There are crap pitches and crap pitches. If I've got Hernandez and Gonzalez coming next, I wouldn't throw anything EE would even have a chance of considering a strike. At the moment, we are talking about two automatic outs in the 7th and 8th hole.
There are crap pitches and crap pitches. If I've got Hernandez and Gonzalez coming next, I wouldn't throw anything EE would even have a chance of considering a strike. At the moment, we are talking about two automatic outs in the 7th and 8th hole.
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Very true but if you look at what EE hasn't been swinging at you should be impressed. He's taken it so far that I sometimes get the yips sitting at home watching him, like "oh EE that was a stri...oh I guess not per the umpire". He's not just laying off easy stuff he is laying off of stuff right near his wheelhouse. He had one PA that I think he took it too far and took 2-3 pitches that were right down broadway and struck out looking.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
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But seriously, even if teams are pitching around Eddie and even if the bottom three in the lineup don't do anything about him Eddie being on base does two things.
1. Causes the pitcher to throw at least four pitches. Ballclubs feast on middle relievers. The sooner you get to them the better.
2. Every non out moves the lineup around. More PA's, the more potential runs.
I think Dusty should not hesitate to insert the likes of Janish and Hanigan if these guys continue to slump. Both Hernandez and AGon are borderline starters to begin with. I make them prove that they're better than their backups.
Good points. It's easy to lose the forest through the trees. Every single non-out increases the chance that your best hitters will get up to the plate another time. A walk in the third inning could be the difference between having Hairston or Votto up in a clutch situation in the 9th.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Edwin's walk rate is worse through 6 games than it was through last years first 6.
08- 8 walks in 24 PA
09- 8 walks in 25 PA .... just sayin it's not really improved if you look at it that way.
Someone probably mentioned this already--but how 'bout Brandon Phillips and his 6 walks?! Perhaps someone converted him to believe in OBP after all?
“Every level he goes to, he is going to compete. They will know who he is at every level he goes to.” -- ED on EDLC
Haha, well I think I had to point that out more because of Chris Welsh continually mentioning his patience being so much better this year. I then discovered he (and Thom) has a really short memory, because he also mentioned Phillips has struggled against MIL in his career despite crushing them in 2007.
Edwin had 10 walks through 9 games last year. I thought he was going to break out in a huge way after that start. But by the end of May, his OBP was .306 and he only had 10 more walks in his next 44 games after the hot start.
I hope he keeps that up. But that he has done that at all to this point suggests what I have always believed, just say something to these guys and who knows what could happen. BP seems to have taken Dusty's advice to some extent about being more patient especially with runners on. I noticed a bit of frustration in him the other night when he was trying to be patient and it didn't work out. He needs some time but if Dusty can keep him staying patient enough that he sees it works more often than it doesn't, we might get what I always said he could be. Had Dusty never said anything he probably would have kept on hacking but since Dusty has shown faith in him and his style he seems to take to the guy.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
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