The Return of Brad Hawpe

I won't soon forget where I was when Brad Hawpe hit a go-ahead two-run bomb Saturday afternoon against the Rockies.

I was sitting on my sofa, my 3-month old daughter crying in my lap, the underrated Jay Baruchel film She's Out of My League on the television, the Padres game playing silently on the computer in front of me.

I look up as the count goes to two strikes on Hawpe (and, coincidentally, as Alice Eve walks across the TV screen). I look down and Hawpe is rounding the bases.

One of the more unexpected, outstanding bombs I can remember.

Hawpe's demise appears to have been greatly exaggerated. For the month of May, Hawpe is hitting .385/.455/.615, with 2 bombs and 8 ribeyes. Over the last 28 days, basically a full month according to my calendar, Hawpe is hitting a respectable .290/.347/.449.

Hawpe - and the Padres - have more work to do, but things are progressing nicely.