Carl Crawford Is the Free Swinger
by Erik Hahmann on Apr 22, 2009 11:38 AM EDT
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PrintSimply put, Carl Crawford has been a black hole in the Rays lineup thus far. What was supposed to be a bounce back year for Crawford has been anything but so far this season. I know that it's a stretch of only 14 games, and bad stretches happen during a season. If he was having this type of stretch in the middle of the season after a hot start there wouldn't be such a fuss made over it. With that being said...Carl, stop with the Mario Mendoza impersonation already.
The biggest gripe most Rays fans have had with Crawford over the years is his lack of patience at the plate. So far this season his trigger finger has been itchier than ever. Crawford has a first pitch strike percentage of 75.4 this season, which is well over his career average of 64.5%. That's an amazingly high number, even for him. Carl is also swinging at more pitches out of the strike zone than he normally does, as evidenced by his O-Swing%%(percent of balls he swings at outside the zone) being 33.7 this season while his career percentage is 29.5. Not taking pitches, and swinging at pitches outside of the zone, has led to a drastic uptick in his K%(25.9 this season, 15.1 career) and obviously lowered his BB%(1.7, 4.9).
No one is expecting Crawford to imitate B.J. Upton or Pat Burrell when it comes to patience at the plate, but this struggling offense needs him on the base paths to be successful. In last night's game Crawford saw six pitches total in his first three at bats, and that's unacceptable. He's seeing 3.84 pitches per PA, second least amongst regulars, and that's not exactly helping to raise his .246OBP. Also, with the speed this team has, and the aggressiveness in which they run the bases, it's frustrating watching Crawford hack at the first two pitches and not give the runner on first so much as a chance to steal. I fear that Crawford is going to start pressing, if he hasn't already, and that's just going to make things worse. Maybe a temporary drop in the order to 6th or 7th where there's less pressure to perform is what Crawford needs to get his bat back on track. What do you think?
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Dropping him down sounds like a good idea
minus the inevitable public griping, which may be lessened by his current struggles. Last night I was kind of hopeful about him when in his first AB he took the first pitch, but twenty seconds later he pops the second one up.
Kaz/Shields/Garza/Sonny/Price/Davis/Hellickson-necessitate a drool cup or a 7 man rotation
by CubFanRaysaddict on Apr 22, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions
The worst part of this lineup right now
Is having B.J. (or Bartlett, in last night’s case) work a count, draw a walk and then see Carl groundout to the right side on the first or second pitch. Crawford’s pitch recognition right now is unbearable. That ball he turned his back to was embarrassing.
If this continues he’s gotta move down.
That is the worst part. He doesn't even give the guys on base a chance to steal or anything.
His swing looks so off balance. It looks like he’s just trying to put every ball into play.
www.draysbay.com
by Tommy Rancel on Apr 22, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
If Carl Crawford wasn't getting ready for the '09 season
He’d tell you about Tampa Bay Rays season ticket packages
How you can give them to fellow business clients or current employees as rewards. (BUILDS GOOD BUSINESS)
Or how you can use them to spend time with your kids. (SPOILED LITTLE BASTARDS)
He’d tell you this, if he wasn’t spinning like a windmill at every pitch he sees (HE SWING HE MISS)
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
by kericr on Apr 22, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
As i've stated many times
the OBP is so critical to offensive success. :Look at teams like the Red Sox, Yankees and Indians. Most of their players who hit at the top take pitchers into deep counts
Not so with Mr. Crawford, and it’ll never change, as 7+ years in the league is enough data for even the biggest optimist
And what is sad, we owe him $18.25 million dollars for this production
Flip him and Aki in the lineup
I posted that two days ago.
by PewterPirate55 on Apr 22, 2009 11:58 AM EDT reply actions
You bat Upton lead off and Aki 2nd
Then you bat Bartlett 9th and with Crawford or Navi 8th and 7th. Either way there isn’t much of a difference between the two offensively at this point.
by PewterPirate55 on Apr 22, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
He just isn't seeing the ball at all right now.
Maybe because his eyes are so close together, but he just has trouble picking it up. When he isn’t seeing the ball his slups are terrible, but I believe at some point in the near future he starts to pick the ball up. Then he’ll hit a couple of triples and be back in business. Then he’ll start working a few walks because he actually fouls off some 2-strike pitches.
I'm not even asking for hits. Just take a walk and get on base. He can turn a walk into a double easily
www.draysbay.com
by Tommy Rancel on Apr 22, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I would throw him a party if he could go an entire game without swinging at the first pitch
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
I've suggested this
I want to know why he hacks so much. Maddon can’t be encouraging him to do this. Either nobody is telling him what he’s doing, or someone is telling him and he doesn’t care.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
He was quoted in the past as ignoring his hitting coach's advice.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't care if he's a +2 win player defensively, I'd rather see him pulled from games for not trying to improve his game at the plate.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
The idea is to get him to listen
Not to cut him from the team. He rides the pine a couple of times and figures out that he needs to at least try to be diciplined at the plate. But if he’s going to be a dick about it, Zobrist in the short term and Jennings in the long run.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
Regardless, Jennings is likely the long-run option.
