Rack Aaron Rowand

[BBMarley]

3-2, 2 outs, bases jammed... Long fly ball to center field. Rowand going full tilt runs face first into the wall, catches the ball and ends the inning- breaking his nose in the meantime. What a great goddman catch. I'll post the video when they put it up.. Thank god we finally have a real center fielder!

[Funkywhiteboy]

Next stop, the DL. :twisted:
At least he made the catch.

[jiminphilly]

Pretty good article on Rowand from February.. last year Lofton, in so many words, said he wasn't stupid enough to run into walls. I guess you can see why Lofton is a career journeymen at this point.

Rowand may be as tough as 'Nails' The Phils' new center fielder gives 100 percent on every play.
By Rob Maaddi
Of The Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. | Aaron Rowand once walked away from a collision with a cinderblock wall, rarely finishes a game with a clean uniform and will do anything to win. No wonder the gritty center fielder is a perfect fit in blue-collar Philadelphia.

Rowand hasn't played a game with his new team, and already he's a fan favorite in a city known for being tough on its athletes. Everywhere Rowand went during the Phillies' winter tour, he was greeted by friendly faces.


''The fans have been nothing but great,'' Rowand said Wednesday. ''I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of people wishing me well.''

The 28-year-old Rowand came to Philadelphia along with two minor league pitchers in the trade that sent popular slugger Jim Thome to the World Series champion Chicago White Sox.

Built more like a middle linebacker, the stocky Rowand — listed at 6-0, 200 pounds — is known for his all-out hustle and his willingness to run into anything to make a catch.

During his junior year at Cal-State Fullerton, he ran into a cinderblock wall on a dead sprint, caught the ball and escaped with only bruises on his knee and cheekbone. Another time, he was knocked woozy after leaping to rob a home run and hitting his head on a pole.

''Some outfielders look for the wall. I try to make the catch,'' he said. ''My dad told me as a kid that if you're going to do something and not give it 100 percent then why bother and I carried that through my whole career. So far it's worked out for me.''

Rowand has drawn comparisons to former Phillies' center fielder Lenny Dykstra, who was adored by fans for his hard-nosed attitude.

''I enjoy getting dirty. I enjoy flopping around in the dirt,'' Rowand said. ''In Chicago, they appreciated me for the effort I gave every day and it's nice to know I'm going to a place where they'll do that, maybe more.''

Dykstra, who was nicknamed ''Nails,'' was a major reason Philadelphia went to the World Series in 1993, its last playoff appearance. Maybe Rowand could have a similar impact on a team that isn't expected to contend despite finishing just one game behind National League wild-card winner Houston last season.

''I think the guy is a solid player and he loves to play,'' manager Charlie Manuel said. ''His hustle is going to be good for our team. I think he's capable of hitting .300 and he'll hit a few home runs. He might hit 20-25 in our park.''

Rowand had a breakout season in 2004, hitting .310 with 24 homers and 69 RBIs. He fell to .270 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs last year, and hit .267 with seven doubles in the playoffs.

Kenny Lofton and Jason Michaels, who platooned in center field for the Phillies last season, combined to hit .322 with six homers, 67 RBIs and had a .397 on-base percentage. Rowand, though, is considered a major upgrade over Lofton and Michaels defensively.

Manuel plans to bat Rowand second in the lineup, though he could hit sixth or seventh at times to provide some punch at the bottom of the order.

It took a couple days for Rowand to get over being traded to the Phillies one day before Thanksgiving. But he was so eager to start playing with his new teammates that he showed up a week early for spring training and has spent a lot of time getting to know the guys.

''Everybody gets along real well. Guys get together after practice. You have a good mix of veterans and some young guys,'' he said. ''I was more in shock when [the trade] happened. I was disappointed I was leaving some of my best friends. That's tough, especially when you form bonds after being with one organization for eight years. But I'm looking forward to playing in that stadium, playing with these guys and playing in front of those fans.''

[BBMarley]

Rowand Video

Link to the video

[Shoalzie]

Rowand's a bad ass...that had to be difficult move for the Sox to make but Thome has been as good as advertised. Williams can easily go out and add a CF if they need to.

[Cicero]

WEB GEM!