AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > August > 10
Thursday, August 10, 2006
A Braves nemesis in Philly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you folks want to see something as scary as Wednesday’s seventh-inning Braves bullpen debacle?
OK, not quite that scary _ for me, only a couple of scenes from the original “The Omen” (not the throwaway remake) have been as unsettling as that bullpen performance) _ but definitely frightful for Braves followers.
I bring you Ryan Howard’s offensive totals since Aug. 9, 2005. I got to thinking today about how last season Howard tore through August and September, and how he’s torn through the first two-thirds of this season. And so, I decided to go back to about this point last year and see what his one-year totals would be (why I’m working this hard on an off-day blog, I don’t know; I’m a man of the people.)
So I sent to the point where he really started to blaze last August.
You ready?
Read ‘em and weep: 157 games, 587 at-bats, .298 average with 25 doubles, three triples, 55 homers (yes, FIFTY-FIVE) and 144 RBIs, with 73 walks, 186 K’s, a .376 OBP and .632 slugging percentage. Oh … my … goodness.
Ladies and gents, barring a supreme act of stupidity by the always-capable-of-such-acts Phillies, Howard will be their first baseman for at least the next 4-5 years and possibly much longer.
Oh, and do you know where and against whom he’s hit for his highest average? Right on both counts: He’s hit .390 with seven homers and a .701 slugging percentage in 30 career games against the Braves, including .410 (16-for-39) in 12 games at Turner Field.
Anyway, I won’t dwell on Mr. Howard too long; I realize it might be painful. But just FYI, here’s what a few Braves have hit since Aug. 9, 2005 compared to Howard’s .298-55-144 with 1.008 OPS in 157 games:
— Andruw Jones: .263-44-139 with .871 OPS in 159 games.
— Chipper Jones: .325-27-96 with 1.005 OPS in 128 games.
— Jeff Francoeur: .256-27-103 with .732 OPS in 161 games.
— Adam LaRoche: .267-29-82 with .854 OPS in 149 games.
— Brian McCann: .328-16-68 with .899 OPS in 118 games.
Oh, and one other guy:
— Albert Pujols: .316-44-119 with 1.070 OPS in 144 games.
What does it say? Howard is a phenomenal talent in his second full season in the majors (really, Dave, we didn’t know that…). LaRoche is a lot more productive than people give him credit for. McCann is an underappreciated (nationally) talent who would be getting much more attention if he had enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title (he should end up with enough) and it weren’t for no-ordinary-Joe catching in Minnnesota. It says a lot of things. Oh, and Andruw and Chipper are still pretty good.
OK, moving on to a few other matters I’ve mulled on this off day:
Who’s the Braves MVP this year? Too early to vote. Gonna be a three-way race with McCann, Renteria and Andruw (Smoltz could even get a vote or two). If I had to vote now, I’d go with McCann, who’s batting a sublime .352 with 14 homers, 52 RBIs and a .975 OPS while playing the toughest position on the field.
McCann, by the way, has hit .372 with 11 homers, 46 RBIs and a .430 on-base percentage in 71 games since April 19. That’s really, really outstanding.
Much has been made of the fact that Jeff Francoeur ranks third in the NL with 39 two-out RBIs (he led the majors for much of the first half). Not to take anything away from that impressive accomplishment, but you might find it interesting to know that McCann has far been than Francoeur and every other Brave with runners in scoring position and two outs.
McCann has led the majors in that category most of the season and currently owns a .467 average (14-for-30) with RISP and two outs, with eight walks and a 1.423 OPS in those plate appearances. That’s just ridiculous.
Wilson Betemit was 10-for-23 (.435) in those situations before getting traded, and the next-best Brave is Chipper Jones (.321, 9-for-28, with 12 walks).
Francoeur leads the team with 24 RBIs with RISP and two outs, but is only hitting .250 (18-for-72) with three walks and 16 strikeouts in those spots. That’s far and away the most at-bats on the team with RISP and two outs; next is Andruw, who’s 17-for-61 (.279) with 12 walks.
— No other Brave has more than 44 at-bats with RISP and two outs. So you see, Francoeur is getting a lot more chances to drive in runs in those spots. Again, I’m not trying to downplay what he’s done, but just trying to add some perspective. Francoeur has the same average with RISP and two outs as Ryan Langerhans (.250)….
— OK, here’s an intersting one: 16 of Andruw’s 26 hits since July 6 have been extra-base hits, including six doubles and 10 homers. He’s hit .271 with 30 RBis, 17 walks, 24 K’s and a 1.020 OPS in that stretch….
— At the risk of being accused of bashing Betemit (which I’m not; he’s played well since he went to L.A.), it’s another former Braves infielder who has fueled the Dodgers’ hot streak.
Rafael Furcal has hit .358 with a .405 OBP since July 4 for the Dodgers, including .406 (26-for-64) with 13 extra-base hits, 12 runs and 13 RBIs in the past 15 games.
— Betemit’s not even the hottest-hitting former Braves utility man — not by a long shot. That’d be Mark DeRosa, who’s on fire with the Rangers.
DeRo has hit .317 with eight homers and 29 RBIs in 32 games since July 3, including .463 with four homers and 18 RBIs in his past 10 games. Uh, I believe DeRo’s good enough to play every day now, whaddya think?
In the Braves’ defense, the dude did fall on his face when he had a chance to play 3B every day.
But wow, could they use him about now, or what? Great guy, and now turning out to be a better player than anyone here imagined.
— How about the changed fortunes of Tyler Yates? After giving up three runs in his first Braves appearance, Yates posted a 1.85 ERA and .190 opponents’ average in 26 games over a two-month span through Aug. 2, with 13 walks and 23 strikeouts.
— But in his past three appearances, he’s allowed six runs, three hits and five walks with one strikeout in 1-2/3 innings. He’s given up more earned runs in three games (six) than he gave up in the previous 26 (five).
— And finally, if the Braves aren’t the streakiest team in the NL, who is? They went 15-5 from May 7-28, 3-29 from May 29-June 22, 15-6 from June 23-July 18, and are 7-12 since July 19.
MAMA TRIED, by Merle Haggard
The first thing I remember knowing/Was a lonesome whistle blowing,/ And a young un’s dream of growing up to ride;
On a freight train leaving town/Not knowing where I’m bound/No one could change my mind but Mama tried.
One and only rebel child/From a family, meek and mild: My Mama seemed to know what lay in store.
Despite all my Sunday learning/ Towards the bad, I kept on turning/Til Mama couldn’t hold me anymore.
And I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole/ No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried.
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied/ That leaves only me to blame ‘cos Mama tried.
Dear old Daddy, rest his soul/ Left my Mom a heavy load/ She tried so very hard to fill his shoes.
Working hours without rest/ Wanted me to have the best/ She tried to raise me right but I refused.
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole/No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried.
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied/ That leaves only me to blame ‘cos Mama tried.
