NEWS: Warming Bernabel named NL Player of the Week — after his first week as a Major Leaguer

Just how good was Colorado Rockies rookie Warming Bernabel’s week?

The 23-year-old not only hit at an astounding near-.500 clip over a six-game span at the end of July, he also Wally Pipped a teammate by taking away his first base job — and was subsequently named NL Player of the Week on August 4.

Oh, and his sizzling stretch happened to coincide with his first week in the Major Leagues after making his debut on July 26.

Bernabel went 12-for-26 (.462) with two homers, four doubles, a triple, five runs scored, a .462 on-base percentage and a .923 slugging percentage, easily earning Player of the Week honors.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Bernabel, from the Dominican Republic, told reporters after learning of the award. “I’m just obviously very happy, and I’m happy to help the team succeed.”

His scorching bat made the last-place Rockies’ decision to send struggling first baseman Michael Toglia to the minors an easy one — and reminded baseball historians how a Yankees rookie named Lou Gehrig stepped in for incumbent first-sacker Wally Pipp, who in 1925 asked out of the lineup with a headache.

It was a bad day to take a day off.

Pipp, a very good hitter who in 1916 led the AL with 12 homers, never got back his starting position. Gehrig ended up playing 17 years with New York and went on to the Hall of Fame.