March 26, 2002
I noticed Davy Lopes talking
I noticed Davy Lopes talking about the Brewers being more selective in this article. Surprised me a bit, since Lopes was a player who was never that selective at the plate, and the Brewers were very much like that last year. Here's the quote:
Entering play Tuesday, the Brewers led the National League with a .335 team batting average and an on-base percentage of .396.
"Our hitters have all done a great job this spring in making adjustments at the plate and being selective," Lopes said. " 'Sarge' (hitting coach Gary Matthews) has done an outstanding job with them. Guys are really working the count and giving quality at-bats. The situational hitting has been outstanding.
"I know that people say, 'It's only spring training; don't get too excited.' But right now, that's all we have to measure it on. Is there improvement? Yes, there's improvement. Are there still some old habits there? Sure, but these guys have made an effort to make a change, and that's what you have to do."
Last year the Brewers had a batting average of .251 and an OBA of .319, 68 points higher. Right now, the OBA is 61 points higher. Last year, they drew a walk once every 11.2 AB. This spring, it's every 10.1 AB, so that is a real improvement. Everyone is hitting well in Arizona, so I wouldn't put too much stock in the batting average, but if they can get the walks up, the HR will drive in more runs.
Posted by David Pinto at
09:29 PM
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Baseball