Since my plans for photography last Sunday were dashed because of the rainout, a still shot of this week’s Shorebird of the Week will have to do. As has been the case for most of the three years I’ve watched Delmarva play, the catching starts are split by at least two guys and this year’s been no exception. Brendan Monaghan is one of those two and gets the nod for this week’s SotW honors.
Brendan’s off to a bit of a slow start but with just three games played he could have a 4-for-4 night tonight and suddenly look like a batting champion. Thus far he’s 2-for-12 with an RBI and a stolen base in these three games. New manager Ramon Sambo would certainly take stats comparable to what the New Jersey native put up last year with Bluefield, where Brendan hit .277 in 49 games (46-for-166) and knocked in 38 runs – over a full 450 at-bat season that would work out to over 100 RBI. Monaghan also ripped 15 extra-base hits in that short season and drew 21 walks, translating to a healthy .802 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) overall. Even as a part-time player this year, reproducing those numbers over the full 2008 campaign would put him among the team leaders.
And if you happen to see him at Friday night’s game, wish Brendan a happy birthday – he’ll turn 23 on April 11th.
