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Detroit Tigers rookie Colt Keith hits first home run of MLB career. It wasn't a fluke
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- Detroit Tigers rookie Colt Keith hits first home run of MLB career. It wasn't a fluke
The Detroit Tigers didn't give Colt Keith the silent treatment.
The silent treatment is a tradition in baseball that when a rookie hits his first home run in the major leagues, his teammates ignore him upon his return to the dugout, and after an awkward period of silence, everyone breaks out in celebration.
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That's not what happened to Keith.
"It's probably the fastest home run trot on the first homer in Tigers history," manager A.J. Hinch said, "and he got to the dugout with a big smile. I'm happy for him and proud of him. The boys took care of him inside."
Keith hit the first home run of his MLB career against right-hander Alek Manoah in the second inning of Friday's 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. It wasn't a fluke, considering the 22-year-old second baseman entered Friday's game hitting .405 with a .908 OPS in his previous 13 games.
He is locked in for the first time at the highest level.
Tigers second baseman Colt Keith slides into second base during the third inning of the Tigers' 6-2 win on Friday, May 24, 2024, at Comerica Park.
"That feels really good," said Keith, who signed a contract worth a guaranteed $28.6 million over six years in this past offseason. "I feel like I've been dreaming of that for a while. It was kind of a blur when it happened. I don't even know what pitch I hit. I just knew that I hit it good, and I was just happy to see it fly into the stands."
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His teammates were ready to celebrate the milestone in the 44th game of his career.
Keith was greeted in the dugout by Riley Greene at the bottom of the steps after the 400-foot home run to right-center field. He battled for seven pitches, including back-to-back fouls on elevated sinkers, before blasting Manoah's eighth-pitch changeup, located middle-down in the strike zone.
Greene, who is nearly 11 months older than Keith but far more established, handed Keith the pizza spear and opened the door to a walk down the runway, and just like that, Keith marched his way through the dugout and received high-fives from coaches, trainers and all his teammates.
The kid had the biggest smile on his face.
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"I don't know how much weight he was carrying around for a couple of months," Hinch said, "but I felt like it felt like it came off as soon as the ball left the yard."
Keith notched his first homer in his 155th plate appearance.
Tigers second baseman Colt Keith, right, celebrates with first baseman Spencer Torkelson after hitting a home run during the second inning of the Tigers' 6-2 win on Friday, May 24, 2024, at Comerica Park.
"I tried not to think of it," Keith said. "It's have good at-bats, have better at-bats, stop swinging at bad pitches, get on time, stuff like that. But it's always in the back of my mind, like I haven't hit a homer since last year. I used to love hitting homers, obviously, so it was nice to get one. I was looking forward to it for a long time."
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The second-inning home run, as well as the red-hot month of May, is a product of adjustments. He implemented a toe-tap to keep his head stationary and find the timing of his swing. Whenever he struggles, he goes to the toe-tap get him back on track.
The toe-tap always seems to work.
Keith utilized the toe-tap for the first time May 8 in Cleveland , ditching a leg kick. By May 17, he produced the first four-hit game of his career in Arizona . After that, he collected back-to-back three-hit games Monday and Tuesday in Kansas City.
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Finally, Keith blasted his first home run on Friday in Detroit.
"I feel loosened up," Keith said. "I'm more on time with pitches. When you see the ball better, you're going to be able to hit better. I think that's the moral of the story. When you're on time, you're going to see the ball better, and I've been able to hit better since then."
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After Friday's win, Keith enjoyed another celebration with his teammates behind the scenes, away from the public eye. There was never a silent moment after the loud swing, not in the dugout or in the clubhouse.
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"I got thrown into a cart," Keith said, "and I got covered by a bunch of condiments, drinks and pop and whatever else. All I know is I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was freezing. I went straight to the shower and got it off me."
He's waited 44 games for that moment, as well.
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"Especially watching Wenceel (Pérez) do it," he said. "I was really looking forward to mine."
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers rookie Colt Keith's first career HR wasn't a fluke
