It was quite a season for Detroit Tigers rookie and Westland, MI native Eric Haase. He certainly earned the nickname bestowed upon him by fans and media of “Hammerin’ Haase” thanks to his 22 home runs and 61 RBI.
He even earned American League Rookie of the Month honors in July, hitting .265 with a .627 slugging percentage to go with 17 runs, 22 hits, three doubles, nine home runs, and 29 RBIs.
Not bad for a local kid who grew up watching the Tigers. And he’s got his sights set on even bigger and better things as he enters his second season.
“The focus is different,” Haase said. “It’s not, you know, what can I do in the future to help the team win? Now, looking around and seeing the guys, you start seeing how the lineup is going to stack up. You feel like we might be a small piece away from being a contender, and that’s really exciting. The buzz around the clubhouse is different, and I think it’s going to be fun this year.”
Of course, he used his initial MLB experience with the Cleveland Indians to help propel him forward to where he is now.
“I got that experience with Cleveland, but it just felt like, maybe down the road, I can help the team win,” Haase said. “I felt like, OK, the guys in the clubhouse, we’re going to win. But it was like, an ‘outside looking in’ kind of deal. Now it feels the exact opposite.”
Haase and the Tigers will open the 2022 season with a divisional matchup against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on April 8.
– – Quotes via The Detroit Free Press Link – –
