Braves not hitting............

[Gray Mule]

:no2:

If the Braves could hit, they would be dangerous.

And, those who are hitting, their hits are not coming in a timely fashion. They are not

a bunch of speed deamons, so they steal few bases.

They are not a power house team, even though they do hit home runs.

Someone throw our new second baseman a life preserver before he goes down

for the final time. He's hitting grounders and line drives at people. He's showing

warning track power. Is he trying too hard? And, what about our last year's rookie

right fielder, is he destined to remain out forever? Some one send him get well wishes.

:kickcan:

Some hitting. Please!!

[lethalweapon3]

The complete lack of baserunning is what's holding this team back. 10 steals total, and we're going into June. The only MLB team caught stealing more often than stealing bases. After two months of baseball, the leading base stealer has 3... and is on the DL. Only one other player has 2. The Braves have gone back to the home-run-or-bust offense that we all know and love. We got a bunch of Charlie No Hustles.

Lowest WHIP and fewest steals won't get it done on offense. Chipper is right in putting the onus on top-of-the order players like Schafer to quit digging the longball so much, urging them to get on base and make things happen once they get there. The middle of the order shouldn't have to knock balls out of the park just to get guys home.

~lw3

[CBAreject]

The complete lack of baserunning is what's holding this team back. 10 steals total, and we're going into June. The only MLB team caught stealing more often than stealing bases. After two months of baseball, the leading base stealer has 3... and is on the DL. Only one other player has 2. The Braves have gone back to the home-run-or-bust offense that we all know and love. We got a bunch of Charlie No Hustles.

Lowest WHIP and fewest steals won't get it done on offense. Chipper is right in putting the onus on top-of-the order players like Schafer to quit digging the longball so much, urging them to get on base and make things happen once they get there. The middle of the order shouldn't have to knock balls out of the park just to get guys home.

~lw3

You have to get on base to steal, you know, and you have to get a hit to drive in a runner from 2nd. The main problem is not our lack of steals, it's our poor OBP and batting average as a team. We are at the bottom of the league in both categories. stolen bases have minimal value in today's game anyway. Think of it this way--a good bastealer runs into 3 outs for every 7 successful steals. Giving away those three outs ofr moving up 7 times might be about breakeven, and it depends on how your team is structured. If you have lots of low-contact bombers, SB's are worthless. Regardless, let's say it's breakeven at that percentage. It begins to show a statistical advantage to steal when you can complete 75% of the time and a significant advantage when you can complete 80+%. That said, there aren't many 80 percenters goin right now. You can't simply resolve to steal more bases. You gotta have the right player to do it the right way.

is not worth moving to 2nd 3times. Base stealing

Edited June 1, 2011 by CBAreject

[lethalweapon3]

You have to get on base to steal, you know, and you have to get a hit to drive in a runner from 2nd. The main problem is not our lack of steals, it's our poor OBP and batting average as a team. We are at the bottom of the league in both categories. stolen bases have minimal value in today's game anyway. Think of it this way--a good bastealer runs into 3 outs for every 7 successful steals. Giving away those three outs ofr moving up 7 times might be about breakeven, and it depends on how your team is structured. If you have lots of low-contact bombers, SB's are worthless. Regardless, let's say it's breakeven at that percentage. It begins to show a statistical advantage to steal when you can complete 75% of the time and a significant advantage when you can complete 80+%. That said, there aren't many 80 percenters goin right now. You can't simply resolve to steal more bases. You gotta have the right player to do it the right way.

is not worth moving to 2nd 3times. Base stealing

That's why I said WHIP (not the pitcher version, the batter version), which they are in last place at as well as SBs. Get on base... then stop standing there waiting for the longball! Make the pitcher do a little more than throw at the plate, and the catcher a little more than throwing it back to the pitcher.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Also, below the Braves in OBP at the moment: San Diego, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Swap L.A. for Pittsburgh for batting average and you get the same list. And that's just the National League.

That's not the bottom of the league. The Braves are indeed in the bottom HALF of the National League in those categories, but they are possibly at a record-breaking pace for the VERY bottom of MLB when it comes to SBs (and SB%, right now at 42%). Make those few paltry hits count for something when they stay in the yard. And they're actually in the top half of the NL for walks (8th in MLB)... why can't these convert to more runs?

