AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > May > 24
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Time to bet on Betemit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pardon me while I divert my attention from the most popular subject of consternation in Braves Nation, the closer situation, in order to focus today’s blog on another recent concern.
The offense. Not just one guy. Not just the one-homer-in-a-month Andruw Jones, nor Marcus Giles (.308 OBP and one RBI in 19 games). Not just Brian Jordan (2-for-18 with one RBI and seven strikeouts since May 13), nor Todd Pratt (.167, three RBIs all season, 1-for-11 in four starts since Brian McCann got hurt), nor Ryan Langerhans (.182, one homer, four RBIs in 19 games).
No, the offense as a whole. What is going on? It’s Uggla (actually, Dan Uggla of the Marlins is hitting better than most of these guys. And so is Josh Willingham of the Marlins. But anyway…)
It’d be easier to name the guys who haven’t stunk lately, like Jeff Francoeur (well, at least in home games he hasn’t) and Brian McCann, who’s been their best hitter all season, at 22.
Speaking of McCann, is it just coincidence that the Braves have hit - brace yourselves - .142 and scored six runs in four games since he got hurt? I’ll repeat those numbers, to assure you they weren’t typos: One-forty-two with six runs in four games. And they WON TWO OF THEM! For that, the Braves can thank Tim Hudson (eight scoreless innings) and John Smoltz (seven scoreless) more than anything else, plus a timely two-run homer from Langerhans and a big double from Renteria (his only extra-base hit in his past 11 games, by the way).
But since McCann got hurt early in Saturday’s game at Arizona, the Braves have been anemic without the NL batting leader in their lineup. Granted, they faced a couple of very tough pitchers in Brandon Webb and Jake Peavy, but that doesn’t explain .142 and six runs in four games. Because they also faced Juan Cruz, who had an 8.62 ERA in four starts and allowed nine runs without getting out of the first inning of his previous start before facing the Braves. He held them to two hits in six innings Sunday.
The Braves still rank fourth in the NL in runs, sixth in average and eighth in homers, but they’re slipping fast in each category, and are tied for 10th in on-base percentage at .334. Who are they tied with? The Marlins, who are running out a bunch of talented kids who should still be in Double-A or Triple-A, and who have an excuse for striking out a ton and drawing few walks. The Braves don’t have that excuse.
This team needs to reduce its strikeouts, work opposing pitchers, make them throw more pitches so they can wait and hit a mistake instead of making it easy on guys like Cruz. Stop swinging at so many first pitches and ball fours, etc. Just be more disciplined. Listen to Terry Pendleton, because that’s what he’s telling them to do. It’s not his fault. He can yank guys out of the lineup or move them down in the order.
If it was me, I’d have Wilson Betemit taking grounders at first base and getting some outfield work before games. Wilson told me this week he’d play first base if they asked him to, no problem, and also said he took some fly balls in the outfield during in the Dominican in winter ball.
He wouldn’t be great out there in the outfield, but they need to get his bat in the lineup, and between sharing time with Adam LaRoche at first base (yes, that’d mean a much lesser role for B.J.) and getting some playing time in left field, with an occasional start at third base - yes, it’s no crime to sit Chipper once a week - and also an occasionial start at second base - Betemit played there in a game last season and didn’t embarrass himself - Betemit could play 4-5 games a week and get the 4-5 at-bats a game he should be getting.
It was Renteria who told me last week that Betemit is good enough to play every day, and I agree.
I think they should also try Betemit in the leadoff spot, even though it’s unconventional. Giles simply isn’t working out there, and needs to be dropped in the order until he gets it going.
It’s nothing radical, because you can only do so much with what you have, and because this team has enough talent to score enough runs to win the division with good pitching. They really do. Just look what they did offensively when they were going well earlier this season.
There is reason to believe they’ll snap out of this funk soon. They’ll get McCann back this weekend, and LaRoche will be back in the lineup tonight (before any of you take aim at LaRoche, consider that he’s got five homers and 22 RBIs in 26 road games, second on the team in both to Andruw Jones, who stopped hitting homers in mid-April). And after an off day Thursday, they’ll play three at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, who are 5-19 with a 5.63 ERA in their past 24 games.
The Braves can’t afford to let the Mets rebuild their NL East lead. And with Jorge Sosa having pitched quite well in his last two starts, there’s reason to believe he might be able to give the Braves another solid starter, the kind they were counting on after Sosa’s remarkable 2005 season. They still need another reliever and a veteran bat by July 31, preferably well before then. But the Mets and everyone else have needs, too. Point is, the Braves have the talent to stay in this thing, but they’ve got to start hitting (and also can’t afford horrendous defensive games like last night, but that’s another story).
As for Horacio Ramirez, his rehab start last night was bad and I’m of the mind that the Braves had best not expect a whole lot from the lefty after he’s activated. Frankly, he hasn’t done much since his rookie year, and it might be time to stop expecting huge things from him.
OK, talk about anything you want. Just wanted to offer my view on the offensive malaise.
Gotta go see if I can find the new Johnny Cash CD on sale anywhere in downtown San Diego. And look for more fish tacos.
