“I was like, ‘Man, Wily Mo’s a big guy — so tell him I’m sorry about it.’”
Indeed, Granderson made perhaps the greatest catch we have seen all season — diving and leaping grabs by the young Tigers centerfielder are now commonplace on highlight reels. His .281 batting average is not amazing, but when you factor in that Curtis is on pace to hit 40 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 homers so far this season, you can throw that out the window. Curtis Granderson is certainly one of the greatest young players in the game today, and the Tigers were certainly on to something. It is truly a pleasure to watch him day in and day out, and it is obvious that he makes every play with the most effort he has to give: 110%. It’s cliché, I know, but it is the absolute truth. Granderson always runs as hard as he can, always hustles to balls hit into the outfield. Not only does he hustle to those balls, but he also knows how to play every single bloop, line drive, and pop fly. Whether it is appropriate to dive, or whether it’s impossible to make the catch and it’s time to focus on getting the ball back in as quickly as possible, Granderson knows. Grady Sizemore may be a favorite with the media, particularly after his cover story in Sports Illustrated this year, however it is Curtis Granderson who is the shining young centerfielder from the AL Central.
So as we finally take an All-Star break, let us raise our glasses and tip our caps to Curtis Granderson, who has legged out more triples, prevented more doubles, and played harder than any of us could ever ask for.
