Osborn back to old self

Blue Crabs slugger displaying potent production

Friday, July 3, 2009

His .326 average was in the league's top 10, and he could produce with the best of them, smacking 17 homers and boasting 106 RBIs –– matching the league high.

Perhaps the most unappreciated stat for Osborn in 2008 was his durability, playing in all but eight games of the Blue Crabs' full 140-game slate en route to being selected as the first-team third baseman on the league's postseason All-Star squad.

This season has already seen Osborn miss double the amount of action he did a year ago through the Blue Crabs' first 62 games, coping with a herniated disc in his back. When he has played, he has spent much time away from his usual hot corner defensively, either manning first or being the designated hitter to lighten the toll on his back.

And the popular Blue Crab had been a shell of himself offensively from what fans witnessed last year, slumping to the low .200s in average with pedestrian home run and RBI totals.

That is until the last five games, through Wednesday's 11-4 series finale victory at Newark.

Thursday's contest at Somerset finished too late for inclusion into this edition.

Last year's Osborn has suddenly returned to the team. In those five games –– not coincidentally, four of them wins and the lone loss by an 11-10 outcome –– Osborn has raised his batting average from .225 to .258.

During that span, he has 10 hits, nine RBIs, three runs scored, a homer and double.

"I know we have some guys that have had a rough start to the season. For instance, take Osborn," Blue Crabs captain Jeremy Owens said after Wednesday's win. "That guy is hot right now. Osborn is the leader on this team, and when he goes, we go. He's one of the reasons we're in this spot [on the verge of a playoff berth]."

The Blue Crabs have been in first place for most of the season with the second-year franchise's sights on an inaugural division title and subsequent playoff berth.

But when their best starting pitcher, closer and most consistently productive hitter were all signed by Major League organizations in June, major voids cropped up in the Blue Crabs arsenal.

Question marks legitimately started to surface of whether the Blue Crabs could hold onto their top placement and win the first half of the season.

Thus far, the Blue Crabs have been up for the task at 38-24 entering Thursday with a five-game lead on Long Island with eight games left in the hunt for the first-half crown.

Osborn has played an integral part, putting expectations on himself to pick up the slack left behind by the big bat of Eric Crozier –– now with the Baltimore Orioles' Double-A Bowie affiliate.

Despite the absence of Crozier –– whose .314 average still qualifies at No. 5 in the league –– the Blue Crabs offense is hitting on a high gear like never before with Osborn in the middle of it all.

"My bat's doing better. I've made a few adjustments with [manager Butch Hobson] the last couple days and I'm seeing the ball better," Osborn said Wednesday. "I got in the cage with Butch and finally found some mechanical things that will help out my back. My problem was not my swing, just the stuff that leads up to my swing. My bat was causing me to miss some pitches that I should drive."

Osborn said his back is feeling better though nothing is guaranteed when dealing with such an injury. He is hopeful that both his health and the Blue Crabs bats remain consistent in their current form.

"This is the type of offense we thought we could be," he added. "It's just a matter of continuing this day in and day out."

dcogle@somdnews.com