January 10, 2007
Talking to Tony
Via FishStripes, Gaslamp Ball posts an excellent interview with Tony Gwynn. After all these years, Gwynn realizes the value of a walk:
Do you think another player will hit .400 again?
Yeah there will be and again he needs to be open, he needs to be disciplined and be consistent.
Do you know anybody playing today that could do it?
Sure, Barry Bonds could do it. He walks a lot. He's brought another facet that I hadn't thought about. I had never thought about a guy that would walk 200 times a season and it makes it a whole lot easier. You know what for a long time I thought you had to be like Ichiro. You had to break the hit record and walk a little bit so that you could do it. Barry Bonds comes along and he hits .380 and walks 200 times. Not being healthy works in your favor, it doesn't hurt you it helps you. You play in 5 games a week you walk whatever times a week and get 6 hits in 14 at bats you are gonna qualify for a batting title. There are different ways to get there, and his way I hadn't thought about. You flat out get there. The guy who does it is going to have to be media savvy because the scrutiny that will come from making a run like that is gonna be unbelievable.
I'm surprised Gwynn didn't get this until now. He was very close to Ted Williams, and Ted drew a ton of walks to help him hit for a high average.
Dave -
It's not that Gwynn didn't "get" that walks are useful, it's that he didn't realize you could walk 200 times a year. Also, no one is going to pitch around a singles hitter like they did Williams or do to Bonds.
Ted Williams hit .407 because he had the guts to play both ends of a season end DH and record 6 hits in 8 at bats instead of sitting out on a .3995plus
average which would be listed as .400. He also hit because Connie Mack's pitchers pitched to him in Philadelphia on the final day.
Bill Madlock won one of his four bat championships because the man ahead of him sat out the final day.
I don't think Tony is saying that he thinks walks help you hit for a high average. He's saying it is easier to hit .400 the fewer ABs you have.
For example, a "true" .350 hitter has a small chance to hit .400 in 700 ABs but a much better chance to do it in 500 ABs.
