How long should Braves stick with McLouth hitting second?
The Braves' Nate McLouth already has struck out five times in four games batting second. (AP photo)
The first four games of a 162-game season doesn’t represent a scientific sampling. But this is the way things are tilting for the Braves regarding the team’s four biggest question marks heading into the year:
♦ 1. Chipper Jones (his health and swing): Thumbs up. He is hitting .353 (6 for 17) with two doubles and two RBI. His impressive spring was not an aberration.
♦ 2. Craig Kimbrel (replacing Billy Wagner as closer): Thumbs up. The 23-year-old has two saves in two appearances, striking out five of the six batters he has faced.
♦ 3. Defense (poor last year): Thumbs up. Only one error (on pitcher Tommy Hanson), two double plays and a majors-best .993 team fielding percentage in four games. Last season, the Braves’ 126 errors trailed only Pittsburgh and Washington (127 each) for the most in baseball.
♦ 4. Nate McLouth: Thumbs down.
So here’s the problem, if we can call it a problem after four games. McLouth had a solid spring and won the starting center field job over Jordan Schafer, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. The job is McLouth’s for the foreseeable future.
The question is where to bat McLouth in the order. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has started him in the No. 2 spot, believing his speed would be an asset and his offensive problems were sufficiently straightened out.
But the reviews so far aren’t good. McLouth went 1 for 4 in Monday’s win over Milwaukee, which is fine. But he also struck out twice, which a No. 2 hitter can’t do. Success in that spot of the order is predicated on the batter making contact and advancing the runner. So far this season, McLouth is 3 for 16 (.188) with a team-high five strikeouts and one walk. He’s also 0 for 1 in stolen base attempts. (McLouth did score three times in an 11-2 win at Washington.)
The question is: How long will Gonzalez stick with McLouth? There’s an obvious viable option in Jason Heyward, who is batting sixth and is off to a good start (4 for 12) with a home run, two RBI, four walks and a team-best on-base percentage of .500.
Heyward has a better chance to drive in more runs hitting sixth. But he’ll get to the plate more often hitting second, which theoretically makes the Braves a bigger offensive threat.
Gonzalez isn’t likely to make any change soon. The question is how long does he stick with McLouth batting second?
Do you have any confidence McLouth will find a groove? Or should Gonzalez just go ahead and make the change now?
Plan for Tuesday: Driving to Augusta to cover Tiger Woods’ press conference.
By Jeff Schultz
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259 comments Add your comment
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 5th, 2011
1:52 pm
OldeFan
I could be wrong but I was thinking McLouth was in the $6 million range.
nique
April 5th, 2011
1:56 pm
From the game’s I’ve seen Nate doesn’t look terrible. He had a decent Spring. He should get a bunch more games to prove himself (15-20 games), especially while the Braves are winning. If they were 0-4 maybe he only gets a handful more games.
phil
April 5th, 2011
2:09 pm
Ms. Davis – respectfully, McOut has fallen on his face for well over a year now….his inability to play beyond A ball is not a new thing….he stinks…and that’s ok…just not in CF for the Braves.
phil
April 5th, 2011
2:11 pm
Wish I could make 6 million, yes, 6 MILLION dollars to play like McOut….err, not play, i meant to say….i couldn’t collect a check not playing the way he does….
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 5th, 2011
2:16 pm
Wish I could make 6 million, yes, 6 MILLION dollars to play like McOut
First, you’d have to work your way up through the Minor Leagues. That’s why we aren’t there. Most of us never had the talent to even get to the Rookie Leagues.
lynch mob
April 5th, 2011
2:16 pm
While you’re at it, how long do you play Freeman? He is hitting below .200 as well………………………way too early to start this kind of crap. Glaus even got 2 or 3 weeks before he started hearing this last year.
