Napoli honored for breakout week
Red Sox slugger had been mired in long slump
MINNEAPOLIS -- Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli emerged from one of the most epic slumps of his career to be named the American League's Player of the Week on Tuesday.
"That's what kept me going. I knew I was one swing away, one at-bat away, one pitch away that I can turn things around and feel good in the box," said Napoli. "I've been through a slump before. I kept working, I kept grinding, and I stayed positive through the whole thing. I'm going to do my best to maintain this feeling every day and hopefully be able to contribute and do my part for a while."
Over six games last week, Napoli hit .429 with six runs scored, five home runs and 10 RBIs. He led the Majors in homers, slugging percentage (1.190) and total bases (25) in that stretch, and he led the AL in RBIs and on-base percentage (.500). It is Napoli's third career weekly honor; his last came Sept. 8, 2013.
"Yeah, you know, one, it's an honor for him to realize a great week of baseball. He certainly seemed to carry us on the homestand," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "I think it speaks to his abilities and what he's capable of, but setting aside the personal achievement, as a group we'd like to see those awards given to other guys in our lineup as well. And that's what we're working toward."