~lw3

Edited June 3, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

As to the historical relevancy of stolen bases, the Braves are on pace for 31 stolen bases by season's end. Over the last 40 years, only two MLB teams (2005 A's with 31, 1983 Red Sox with 30) managed as few in a non-strike-shortened season. Actually, only ONE team in the strike-shortened season managed as few (the 1994 Mets with 25).

Now thankfully, a paucity of stolen bases, by itself, doesn't mean you're doomed for losing baseball. Last year's bottom-dweller for this stat, the Giants (55), would happily tell us so. But "epically-low" in this category would indicate a team is not doing what's necessary around the basepads to be a playoff-quality team.

It's true: you can't steal first base. But once you get there...

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

That's why I said WHIP (not the pitcher version, the batter version), which they are in last place at as well as SBs. Get on base... then stop standing there waiting for the longball! Make the pitcher do a little more than throw at the plate, and the catcher a little more than throwing it back to the pitcher.

~lw3

My bad, I need to retract that whole WHIP mess though. I saw it as a batting stat somewhere which makes no sense (per IP?), plus the Braves are middle of the pack in combined hits+walks.

A Murderer's Row full of low-contact bombers can indeed make even a record-low number of SBs worthless... IF they're actually bombing. Health issues are there, of course, but the Braves are simply middle-of-the-NL-pack in homers, slugging, and extra-base hits (including dead last in triples)... yet second in the NL in ground balls, and ground ball-to-fly ball ratio. So if they're not bombing, and they're not running, what are they doing? Is Woody managing this offense?

~lw3

Edited June 3, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[Eddielives]

Dan Uggla. Need I say more.

[CBAreject]

Dan Uggla. Need I say more.

The Braves could have a top-3 offense in the NL if Dan uggla were hitting so much as .240 with typical power. Would help if Heyward got off the schneid, too.

[Eddielives]

What a shame. This team's pitching is so good and with the exception of McCann, Prado and Freeman because he is a rookie, every single position player on this team is underperforming yet again. AT what point do you say f it and make some kind of trade for a guy who can actually hit? I mean these trades for average hitters who have never sniffed .300 in their life is starting to get old. I know they traded for Lee last year but he was damaged goods and pretty much sucked for his short stint here. Why not see if the Mets will bite on some of our pitching for Reyes. You might have to overpay for Reyes but he's exactly what the Braves need in a guy who can actually hit and steal some bases. This team offensively, as constructed, will not make any noise in the playoffs IF they can even get there which looks not so promising right now.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Eddielives

[dms269]

Isn't Jose Reyes a free agent after this year?

[Eddielives]

Isn't Jose Reyes a free agent after this year?

I believe he is so even if, and it's a big if, the Braves make a pitch for him that excited the Mets, you would HAVE to have a deal in place to lock him up. He's gonna be making some serious coin though. Probably more than the Braves have to spend. But then again, isn't Kawakami and Lowe nearing the end of their deals? That money could possibly get him here.

[Eddielives]

The Braves offensive production tonight? Only 2 runs again and by the pitcher at that hitting a 2 run homer. I swear. This has to be the most offensively inept team in years for the Braves. My apologies to Terry Pendleton for thinking he might have had something to do with it.

[KB21]

There is some hope, but the Braves must make a decision and get rid of their current hitting coach. I do not like the approach at the plate he is teaching at all, and he is obviously not helping anyone get themselves out of a slump.

The Braves have one of the best hitting coaches in the business coaching the hitters down in Gwinnet. The first step towards improving this offense will be to dump Larry Parrish and hire Jamie Dismuke for the rest of the season. The players will lobby for him. Brian McCann consults him on his own from time to time, and I know Jamie helped out Kelly Johnson when he was in such a bad slump back in 2009. I think you would see Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward lobby hard for him as well.

The Braves have some solid to above average young hitters in Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, and Martin Prado. Obviously, they need to make a move to get another outfielder in here, and the two names I keep hearing are Hunter Pence and Michael Bourne. Dan Uggla needs to hit his career average the rest of the year, but that isn't going to happen if we don't have a coach that can help him make adjustments at the plate. Alex Gonzalez needs to be dumped as soon as we can. The problem is, we do not have a game ready short stop waiting in the wings in the minors. Many like Tyler Pastornicky at Mississippi, but I don't think he will be able to hit major league pitching like he is hitting AA pitching. Even if he does, he's a singles hitter who has a mediocre on base percentage despite being a good contact guy (32 strike outs in 300 at bats). Brandon Hicks can play the position defensively, but he will give us little more than Alex does offensively at this point other than the occasional home run and a bag full of strike outs.