Note: With tonight's game on WMLW, I didn't have access to a broadcast of tonight's postgame press conference.
Prince Fielder's second inning solo home run tonight was the 100th of his career at Miller Park. It was also a pretty good sign for the rest of this season.
It's no secret that Fielder has been a pretty slow starter over the course of his career. Despite the fact that he's a .279/.385/.533 hitter (entering play tonight), Fielder has hit just .272/.378/.461 in 129 April games, an OPS drop of 77 points. Over the last few seasons, Fielder has seen some extended waits before his first home run:
| Season |
Games Before
First HR
|
Total HR |
| 2011 | 7 | ? |
| 2010 | 14 | 32 |
| 2009 | 5 | 46 |
| 2008 | 14 | 34 |
| 2007 | 2 | 50 |
| 2006 | 4 | 28 |
Let me do the math for you here: When Fielder hits his first home run before his tenth game, he averages slightly more than 41 home runs. When he doesn't, he averages 33.
So, if you missed tonight's home run, odds are you'll get a chance to see roughly 40 more, give or take games on WMLW.