Bobby Abreu batted .250 and slugged .313 in July before he was dealt by the Phillies to the Yankees on July 30. Since then, he's a .378 hitter who has slugged .511 for New York. His four extra-base hits in a Yankees uniform is one short of his extra-base total for all of July, and he's drawn five walks to give him a .451 on-base percentage in August. OK, the sample size is very small, but it's conceivable that Abreu will thrive by departing Philadelphia. Mike Schmidt found out how hard life can be in the City of Brotherly Love if fans believe you're not performing up to snuff. That certainly was the case for Abreu, who was under attack for his lack of power since winning the Home Run Derby at the 2005 All-Star Game. He also was criticized for showing too much patience and drawing too many walks for a guy who was supposed to be a run producer. In fact, Abreu leads the major leagues for most pitches seen per plate appeaance (4.49), and not far down the list are new teammates Jason Giambi (4.33) and Johnny Damon (4.05). He's part of a Yankees lineup that will wear down a starter with its patience, and there are plenty of run producers to clear the bases if Abreu is drawing walks. He's a cog in the wheel, rather than one of the key guys who has to be driving in runs to keep the Phillies in contention. That takes some pressure off Abreu, and perhaps escaping the glare of being a key scapegoat for a disappointing season in Philadelphia is enough to allow the 32-year-old right fielder to thrive. Coming to New York in the heat of a pennant race often has meant a lot of pressure for a new arrival, but maybe Abreu is finding New York the haven he's needed. He's young enough to have a few big years for the Yankees.