Brandon Phillips Batting 2nd

[membengal]

Lets hope Brandon will "embrace his chance" to bat second. (more walks and singles, less HRs and DPs)

I am confused. How does he embrace his chance for more singles but less double plays? Does brandon have the ability to choose to hit sharp line drives over ground balls? If so, why in the world would he ever choose to hit a ground ball?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[edabbs44]

He's already pitched to carefully and pitched around frequently. Devereaux merely opened the door. We've seen plenty of #2 hitters cracking 100+ RBIs since him. Curtis Granderson's done it two years in a row. The one year Corey Hart topped 100 RBIs was in 2010 when he spent most of his time hitting second.

Obviously you need a decent leadoff hitter in front of you, but the Reds have a good one with Choo.

The NL is a different story with the pitcher hitting 2 spots ahead of you.

Hart had a good amt of RBI from the 6 spot that year. 30% of his RBI in 22% of the PAs. Granderson is in the AL and hits 40 HR.

Votto would have to have a lot fall right for him to get 100 from the 2 spot. Impossible? No. But very tough.

[smixsell]

I am confused. How does he embrace his chance for more singles but less double plays? Does brandon have the ability to choose to hit sharp line drives over ground balls? If so, why in the world would he ever choose to hit a ground ball?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Basically if you stop looking to pull the ball (to collect your HRs) and are content to go the up the middle or other way with almost everything but a true mistake from the pitcher, your contact will be better (more line drives and less GB and FB) because you are able to wait a fraction of a second longer to start your swing. You are fooled less often, you hit the "pitcher's pitch" less often, and you walk more often.

One of the most unappreciated truths about hitting IMO is that waiting that extra split second is a MAJOR benefit. It's why so many great hitters are much more likely to go up the middle or the other way in extremely critical at bats.

Bench and Perez did this all the time. I have the entire 1976 WS on DVD and it's sick how good TP and JB were at going the other way in the clutch. Great situational hitters do it all the time in the clutch.