Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
May 23, 2007
Swing at Anything

Seth Kolloen blasts the Mariners for becoming less selective at the plate, despite the coaching staff trying to turn them around:

OK, so the Mariners aren't patient. So what? Sure, they've got the fewest walks in the major leagues, but they also have the fewest strikeouts. The team batting average is .269! What's the problem?

Here's the problem: Patience isn't just about earning walks, it's about driving up the pitch counts of opposing starters, seeing them off to the showers, and pummeling the squishy belly of every team's pitching staff -- the middle relief.

The Mariners have knocked out a starter before the seventh inning only 11 times this season. That's the worst in the American League -- the Red Sox and Indians have done it 24 times each. Those teams score more runs not necessarily because they have better hitters, but because they are facing less talented pitchers.

I'll just add that if you can lay off balls out of the strike zone, you're more likely to get pitches in the strike zone you can crush. Seth lays the blame at the feet of the GM, since he's the one who acquired this type of player. The whole article is well worth the read.


Posted by David Pinto at 08:54 AM | Offense | TrackBack (0)
Comments

the fans call this "being aggressive"

they LIKE the high BA, no walks and few Ks. i hear ALL the time that the problem with mo ensberg is that he WALKS. i hear all the time that the problem with the astros hitters is that they should swing at the first pitch.

sigh

Posted by: lisa gray at May 24, 2007 12:01 AM
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