Even if Carl turns into B.J. and becomes too lazy to pout.
By the way, no Joyce?
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Well he's on the DL
And I thought he was eventually going to replace Gross?
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
Joyce is on the DL?
We’re getting ridiculously close to rosterbating here.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
My mistake
I mean, he’s in the minors so he couldn’t step in if you benched him for 1 game, but I still thought he was going to be RF replacement, either part of the platoon or uprooting it.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
He is, most likely.
But I thought you meant an actual replacement, since you mentioned Deezy.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I did mean him as an actual replacement
Assuming he decides to go all whiny bitch and does something like ask for a trade if they bench him for a couple of games.
BTW, if you sent me that, haha, that’s fucking hillarious.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
I'd rather try and win while he's here.
There’s seriously no guarantee he’ll actually learn plate discipline no matter what you do to him.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't care if he learns, I want to see him trying.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
How can you measure that?
Like last year, he walked more, but he also hacked more.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
There is a way to make him listen
tell him to take till he gets a strike and if he doesn’t you yank his ass from the game
I would hope it happens
but doubt it will
He is what he is, and your point about playing the least demanding position is so true
LF is for mashers
Yeah, but when you're a +15 defender, it doesn't matter what position you're playing.
It’s helping the team.
Yep. Crawford could be an above average centerfielder, he just chooses not to play CF
www.draysbay.com
by Tommy Rancel on Apr 22, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
God forbid
remember his lone appearance there v KC?
We heard about how traumatic that was all season
Just wondering, when selecting a LFer
what do teams look for first?
You need to stop generalizing positons.
Power-hitting, no fielding corner outfielders were probably the most overrated asset on the market the last few years.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
He seems to work backwards.
He is who he is. He starts seeing the ball better and making more contact and that leads to walks. Rather than whiffing he fouls a few pitches off and ends up getting walked. He is who he is at this point, and it is the reason I have had trouble with him the last few years. As I’ve grown to appreciate his defense I have relented somewhat on my negative feelings about him.
When is a fielder's choice better than moving a runner to 2nd?
When its CC batting behind Pat the Bat.
How bad is it when I am defending CC?
Everyone needs some perspective. It is early. Things will turn around. If they don’t, then it isn’t the end of the world and we’re better in 2010.
Yes, because with +15 defense he's still nearly a 2 win player.
And that’s basically how he performed last year, which may I remind you, was when we won the AL East, the ALCS, and played in the World Series.
again, he hasn't been fine for a season and the first month
I don’t think anyone is saying he won’t get better. I know I’m not
I am saying I don’t see him getting on base at a .340+ clip either
I'm all for batting him lower in the order or even going as far as Maddon telling him to
take until he gets the first called strike. The problem I see is Carl seems to be the only guy on the team who will openly bitch to the Media about anything he’s asked to to outside of hitting in the 2 hole and playing LF.
The guy bitched when he was asked to take over in CF for a game. Imagine if he’s asked to not swing the bat or to move to 7th or 8th.
In contrast, BJ gets publicly humiliated by Maddon when he took him out of a game in the middle of an inning and he didn’t bitch at all. He "said the right things" and put the blame on himself. Would Carl do this?
I love the guy, he has been around so long but it just seems as if he’s not a “team player.”
Again, maybe it’s just me.
Kaz and/or CC for Gordon Beckham. DO IT.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
~Dave Barry
by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Apr 22, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions
As much as the CF comment was asinine,
there’s not a whole lot of evidence that Carl ISN’T a team player. After all, he did bitch out Delmon for being a prick.
And even if he is, it's still kind of irrelevant.
If Maddon wants to drop him, he will drop him and if Carl doesn’t like it… well, all he can do is have better at-bats and prove Joe wrong. It’s not like his at the plate production can really get worse.
As long as that defense is there, Carl is still valuable.
not really
because it hasn’t been working out that great with Gross and Kapler. Defense over offense approach I mean. Solid defense is great and all, but if the guy can’t get on base… or refuses to take professional at bats… or he can’t bunt… what’s really the point of keeping him around. Alot of guys can play good defense. We need somebody who can do both.
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
Did you miss last year, when Gross was one of the our most valuable players?
