Comments on: Hitting For Dummies http://www.baycityball.com/2007/04/26/hitting-for-dummies/ Giants Baseball With a Side of STATS Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:55:18 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chris http://www.baycityball.com/2007/04/26/hitting-for-dummies/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Chris Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:09:51 +0000 http://www.baycityball.com/2007/04/26/hitting-for-dummies/#comment-373 Hi Frank, 1) Why should we eliminate the bad games? Don't they count too? It's like saying "We're 9-0 when Barry Zito throws 9 innings of shut-out ball" The bad games count too and help to give us a measure of what the team can and can't do. To just throw them out doesn't make any sense. The offense is most likely going to be a problem this year, Bonds is one of four hitters OPS+ing over league average right now. Bonds, Durham, Aurilia, and Molina are the top hitters on the team right now, after those guys, it really drops off a cliff. Molina has only OPS+'d over 100 twice before this year in 8 seasons. 2) Molina has been good and I'm not trying to take anything away from him but I have a hard time counting on him for offensive contributions regularly. I'll give you this, he's one of the better hitting catchers we've had in awhile, but after Matheny that's not hard to say. Also, batting average is a hugely overrated stat. Hitting 300 isn't a good indicator of a good offensive player. 3) Like I said above, the Giants will need Ray's power production. Without it, it's going to be a long year. I think its foolish to think otherwise. I know it's still early for Ray. I'm not writing him off yet, he's looked great on the defensive end. Statements about warm weather hitters, frankly scare me, because it's stuff that Dusty used to tout. Hi Frank,

1) Why should we eliminate the bad games? Don’t they count too? It’s like saying “We’re 9-0 when Barry Zito throws 9 innings of shut-out ball” The bad games count too and help to give us a measure of what the team can and can’t do. To just throw them out doesn’t make any sense. The offense is most likely going to be a problem this year, Bonds is one of four hitters OPS+ing over league average right now. Bonds, Durham, Aurilia, and Molina are the top hitters on the team right now, after those guys, it really drops off a cliff. Molina has only OPS+’d over 100 twice before this year in 8 seasons.

2) Molina has been good and I’m not trying to take anything away from him but I have a hard time counting on him for offensive contributions regularly. I’ll give you this, he’s one of the better hitting catchers we’ve had in awhile, but after Matheny that’s not hard to say. Also, batting average is a hugely overrated stat. Hitting 300 isn’t a good indicator of a good offensive player.

3) Like I said above, the Giants will need Ray’s power production. Without it, it’s going to be a long year. I think its foolish to think otherwise. I know it’s still early for Ray. I’m not writing him off yet, he’s looked great on the defensive end. Statements about warm weather hitters, frankly scare me, because it’s stuff that Dusty used to tout.

]]> By: fttts http://www.baycityball.com/2007/04/26/hitting-for-dummies/comment-page-1/#comment-372 fttts Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:04:21 +0000 http://www.baycityball.com/2007/04/26/hitting-for-dummies/#comment-372 A few comments. First, While the offense is not Mets like, if you subtract the first 9 games, when they really weren't hitting, and just look at the past 11 games, there is little to complain about. Over that period, they are scoring almost 5 runs a game (4.90), a rate that = 795 over the course of the season. And taht is against the 9th, 7th, 5th, and 3d best (ERA) staffs in the NL. And that is before certain guys have warmed up (Roberts, Omar, Winn [altho Winn may have started to warm up - he had 5 hits in the LA series]). Second, I think you damn Benji with faint praise. Jesus, what more could the guy do? He's getting clutch hits, hitting 300, and he's a big part of the pitching success. Third, I don't think Ray's power numbers are "concerning." A lot of guys don't really get into a grove until the weather gets hot. What is important is that Ray gets clutch hits, not hits to pad his average when we're way up or way down. He has done that. I am much less worried about Roberts than I am about Omar. I think Roberts will be fine and will be very close to his career average. I think Omar will, too, but his slow start seems to be hanging around. He has had some off years, so I hope this isn't one of them. A few comments. First, While the offense is not Mets like, if you subtract the first 9 games, when they really weren’t hitting, and just look at the past 11 games, there is little to complain about. Over that period, they are scoring almost 5 runs a game (4.90), a rate that = 795 over the course of the season. And taht is against the 9th, 7th, 5th, and 3d best (ERA) staffs in the NL. And that is before certain guys have warmed up (Roberts, Omar, Winn [altho Winn may have started to warm up - he had 5 hits in the LA series]).
Second, I think you damn Benji with faint praise. Jesus, what more could the guy do? He’s getting clutch hits, hitting 300, and he’s a big part of the pitching success.
Third, I don’t think Ray’s power numbers are “concerning.” A lot of guys don’t really get into a grove until the weather gets hot. What is important is that Ray gets clutch hits, not hits to pad his average when we’re way up or way down. He has done that.
I am much less worried about Roberts than I am about Omar. I think Roberts will be fine and will be very close to his career average. I think Omar will, too, but his slow start seems to be hanging around. He has had some off years, so I hope this isn’t one of them.

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