AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > August > 31
Thursday, August 31, 2006
LaRoche hanging with impressive crowd
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
He was booed by the home fans after his admittedly bone-headed error in May, but would you look at Adam LaRoche now?
No, really. Take a close look _ not at the questionable red-tinged goatee or the often-expressionless demeanor. The production, man. The stats. Do the vast majority of Braves fans realize just how good LaRoche has been since late June? How good he is, period?
The Braves, after wrapping things up tonight with the Giants, go to Philadelphia for a crucial four-game (if weather permits) series that features arguably the hottest two hitters in the NL, Ryan Howard and … Adam LaRoche? Yes, LaRoche.
How hot has he been? Hot enough to move into consideration for Braves MVP this season, if he continues his current scorching run.
If I had to vote now, I’d still vote Brian McCann, who is hitting .342 with 16 homers and nearly .400 OBP in his first full season while playing the most demanding position on the diamond.
But … LaRoche and John Smoltz would have to be close to McCann, and both are gaining ground fast.
Everyone knows what Smoltz has done _ 8-1 with 2.72 ERA in past 12 starts, 6-0 with 51 strikeouts and three walks in past six home starts, referred to the GM as “homeboy upstairs” _ but do folks realize just how torrid a surge LaRoche is having?
After his 4-for-4 with three doubles, a triple and three RBIs Thursday vs. San Francisco, the amiable outdoorsman is hitting .355 with 35 extra-base hits, 16 homers and an eye-popping .727 slugging percentage in his past 52 games, with 40 RBIs in that stretch despite hitting seventh or eighth much of the time.
He leads the Braves in virtually every major offensive category since the All-Star break, including average (.368), homers (14), RBIs (38), OBP (.439) and slugging (.797).
That post-break slugging percentage, by the way, is higher than surging Mets Carlos Beltran (.686) and Carlos Delgado (.681), higher than Florida’s Miguel Cabrera (.614) or St. Louis Albert Pujols (.611), higher even than Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard (.731), who’s hit .329 with 20 homers since the break.
LaRoche has been so hot since June 24, he’s moved into the NL’s top 10 in OPS (on base-plus-slugging percentage), which is the first stat that many scouts and front-office types look at first these days, and which your more astute observers look at when they’re making out their league MVP balloting.
LaRoche, the guy who hit like crazy on the road and stunk at home for much of the season, has his batting average up to .290 now and, most impressively, he’s climbed to eighth in the NL in OPS at .951 (.365 OBP and .586 slugging).
Now, I’m not math genius, as we all know (no comments from the peanut gallery), but that adds up to one helluva season. Consider the two names behind LaRoche’s in the OPS top 10: Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.
And just consider the only seven ahead of him: 1. Albert Pujols 1.088, 2. Lance Berkman 1.025, 3. Carlos Beltran 1.023, 4. Ryan Howard 1.020, 5. Miguel Cabrera 1.010, 6. Chipper Jones .991, 7. Alfonso Soriano .974.
Folks, that’s a virtual who’s who of past NL MVPs and/or current MVP candidates.
LaRoche has made it impossible for all but the most stubborn Braves fans to not appreciate his work. I might suggest if you still think he should be traded, a guy putting up those numbers while playing exceptional defense and making $420,000 (he’ll be around $2-2.5 mill next year), then you probably don’t have the best interests of the team in mind, but rather a personal dislike for LaRoche.
You might want to get over that, because he’s not leaving. Not this winter. And before anyone says, “Yeah, but he’s a cancer in the clubhouse with that laziness” or some other such misinformed opinion that I’ve heard from callers to the Braves radio postgame show, sorry, but that couldn’t be more incorrect.
Simply put, LaRoche is perhaps one of the three or four most popular players among his teammates and coaches. He has no enemies in the clubhouse, he works hard, and, though I realize this might not come across in interviews, he takes losses as hard or harder than anyone on the team. Anyone.
Andruw Jones said two nights ago that LaRoche has been the biggest reason for the Braves’ still being in the wild-card race, his hot bat and production from the bottom of the lineup, which Jones says still surprises a lot of opponents.
OK, moving on….
Snowball’s Chance, what did you think of the movie Oldboy? Did I oversell it or was it as good as I said it was? I mean, come on, it’s a great movie, no?
Grinch, weren’t you around when we discussed this a while back? I recommended _ strongly recommended _ this Korean movie Oldboy from a few years ago, said it was better than most Tarantino films, etc., with similar violence but an intensity that was just staggering, great acting, and stunning imagery including a couple of not-for-the-squeamish scenes that you won’t soon forget.
Today’s music recommendation, and it’s one I’m pleased to give: Bob Dylan’s “Modern Times,” which just hit stores Tuesday. Folks, it’s outstanding. This ongoing late-career resurgence by the 65-year-old legend is so cool, for me (as Bobby would say, if he were a Dylan fan, which I’m fairly certain he’s not). That’s three stellar CDs in a row for the bard from Minnesota, the great Mr. Zimmerman.
Any Dylan-phile will already have bought it, I realize. But I’m just trying to get some former Dylan fans who might have strayed, or some younger ones who might not have been turned on to him. Get it. Get it now. There’s no greater songwriter alive, still.
