NEW BRITAIN - Some of the older fans around New Britain Stadium have compared Luke Hughes to effervescent Giant Eddie Stanky or cantankerous Yankee Billy Martin.
Children of the 60s and 70s may murmur, "Pete Rose." Contemporary rooters can aptly link him with animated Arizona outfielder Eric Byrnes or energetic Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein.
The overview is a sketch of an Australian lad who was assigned to the New Britain Rock Cats as a utility player and has emerged as a budding star who manager Riccardo Ingram just can't keep out of the lineup.
Hughes extended his string of consecutive times reaching base to 11 with three hits and Garrett Guzman drove in four runs Friday night to lead the Rock Cats to an 11-8 win over the Bowie Baysox in a slugfest before 7,091 at The Emerald.
"He has life, he has energy," Ingram said about Hughes. "He's a guy that these guys rally around. He's witty. He's a good teammate. It's all in good chemistry. The guys root for him when he's in there and he's starting to play better. He puts good swings on the ball and can play anywhere on the field."
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"I'm getting some pitches to hit, I'm not missing them and they're finding gaps," Hughes said. "It's a lot of fun to be out there. I get a hit, look in the dugout and the guys are laughing at me. It's good times."
Lipshez

