Injuries Slowed Abreu

Critics say Bobby Abreu is a selfish player who sometimes loafs and doesn’t deliver in the clutch. Others argue he’s a gamer who plays hurt and is underappreciated because baseball seems easy for him.

One thing everyone should agree on is this: Abreu is one of the most consistent players in the major leagues.

The two-time All-Star right fielder is a lifetime .303 hitter and has averaged 23 homers, 94 RBIs and 29 steals during eight seasons with Philadelphia. He’s also durable, having played at least 150 games each season, and has never gone on the disabled list with the Phillies.

“It’s hard sometimes to change peoples’ minds,” Abreu said. “I play the game hard. I run to the wall. I play the game 100 percent. If they don’t see that, what can I do? I do my job every year, so I don’t have to worry about what they have to say.”

Adored in his native Venezuela, Abreu’s popularity in Philadelphia has never reached the level of Pete Rose or Lenny Dykstra.

He gets booed much the same way Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt heard jeers whenever he failed to meet the overwhelming expectations of fans.

“They look at him like they expect more out of him,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “There’s a lot of players like that. Some players are different than others. The more he does, the more they expect.

“In a way it’s unfair. I think the way he plays, that’s the way he is. He plays 162 games, the season gets long, he makes mistakes. People see it like he’s not supposed to make a mistake. He’s human, too. I haven’t seen anybody not make a mistake. Somebody would say if he ran a little harder, he’d beat a ball out. At the same time, it’s not like he’s not running. It’s just the way he goes about it.”

Often overshadowed by outfielders Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones, Abreu thrust himself into the national spotlight with a record-setting performance in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week last season. He hit 41 homers in the contest, including 24 in the first round.

But it’s been downhill since. Abreu slumped terribly in the second half at a time when the Phillies needed him most with slugger Jim Thome out of the lineup and in the middle of a playoff race.

Abreu hit just hit .260 with six homers and 44 RBIs in the second half. In the final 29 games, Abreu batted just .242 and Philadelphia finished one game behind National League wild card winner Houston.

Nagging shoulder and back injuries bothered Abreu down the stretch, but he insisted on playing.

“He was definitely hurting,” Manuel said. “I thought he was trying too hard; maybe he was mentally fatigued. He wanted to stay out there and do his best. He wasn’t coming out.”

Overall, Abreu hit a career-low .286 with 24 homers and 105 RBIs. He stole 31 bases and became only the third player in history to have seven consecutive seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 steals, joining Barry and Bobby Bonds.

Abreu also won his first Gold Glove Award, a surprise considering he’s vilified by fans for his nonchalant effort on defense.

Once the season ended, Abreu’s name surfaced almost daily in trade rumors.