Prince Fielder Singles In First At-Bat As Detroit Tiger

Published: 5^th Apr 12 1:05 pm

by Michael Terrill
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Prince Fielder Singles In First At-Bat As Detroit Tiger

Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

Newly acquired first baseman Prince Fielder singled in his first regular season at-bat as a Detroit Tiger off of Boston Red Sox’s Jon Lester.

Fielder took a low strike on the corner of the plate and swung at a pitch in the dirt but managed to work the count full. He then hit a pitch that was in and muscled it to right field as he trotted down the first-base line.

The former Milwaukee Brewer got a loud standing ovation as he walked up to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Fans could be seen snapping pictures with their cameras and camera phones. The crowd was even louder when he recorded the hit.

Fielder was one of the bigger names in free agency this past offseason and did not disappoint when he finally signed his mega nine-year, $214 million contract and instantly made the Tigers contenders in the American League.

Detroit made a solid run in the postseason last year, defeating the New York Yankees in the MLB AL Divisional Series before being knocked out by the Texas Rangers in the AL Championship Series. With the addition of Fielder the Tigers become that much better with a legitimate chance at a World Series berth.

Fielder is regarded as one of the greatest power hitters in the game today and could finish his career with legendary numbers if he stays healthy. With Miguel Cabrera in the lineup, Fielder will feel right at home creating a new dynamic duo similar to the one he had with Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun.

In 59 plate appearances this spring, Fielder batted .288 with four home runs, one triple, 11 RBI, six walks and nine strikeouts.

In 998 career games, Fielder has 571 runs, 200 doubles, 9 triples, 230 home runs, 656 RBI, 566 walks, 779 strikeouts and a .282 batting average.

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