So when is Bruce going to start hitting?

[Patrick Bateman]

Is this thread considered stupid yet?

[Chip R]

Jay sure likes hitting against HOU.

[Homer Bailey]

OPS up to .787, and tied for the team lead in home runs with 6.

[Jay Bruce]

Is this thread considered stupid yet?

When wasn't it?

[RedsManRick]

After today's game he's hitting .257/.328/.459 (.787 OPS). Just sayin'

[Caveman Techie]

Is this thread considered stupid yet?

No, I don't think it was ever "stupid". Jay Bruce was a very highly touted prospect that was rushed to the majors and some people were expecting his production to match the hype. To this point Jay hasn't matched the hype, however I don't know if Joey Votto could of matched the hype that Bruce had to carry with him.

[Ghosts of 1990]

He's started hitting. We will need even more if we're going to get where we all want the Reds to be, and if he is to reach the levels of the elite.

[Patrick Bateman]

No, I don't think it was ever "stupid". Jay Bruce was a very highly touted prospect that was rushed to the majors and some people were expecting his production to match the hype. To this point Jay hasn't matched the hype, however I don't know if Joey Votto could of matched the hype that Bruce had to carry with him.

So are one of these threads going to pop up every time he slumps for 100 at-bats?

Is that not kind of silly?

I could see a legitimate thread discussing his lack of advancement to superstar status, but geez, people on this thread were acting like he couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag. If the whole point of this thread was that Bruce to this point, has not been a once in a generation calibre player, then fine. That's really not that bad of a thing considering 99.5% of the league isn't either.

If a guy in 3 games can fix his stats, then a thread such as this is silly IMHO. This thread was about whether Bruce was basically a broken player. He's not.

[Patrick Bateman]

When wasn't it?

Fair point.

[Caveman Techie]

He's started hitting.

LOL, Asked and answered!

[westofyou]

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/

Here's a pseudo All-Star team made up of players who have an OPS+ LOWER than Derek Jeter's 62.

1B: Carlos Pena (49 OPS+)
2B: Mark Ellis (35 OPS+)
SS: Hanley Ramirez (59 OPS+)
3B: Miguel Tejada (43 OPS+)
LF: Carl Crawford (41 OPS+)
CF: Alex Rios (52 OPS+)
RF: Vernon Wells (52 OPS+)
C: A.J. Pierzynski (59 OPS+)

That is about $100 million worth of ballplayers right -- $96,500,000 if you want to be exact -- and if you had been given that team at the beginning of the year, you would probably feel at least decent about your chances. Maybe by year's end, it will all work out.

That said, if you want to know how much offense is down in 2011: Albert Pujols is hitting .233/.309/.417, which is stunningly bad for him. His OPS+? It is exactly 100 -- league average.

Jay Bruce = 98

[_Sir_Charles_]

Certainly puts things in perspective WoY.

In regards to Crawford, I've always thought he was considerably less valuable than his hype. I didn't foresee this kind of struggle, but I also never thought he'd actually come close to living up to that contract. I foresee an "epic fail" on that one.

[oneupper]

The National League OPS average is .708 right now, compared to .723 in 2010.
That's the lowest since 1992, I believe.

[reds44]

When wasn't it?

Boom.

[Caveat Emperor]

It's stupid, until he slumps again and it becomes not stupid, only to become stupid again when he starts hitting.