AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 24
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Upon further review … Braves aren’t swinging so well
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, first, the happy news, as in Happy Birthday Chipper. Can’t believe he’s actually 36 …. which I think makes me 30 …. almost 8. How the heck did we get here this quick?
OK, nevermind. On to other less happy stuff. Should somebody put out an APB for a clutch hit?
As easy a target as the bullpen is for what happened in the late innings the last two nights, the offense has done little to nothing to pick up the team. Pick at Chris Resop all you want, if the Braves get a lead, he’s not pitching.
After watching the Braves get a dozen hits last night and score only two runs, you’ve got to wonder how in the world. Well, 11 of them were singles (with the exception of a Matt Diaz homer.) And this isn’t exactly a team built to manufacture runs.
Overall, the Braves have the second-best batting average in the National League (.282, behind the Cubs’ .289) but they’re tied for seventh hitting .255 with runners in scoring position. And maybe that doesn’t really do it justice either. So I looked up close-and-late situations and a-ha — Braves are hitting only .205 (27-for-132) close and late, which is 15th in the National League. The only team hitting worse close and late is the Nationals at .199.
The best? These Marlins at .315.
Not to name any names, but let’s have a look at who’s hitting what in close and late situations, shall we?
(And for those like me who wanted a definition of close-and-late, it’s basically like a save situation for a hitter. The game is in the 7th inning or later, and the team that’s batting is either ahead by one, tied, or has the potential tying run at least on deck.)
Kelly Johnson .250 (3-for-12)
Yunel Escobar .071 (1-for-14)
Chipper .214 (3-for-14)
Mark Teixeira .583 (7-for-12)
Jeff Francoeur .143 (2-for-14)
Brian McCann .133 (2-for-15)
Matt Diaz .200 (3-for-15)
Mark Kotsay .200 (3-for-15)
It’s not exactly a huge sampling but it gives a pretty good indication that nobody has been Mr. Clutch - except surprisingly, perhaps Teixeira - and that’s a hard way to win ball games.
And I looked these numbers up too, so I’ll throw them out there: the regulars with runners in scoring position:
Kelly Johnson .250 (3-for-12),
Yunel Escobar .250 (4-for-16) but with a double, a triple and a homer.
Larry Wayne .375 (6-for-16)
Mark Teixeria .261 (6-for-23)
Jeff Francoeur .333 (7-for-21)
Brian McCann .136 (3-for-22)
Matt Diaz .348 (8-for-23)
Mark Kotsay .174 (4-for-23)
In other news, with right-hander Burke Badenhop going tonight, it’ll be interesting to see if Diaz is in the lineup. Based on what Bobby Cox alluded to Sunday to DOB, the answer is probably no. When Cox was asked if he was thinking of platooning Diaz with left-handed hitting Gregor Blanco, he said: “I don’t know. Just want to get him in there. Diaz was struggling a bit. [Blanco] deserves a chance.”
In the last three games - all against lefties - Diaz has gone 3-for-4, 2-for-4, and 2-for-4. Maybe that just means the idea of a platoon is going to work. Diaz, being the amazingly standup guy that he is, had this to say about looking for his name today when he walks into the clubhouse.
“I’ll check the lineup, but in all honesty Gregor’s been playing great,” Diaz said. “He’s been hitting righties. He’s actually hit lefties well too. I’ll hope it is, but I’m not going to expect it. I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to come to the field and expect that.”
You know how they say the way you respond to adversity defines your character? After talking to Diaz about this, all I can say is wow. He’s got it. When I asked him about his thoughts on being in a platoon again:
“I don’t want to sound flippant but I really don’t care,” Diaz said. “As long as you’re being used in some way, shape or form….I don’t know who it was who asked me about my individual goals. I have a lot of individual goals, but none of them take place on that field. I’ve made it to the big leagues. I’m playing in a great organization. Those were my baseball goals. The next one is make it to the playoffs. So whatever way we get there is fine. All my individual goals are about my family and my faith. Individually, baseball-wise, I’m done. Now it’s just total team thing.”
During the five-game winning streak, Diaz started twice against left-handers. Gregor Blanco started three games against the righties and got hits in all three, going 5-of-9 (.556). And here’s what Diaz had to say about that:
“I don’t know how many times in the last two years we’ve (won five in a row),” Diaz said. “And I’ve only started one out of the five I think it is, two out of the five, but I’ve had more fun in these five games than I’ve had so far in this game. I’m having a blast.”
Coming this Sunday is a Q and A with Tommy Hanson, Myrtle Beach pitcher and Braves No. 9 prospect according to Baseball America in my Inside Braves stuff. (Shameless tease? You bet.) A preview would require me to transcribe my tape, which I haven’t done. But I will tell you, I came away impressed with the way Hanson talks about attacking the strike zone. And does it ever show in his ridiculous statistics — 32 strikeouts in 22 innings, six walks. He’s allowed only five hits in four starts and his ERA is 0.00.
He’s scheduled to pitch tonight, by the way. Perhaps there’s a denizen out there that might feel like keeping us updated on that. Or I’ll try to track it down between innings.
And one final thought — as if I didn’t get sappy enough this week with the Smoltz stuff, I thought I’d share something I came across perusing the notes group stuff this week. Kinda puts things all in perspective real quick. This from the venerable Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger.
“The Yankees had an off-day Monday between Baltimore and Chicago, and Joe Girardi spent it visiting his father, Jerry, who has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a nursing home near Peoria, Ill. ‘It’s the best my dad has been in a year,’ said Girardi, who says he turned down the chance to manage the Orioles last year in order to spend time with his father. ‘He hadn’t opened his eyes in two weeks. He really hadn’t said much more than ‘yes’ in a month. It was unbelievable.’ ”
Maybe it’s because I just sent my dad off this morning from an overnight visit here — and thankfully, he’s healthy — but it struck a chord with me. Maybe it’s because Chipper and I are getting older.
