Can We Walk?

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 7:42 AM EDT

Why is this Rays team struggling night after night offensively? Why is it that nearly every SP we've faced pitches deep into the game, when many times their history suggests otherwise? I've taken a look at the base on balls that we no longer are getting and think that might be the culprit.

I understand the loss of Evan Longoria and the potential of what a Manny Ramirez could have done doesn't help.

During the first White Sox series Brian Anderson mentioned that this year AL pitchers were approaching Rays hitters in a different fashion. They're going roght after them, by throwing strike one. The theory being the Rays are pretty bad hitters. He's correct. Last year the Rays scored nearly 5 runs per game with the lowest team BA in years. It might have set a record

As we know in business nothing happens till a sale is made. So as in baseball, nothing happens without runners on base, no stolen bases, no hit and run, no oppurtunity to go first to third or second to home on base hits. You get the idea.

Last year the Rays led the AL with a BB rate of 10.7%. This year we're at 6.9% tied for eleventh and but .1% away from thirteenth. Take a look at some of these BB%:

Johnny Damon 2.9

Kelly Shoppach 3.1

Felipe Lopez 3.5

Reid Brignac 4.4

Dan Johnson 4.8

John Jaso 5.0

Sam Fuld 5.3

Damon is a career 10% having gone above that in six of the last seven years

Also, stop blaming BABIP. As of this writing our BABIP is 275, T8 in AL. The Indians are first at 311.

How can we stop pitchers from doing this? One way is to actually swing at those strikes and hit them with authority, ie LD, not weak GB, pop ups or better yet in the case of most Rays hitters, not at all.

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

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Comments

Walk rates stabilize at 200PA

Any tactless, English degree-less alleyrat knows that.

@thekidpow

by PlayOnWords on Apr 23, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions

So you'll swear that at 200 PA the above mentioned will return to near 10%?

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

No, but I also won't swear that current results will maintain forever, either.

Your fetish for emphatic statements is weird, old chum.

Do you think that Hanley Ramirez and Mike Stanton will continue to hit as poorly as they have so far?
Do you think that Joey Votto will continue to OBP .500?

@thekidpow

by PlayOnWords on Apr 23, 2011 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Of course not, i realize there are always going to be outliers

but seeing such a dramatic shift in BB touching so many players on a team, makes me think it’s about approach from opposing pitchers, not what you suggest

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions

What did I suggest?

@thekidpow

by PlayOnWords on Apr 23, 2011 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions

They'll stabilize. I contend that the Rays history shows most of them

not able to carry a high BA, and needing BB to get on base. Pitchers say, ‘here it is, hit it’ and they can’t

Not so with Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers, if you want to throw them strikes, you will pay

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

I only suggested that it's too early to say one way or the other.

You may be absolutely right. These guys may not be able to make consistent contact in the zone. But let’s wait and see.

At the very least, Fuld and Damon are solid contact hitters.

@thekidpow

by PlayOnWords on Apr 23, 2011 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Deal, but history is on my side, overall

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

How can you criticize him for emphatic statements

and then compare Rays hitters to Hanley Ramirez and Joey Votto?

by Kruegere on Apr 23, 2011 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you need to read it again.

@RealNolenBailey

by Hatfield on Apr 24, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the only time we were blaming BABIP was those first 9 games where we had absolutely terrible luck.

Also, rec’d.

by DaPriceIsRight on Apr 23, 2011 10:40 AM EDT reply actions

Please change the chorus of this to "What's up doc, can we walk?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLtj_TYuby0

The caller said the boy, after removing the bulb from its socket, left the building and threw the bulb on the ground. When the bulb broke, the caller said the boy screamed "how bout Fergs at nest home stand..SuperCyberMan?"

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Apr 23, 2011 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

I'd say the biggest problem is that Casey Kotchman continues to pollute our lineup with the very weak groundballs that you mention

Once we can bury him in the sand at low tide, we should be ok.

@SandyKazmir Die or Ride, You Decide

by Sandy Kazmir on Apr 23, 2011 2:42 PM EDT reply actions

Why walk?

These pitchers aren’t threatened by what’s at the plate so they’re not pitching around anyone right now. I think the team picked up on that which is why you’re seeing more first pitch hacking right now.

by Jason Collette on Apr 23, 2011 8:17 PM EDT reply actions

That's exactly what my fanpost states

Rays simply aren’t good hitters in terms of batting average, so throw strikes until they prove they can hit with authority. If that changes we’ll begin to see BB go up, because pitchers will be more careful

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Apr 23, 2011 9:43 PM EDT reply actions

Well, hitting for power is more important in generating walks than hitting for average.

The walks will come, though. B.J. and Zobrist, despite hitting for no average whatsoever, lead the team in walks at 10 and 8 respectively.

Damon’s BB% is at an all-time low despite hitting for power. Zobrist is striking out way more than he has ever before in his career. It’s unlikely that either of those things will continue.

Obviously there’s reason to be concerned about Dan Johnson (who really needs to start going the other way), our catchers, and Brignac (who just isn’t going to hit, but a double or home run every now and then would be great).

Longoria’s return will alleviate a lot of problems. You’ll have three legitimate power hitters in the Top 5 spots and teams will be a little more hesitant to pound the strike zone. Bottom of the lineup will be a concern. It’s not ideal, but I’ll take it with our pitching and defense.

@ptSuttery

by Suttree on Apr 24, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions