How Much More Rope Do You Give Cozart?

[RedlegJake]

This discussion baffles me. He is definitrly way way down in BABIP which indicates quite a correction is in store. He has GG defense. He has some pop in his bat. Go ahead and look for better but any SS who is better is really gonna cost dearly. BTW his Ks are NOT the problem. Looking at Cozart is looking at the wrong position for an upgrade. Then Dusty bats him 2d which increases the perception he needs to be replaced. Better LF production..more power from Joey...and either Bruce or Frazier cracking their slump. This offense struggles when both Todd and Jay are cold because tend to extreme slumps. I wish Dusty would give em both a day or two to just sit.

[westofyou]

Cozart is more Leo Cardenas than Larkin and it will never change.

4000 ab's for Leo as a Reds

.261/.313/.377/.690

Cozart as a Red

.243/.280/.395/.676

MLB SS 2010-2012

.259/.314/.375/.689

Sometimes I ponder if Reds fans watch any other baseball aside for the Reds

[texasdave]

I am surprised Cozart has run so little. He only has four stolen bases in as many attempts. Seems like they are under-utilizing him in that area.

[texasdave]

Cozart is more Leo Cardenas than Larkin and it will never change.

4000 ab's for Leo as a Reds

.261/.313/.377/.690

Cozart as a Red

.243/.280/.395/.676

MLB SS 2010-2012

.259/.314/.375/.689

Sometimes I ponder if Reds fans watch any other baseball aside for the Reds

It's a fair point. However, Cardenas played in a much different offensive era. He also is a five-time all-star. I'd be more than happy to have Cozart reach that number.

[mdccclxix]

Surprised Cozart's career OBP is in the .280 range. As exposed as he was last year near the top of the lineup, it may be time at some point this season to peg him down the order permanently. For now, he's most comfortable in the 2 hole he says, so I keep him there for a little while.

[gilpdawg]

How do you ask someone to strike out less? If he could do that, he would. You can't just snap your fingers and say don't do that. Baseball is hard.

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[westofyou]

It's a fair point. However, Cardenas played in a much different offensive era. He also is a five-time all-star. I'd be more than happy to have Cozart reach that number.

Leo was a high slugging low ob% guy though, the Reds have had 6 SS season with 100 K's and Leo has 3 of them

STRIKEOUTS                    YEAR     SO       SO     
1    Zack Cozart              2012      113      113   
2    Felipe Lopez             2005      111      111   
3    Leo Cardenas             1964      110      110   
4    Dave Concepcion          1980      107      107   
5    Leo Cardenas             1963      101      101   
6    Leo Cardenas             1965      100      100

[PuffyPig]

The chances of us finding a SS this year who is better than Cozart?

About zero.

Cozart is it for this year.

Once his BABIP stabilizes, he'll be fine.

[malcontent]

He has a .191 BABIP. Guys who only strike out 12% of the time don't hit .200.

Do we have data regarding pop-out rate?

[HokieRed]

Cozart's Leo Cardenas if he can sustain his levels for 4000 AB's. Everything is in that "if."

[RedlegJake]

Cozart is more Leo Cardenas than Larkin and it will never change.

4000 ab's for Leo as a Reds

.261/.313/.377/.690

Cozart as a Red

.243/.280/.395/.676

MLB SS 2010-2012

.259/.314/.375/.689

Sometimes I ponder if Reds fans watch any other baseball aside for the Reds

Cardenas is an excellent comp and he was a heckuva SS defensively too. His numbers came during one baseball's periodic "pitching dominated" eras so I'd take him over Cozart giving him a bit of an edge. I see the same pitching era just beginning so it makes the comp even more striking.

[klw]

Nick Green anyone? He was dfa'd by the marlins.

[Tom Servo]

I've never thought of Cozart as the longterm, penciled in SS for the Reds. That said, the only problem I have with him is that he is batting 2nd and that's obviously something he doesn't control.

[Norm Chortleton]

How do you ask someone to strike out less? If he could do that, he would. You can't just snap your fingers and say don't do that. Baseball is hard.

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--You ask him not to swing for the fences every single time he comes to the plate, regardless of the circumstances.

--You ask him to give himself up and learn to go to right field to advance the runner if you intend to leave him in the 2 hole. (That way you don't have to bunt him when the first batter of the game reaches, as Choo did the other day.)

--You ask him to consider emulating Votto -- one of the few situational hitters in the organization -- who chokes up and shortens his stroke with 2 strikes.

--I rarely agree with Dusty. But I think it was after the 2nd game of the St. Louis series that he said the entire team needs to cut down on strikeouts and put the ball in play.

I agree with you that baseball is hard. But you make it harder for yourself when you go up there trying to hit it 500 feet regardless of the score or count.

[gilpdawg]

You always want to hit the ball hard. Unless you are bunting. I don't really believe professional hitters really "swing for the fence." They just want to hit it hard.

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