"Alex Avila's hips weren't flying open like Ryan Raburn. He didn't need to stand up tall and work on his balance like Brandon Inge. And, he wasn't swinging on his back side like Gerald Laird. Avila said all he needed were consistent at-bats to break out of his season-long slump. And, since Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced a couple weeks ago that Avila would receive more time at catcher, he's done just that. "My swing has been the same, my preparation has been the same, my work ethic has been the same," Avila said. "Guys are going to struggle, that's part of the game." Avila, who is hitting .230 with 22 RBIs, has raised his batting average 133 points since April 28. The left-handed batting rookie hit a two-run double that fell just short of clearing the fence in right-center field in Detroit's 8-3 win Thursday afternoon and finished 2-for-4 on the day. "When you have consistent at-bats and you have consistent quality at-bats, your confidence definitely goes up and you feel better about what you're doing," Avila said." http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2010/06/tigers_alex_avila_attributes_c.html
