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Friday, April 13, 2007
Will 1Bs and Langerhans hit?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s not a loss to Washington on Thursday that should concern anyone, though it was a bit alarming to see Smoltz once again come away with a loss after pitching so well, as was so often the case last season.
No, the thing that concerns me about this first-place Braves team, with its .226 team average that is ahead of only Pittsburgh before today, is the utter lack of production from a few spots _ first base, left field, second base _ and the very real chance that a couple of those could continue to be troublesome.
I do think second baseman Kelly Johnson will start to hit, and that it’s far too early to pass judgment on a guy who hasn’t played a full season in the majors, missed the entire 2006 season, and spent much of his energies in spring training getting acclimated to his new position, which he’s played quite well.
He’s only hitting .161 before tonight, but has a couple of homers, a few other balls hit hard at people, and seven walks for a .316 on-base percentage _ not what they need from a leadoff guy, obviously, but again, too early to judge.
On the other hand, I’ve gotta say I’m a bit alarmed by the LF and 1B platoons of Matt Diaz/Ryan Langerhans and Scott Thorman/Craig Wilson. Of those four players, only Diaz (.375) has met expectations in the early, early going _ again I know it’s very early _ picking up right where he left off last season.
Just as it’s too early to judge Johnson, it’d be hypocritical of me to judge Thorman, who’s in his first regular duty in the majors and trying to handle a very important job. But I was never as confident as the Braves seemed publicly in the chances that Thorman would be able to produce much in his first year.
Shortly after arriving in the majors last summer, Thorman hit .382 (13-for-34) with four homers and nine RBIs in his first 13 July games. But in 41 games since then he had a .198 average with two homers, seven RBIs and 20 strikeouts in 86 at-bats before tonight.
Wilson, frankly, has been a disappointment after making a strong initial impression in spring training. A guy with his track record deserves benefit of the doubt, and a month from now I won’t be shocked if his numbers vs. lefties are strong like they’ve always been during his career.
But right now? Yikes. He’s batting .071 (1-for-14) before tonight including 1-for-11 vs. lefties. But that’s such a small sample that it wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow with me if it weren’t for the fact he also struggled most of the spring, and for the last couple of months of the 2006 season with the Yankees (.212, 34 strikeouts in 104 at-bats after being traded from Pittsburgh July 31).
Going back to August 16, Wilson has hit .135 (10-for-74) with one double, two homers, three RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 36 regular-season games.
And Langherhans … remember how he said all spring that he wanted to be more aggressive, wanted to swing at good pitches when he got them? Well so far in two-strike counts he’s 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts.
Langerhans is 2-for-18 (.111) with no extra-base hits hits or RBIs, three walks and eight strikeouts before tonight. And like Wilson, it didn’t just start this season. In fact, it’s been almost a full calendar year of struggles for Langy.
Remember how he roared out of the gate last April? Maybe you don’t; I know it’s been a while. To refresh, he went 13-for-32 (.406) with four doubles, a triple, two homers, eight RBIs and wix walks in his first 10 games last season through April 14.
It looked like he might have turned the corner, the defensive whiz’s offense finally starting to catch up.
Well, looks were deceiving. In 129 games beginning April 15, Langerhans has hit .216 with 12 doubles, five homers, 20 RBIs and 92 strikeouts in 301 at-bats, with a .327 OBP and .319 slugging percentage in that nearly one-year span.
Since July 27, he’s hit .196 with one homer, seven RBIs and 33 strikeouts in 57 games before tonight, and only his 22 walks and .352 OBP in that stretch were respectable. Of course, with him patience has been a downfall, because he’s let too many hittable pitches go by him in that stretch, regardless of situations.
Braves first baseman ranked 15th in the NL with a .143 average before today, coincidentally ahead of only the Pirates’ 1B including 3-for-31 Adam LaRoche.
Braves left fielders ranked 14th with a .207 average and 15th with a .294 OBP.
The team led the NL with 13 homers, but the .323 team OBP and 73 strikeouts in 296 at-bats … just not good.
Fortunately they’re getting very good pitching, with a 2.79 ERA that ranked third in the NL before today, including a 2.51 starters’ ERA. And fortunately, the Braves know that the Joneses are going to hit more than they have so far.
Hopefully they can say the same about their first basemen, and about Langerhans and Johnson. Personally, I’m not so sure about several of those.
McBride still here: The Braves believe lefty Macay McBride can work on the adjustments he needs to make while continuing to pitch at the major league level and not require a minor league assignment to get things together.
He issued three walks while recording one out in the ninth inning Thursday vs. Washington, the third consecutive game he issued three walks during an eight-day span. He’s allowed three hits, three runs (two earned) and nine walks in two innings over that red-flag-raising stretch, needing 81 pitches to get six outs.
Pitching coach Roger McDowell said McBride, who has a 7.71 ERA and .632 opponents’ on-base percentage after four appearances, has been losing his pitching mechanics and throwing across his body. He said they looked at films comparing him during his good stretches last season, and it was clearly visible.
McDowell said he believes McBride can fix it up here and probably be used in a game, if not right away then very soon.
He posted a 2.97 ERA and .208 opponents’ average during 48 appearances from May 28 to Sept. 4. But in his 17 games since then McBride has a 5.27 ERA and .328 opponents’ average, with 19 hits and 12 walks in 13-2/3 innings.
Cormier progress: Looks like that decision is getting nearer. The one the Braves are going to face when Lance Cormier is ready to pitch in a game. He threw a short bullpen session Thursday and felt fine, then felt fine the day after.
Cormier is recovering from a strained triceps muscle in his throwing arm. He was the Braves’ best starter this spring and got hurt in his last spring start, which led to his DL sting and Kyle Davies’ recall from Richmond.
If Davies pitches well Saturday and Mark Redman isn’t impressive in his start tonight, it’ll be interesting to see what the Braves do when Cormier is ready to pitch, with that move possibly a week away but more likely a couple weeks after a rehab assignment.
“EL PASO by Marty Robbins
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso/I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa’s Cantina/Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night where the eyes of Felina/Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was strong for this Mexican maiden/I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in/Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing/With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden/Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered, in less than a heartbeat/The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there in silence/Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts ran through my mind as I stood there/I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rose’s I ran/Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run/Up on his back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso/Out thru the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso, my life would be worthless/Everything’s gone in life nothing is left
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the young maiden/My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go/Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me/Tonight nothing’s worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso/I can see Rose’s Cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward/Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys/Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting, I can’t let them catch me/I’ve got to make it to Rose’s back door
Something is dreadfully wrong for, I feel/A deep burning pain in my side
Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel/A deep burning pain in my side
Although I am trying to stay in the saddle/I’m getting weary, unable to ride
It’s getting harder to stay in the saddle/I’m getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I’ve fallen/Though I am weary, I can’t stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle/I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere, Felina has found me/Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I’ll die for/One little kiss and Felina goodbye
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