Ideally you want players who can provide both, but the market has dictated that defensively enabled and offensively challenged players are easier to acquire than their antithesis. Plus, having Carl helps our pitchers more than having, say, Brad Hawpe.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Gross may have been one of YOUR
most valubable players, not mine. He had some clutch hits and played some decent defense but his defense didn’t make up for his lack of consistant hitting. The market didn’t really dictate anything, it is the lack of spending capabilty that handicaps the rays and most teams. We had the chance to make a move for say matt holliday type of players but we chose not too. And understandably so. He cost’s too much but the market is what it is, the same for everybody. Carl does help our pitchers out, tremendously in the field, not so much at the plate this year or last year, but of course I wouldn’t say GG helped out the pitchers tremendously last year or this year. In fact, GG is hurting the pitchers more than helping this year so far. My point is, for the money we are paying CC, you would think he would have more offensive tools than just speed.
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
Gross
You’re missing the point. Given our financial constraints, Gross ended up being good value thanks to his defense. Using traditional ideology of needing power in the corners, we would have ended up with a mediocre hitter with slightly more pop in his bat who carries a piano with him in the outfield. Gross’s good defense and mediocre hitting are better than bad fielding and less mediocre hitting. We will always have to find the value. Thats part of what makes being a Rays fan compelling and great, its the challenge.
by FreeZorilla on Apr 22, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
very true.
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
It looks like he's been lurking for a while before he started posting
As if he knew the rules of the internet.
Also, well said.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
The funy thing is we DID try to acquire Holliday.
And no, he’s not one of mine, he’s one of an unbiased formula that says he was along with one of our better fielders.
Also he wasn’t clutch last year.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
He had a few walk-off hits for us last year
if I remember right, he hit a walk off homer. He also, had a few clutch hits that tied a few games for us. He is better than GK by a mile. I remember hearing that we tried to get Holliday but what was the hold up?
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
Apples to Oranges
Both are platoon players who don’t compete for playing time. BenZo is the compelling case for comparison.
That is very true, I guess.
I guess it’s more of a hunch that he’d be very vocal about not being comfortable being dropped in the batting order. I don’t know that Longo, Los, BJ, and now Aki would do this.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
~Dave Barry
by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Apr 22, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't get me wrong, it irritates the fuck out of me that he won't just take a pitch.
Especially when he’s surrounded by such patient hitters like Burrell, Upton and Aki.
Should we start calling Dan Brown to write the script?
by Suttree on Apr 22, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
There's already a books in the work, as is.
by R.J. Anderson on Apr 22, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
You guys could put DRays on the map with this.
“How to Turn You Middling Shortstop Prospect into a OFFENSIVE MACHINE In 6 Easy Steps!”
Aaannd
thread has been derailed
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
~Dave Barry
by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Apr 22, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Also Rec'd
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
I like the contrasting captions for the picture.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Carl Crawford follows through on a three-run triple against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 12, 2009 in Baltimore.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)
versus
Another off balance swing for Carl Crawford
Just went back and watched the video of that swing on my iPhone...
hardly off balance.
Boom. Outta Here.
by Ryan Gilliss on Apr 22, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I find the suggestions in this thread
interesting when read in light of Joe Poz’s post from this morning.
http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2009/04/21/the-count-of-counting-counts/#more-1957
Maybe telling CC not to swing at the first pitch isn’t the right answer at all. We know that the Rays worked a lot with Longoria on pitch recognition during batting practice when he was having difficulties.
This could be a good point
I took a quick look at CC’s best years offensively (2006,2007). They’re about equal; 2006 he had a higher OPS, more walks, and more steals, 2007 a higher OBP and better batting average. 1st pitch swing percentages were 36% in 2006 (not good, but not repulsively bad) and 43% (not good at all). As of right now he’s at 43% for the season.
I’m just frustrated in general with his sloppy approach at the plate. The vision problem theory others are suggesting is possible. If that’s the case, lasik surgery is not a difficult procedure, nor is it something that takes a long time to recover from, and he shouldn’t be playing to these standards if he can take 6 weeks and get his eyes fixed.
"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."
OT: Longoria will be on the Jim Rome show at the bottom of the 2pm hour.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
~Dave Barry
by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Apr 22, 2009 2:09 PM EDT reply actions
eyes have it
I think CC needs lasik, preferably not from McCann’s doc…
The squinting has been pointed out for two years now, there may be something to it.
Poor jumps defensively on balls off the bat
Poor judgment of pitches at release point
It’s a thought.
Urkel?
Wouldn’t CC look like him with those specs?
Habits
I would say in Spring Training Crawford hacked at the first pitch 75% of the time or more. If there was going to be somthing said to him about it, that would have been the time.
i've come to the conclusion that carl does not know the value of working a patient AB.
i’ve never thought CC was particularly bright. his talent more than makes up for it, but these problems just glare when the rest of the team is in an offensive slump too.
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