Matt Joyce Career Tracker

SoulRat wrote:

Stop liking him mrsrabelo!

I don't hehe

laprimamirala wrote:

lol...she will be Mrs. Rabelo-Joyce!

Well half of all marriages do end in divorce

I'm glad he's not from Venezuela! I would predict an upcoming rivalry between Mrs. Rabelo and Lap!

swiss_tiger wrote:

I'm glad he's not from Venezuela! I would predict an upcoming rivalry between Mrs. Rabelo and Lap!

naw! She's got 'em all in the palm of her hand anyway! I had my day in the sun, believe me!

Way to go lat night, Matt. Nice Home Run!

He gets it done!

Another home run for Matt today! Yay!

Okay, :joyce: now he's my #2 Tiger!!!

after of course!

GO :joyce:

05/18/2008 5:01 PM ET
Joyce glad to have hand in Tigers' win
Outfielder has four homers through first 12 Major League games
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

PHOENIX -- Matt Joyce has had plenty of reason to smile. Four home runs in 12 Major League games will do that.

On Saturday night, though, Joyce was beaming. He hit another one out, but he also had a victory. Since being called up on May 5, he actually has experienced fewer wins than he has homers.

"This is a great feeling," Joyce said Saturday. "It's awesome to contribute to a win, to have confidence going into the next game and just have fun, maybe help us relax a little bit."

So far, being relaxed has not been a challenge for him.

Considering Joyce's call up was unexpected and came on the spur of the moment when the Tigers released Jacque Jones, he would have plenty cause to be nervous. Yet since making the drive up from Triple-A Toledo to Detroit on that Monday afternoon at the start of the Tigers' last homestand, he has shown very few signs of being overwhelmed, either physically or mentally.

"It's more fans," Joyce said. "I wouldn't say it's more pressure. Pressure is usually what you put on yourself. But I think after a couple games, you kind of get used to it. It's the same game you've always been playing. It's the same thing in the Minors, just a little bit more competition. But I think it has come faster than I expected to."

It's partly his personality. He isn't a high-stress kind of person, and he isn't one to stand out.

"Joyce is just kind of a steady, old-shoe type player, from what I've seen so far" Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He doesn't get overly excited, and he doesn't lull you to sleep. He just kind of goes about his business and he plays. I like him. I like him a lot."

The other part is confidence, which has helped him ever since he was drafted by the Tigers out of Florida Southern College. He has never been short on belief in himself, and he's had reinforcement from friends, family and club officials that he could make it in the Majors. Now that he's here, he's getting some of the same messages.

"I think the mentality that you have to have is somewhat of that," Joyce said. "You have to have that confidence that you can go out there and play with anybody and beat anybody. And right now, it's a little on the edge. We're trying to find that a little bit. It's not like this team is no good or is done, by any means."

The way he's hitting, of course, it would be hard not to feel confident. Much like Clete Thomas when the season started, Joyce has made his mark early. One difference, according to Leyland, is that Joyce is a little more laid back.

As a hitter, Leyland said, "He actually reminds me a little bit of Jim Northrup. Now, if he can end up hitting like that, he can be pretty good. He's got a nice swing."

Northrup had a strong Tigers career, sometimes quietly, over the course of 11 seasons with 146 home runs and 570 RBIs. He led the 1968 world champion club with 153 hits and 90 RBIs.

Considering the Tigers' struggles, it's hard to say that Joyce's arrival has sparked the club. The way he's hitting, though, he has made an impression on an organization that wasn't counting on needing to turn to the farm system for an offensive spark.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

he's one hungry dude...and cute too!

Our new hero Matt Joyce at Spring Training 2008

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Our new hero Matt Joyce at Spring Training 2008

Boy's hot! Or in one word: da-yum!

In looking back at our Spring Training pics, I came accross this photo and felt it NEEDED TO BE POSTED! His team pic does not show how good looking he really is!

da yum?!? da SHIT more like!! He is HOT!!

He is adorable

but I don't like him...... (dang it!)

Matt sent down, clete brought up.

COME BACK SOON!!!!!

He will

Does anyone else find it amusing that Matt's at bat song is Animals by Nickleback (seriously, if you have never listened to it do it and then you will see why I am shocked!) Hmm... I guess that would explain some things.


EDIT: Oh yeah, GO MATT!!!

He saved that kitty! He's awesome!

mrsrabelo wrote:

Does anyone else find it amusing that Matt's at bat song is Animals by Nickleback (seriously, if you have never listened to it do it and then you will see why I am shocked!) Hmm... I guess that would explain some things.

I love that song... in fact it was my brother's ringtone for about 2 years. I was listening to it at school and one of my friends grabbed a headphone and was listening and they freaked out about.

Better get a gooood sign for him girls!

laprimamirala wrote:

Better get a gooood sign for him girls!

I think I'm gonna have to make 2 signs the next game I go to... Maggs and Matt

He did great last night!!

What a HR!!!

I texted my friend, who is a guy, and I was like "dude, you have got to see Matt Joyce, he is sooo cute and he is a good player" And then he was all freaked out.

Joyce had home runs on Wed and Thurs!

Watch him or Clete get sent back down. though *ugh*

he doesn't get sent down.