tri-City Americans and golf. Eric now produces a regular Web-based sportscast that focuses on Mid-Columbia sports. Have a question for Eric? Click here to e-mail him |
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Last week, I'm rather certain I drove my wife to the edge. While we painted our house in the searing heat, I heaped the punishment on her by plugging into XM Radio's baseball coverage.
One segment really grabbed my attention. Kevin Kennedy, a former big-league manager and current analyst for Fox Sports baseball coverage, went out of his way to heap some praise upon Hanford High School grad Jason Repko on XM's "The Show" with Rob Dibble.
Kennedy lives in SoCal and spends a lot time watching the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spotlighted Repko soon after the speedy outfielder's recall on June 30, and he knew a fair amount about the 27-year-old who started one game for the injured Juan Pierre.
"The Dodgers called up Jason Repko, who hurt his ankle a couple of years ago on a fly ball in centerfield trying to climb the fence to take a home run away. And then he got hurt in spring training over a year ago," Kennedy said.
That hamstring tear cost Repko the entire 2007 season.
"He's a five-tool guy," Kennedy said. "He's got power. He can fly. He's a good outfielder. He's got probably the strongest arm now on the Dodgers club. And then he comes up and gets his opportunity and what does he do? He strikes out four times (at Houston). And then (Jose) Valverde balked on a pitch when (Repko) would have struck out a fifth time in the ninth inning.
"That's a tough welcoming back to the big leagues, but I like Jason. I think he brings them energy, and I think he's going to be OK. He had to face Roy Oswalt, who pitched very well," Kennedy concluded.
Alas, Repko only got two more trip to the plate — once July 1 and the other July 2 — before the Dodgers returned him to Class AAA Las Vegas on the Fourth of July. They activated the underachieving Andruw Jones.
At this point, Repko might be better off with a fresh start in a new organization. His career numbers with the Dodgers include a .228 batting average in 202 games and 413 at bats. He's rapped out 20 doubles and 11 HRs, going 15 for 19 in stolen bases, and his on-base percentage is .297.
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