Stinger2
April 5th, 2011
2:22 pm
Jeff: Sounds like you wanted to stir up a hornet`s nest
with you question about Nate. Congratulations. You were
successful. The fact is that not you nor all of the
blog managers who responded will make any decisions
about the Braves. FG will do that.
phil
April 5th, 2011
2:30 pm
Lynch….what part of McOut has a long track record now of playing like crap don’t you get? Freeman and Glaus were/are a different story….if freeman hits .185 this year, you better believe he’ll hear about it….but that would be in october….
McOut has earned his criticisms….
and stinger – why is it that folks like you feel the need to point out that Wren will make the decisions and not jeff. Honestly, do you really think it’s necessary to do that? It’s his job to express opinions and ask for input…he’s getting it and from many a varied perspective. Many like Nate, many don’t, and plenty just want to see him get 100 at bats before they start piling on….is it too much for folks like you to grasp that people can and do have different opinions on things?
Brett
April 5th, 2011
2:56 pm
He is not an adequate CF. Enough said. Why delay the obvious?
collegeballfan
April 5th, 2011
3:14 pm
If we are gonna make season lasting changes based on the first 4 games, why not hand out the batting title after 4 games?
And who needs the other 158 games anyway?
Just asking.
Kelvin
April 5th, 2011
3:20 pm
McClouth is better suited to be hitting leadoff. He could use his speed to bunt and put pressure of the defense. Yes, I know he strikes out a lot, but that’s my point if he is hitting leadoff he use the bunt more cut down on the number of strike out. Martin Prado should be hitting second. He doesn’t have a lot of speed but he is a good contact hitter and drives in a lot of runs.
DetroitBraves
April 5th, 2011
3:21 pm
collegeballfan, McLouth has a .336 OBP in over 2000 lifetime at bats. He did not get those 2000 at-bats in 4 games. We don’t need another 158 games, or the previous 4 for that matter, to figure out he doesn’t deserve 75-100 more at-bats than Jason Heyward.
idot
April 5th, 2011
3:23 pm
JS……trolling for some hits on your blog.
Four games in, and you are already starting your stupid BS.
Fredi G. is the manager.
bvillebaron
April 5th, 2011
3:30 pm
collegeballfan:
The nerve of you to try to inject some common sense into this blog. By the way DetroitBraves, regardless of whether McLouth remains in the 2 hole, some of us think that it would be a waste of Heywards’s RBI potential to bat him in that slot.
Bobby's chauffeur
April 5th, 2011
3:38 pm
Let’s say this was your kid or the neighbor’s kid…What would your answer be.. Give the guy a few more at bats. Do you really think he wants to suck? He feels a lot more pressure than anyone on the team at this time. Cut him some slack. A few well hit balls, a good series will make him the player he really is.Let’s get 100 at bats, then make a decision. He is making over 6.M this year. we will get our money’s worth. At least that is what FW and FG are hoping.
SR
April 5th, 2011
3:39 pm
Just saw this story, good question JS- how about last year. Guy stinks. Still stinks with holes the size of the Grand Canyon in his swing. Get rid of him if you can find a sucker to take him for a bagel and a latte.
George Stein
April 5th, 2011
3:43 pm
Thank you, DetroitBraves. At least someone here gets it.
The fact is, McLouth should have never been in the lineup to start with. He’s at best a very expensive fourth outfielder. Don’t bother trying to explain to these folks that his performance during the spring was useless because spring stats are irrelevant.
George Stein
April 5th, 2011
3:45 pm
RBI is a useless stat, bvillebaron.
Is this Little League, Bobby’s chauffeur?
DetroitBraves
April 5th, 2011
3:45 pm
bvillebaron, I think it is a waste of Heyward’s skills to limit his at-bats by burying him down in the lineup. RBI are a team stat. This isn’t a matter of opinion. You can probably find lineup maximizers online if you’re interested.
Skink
April 5th, 2011
3:47 pm
@GovClintonTyree – How’s my alter ego doing, bro?
IlliniBrave
April 5th, 2011
3:52 pm
I have a team with the following issues:
1. A #2/3 hitter who is batting .182 with 5Ks,
2. A #3 guy with a .091 AVG, .167 OBP, and O runs
3. And my team slugger with a .125 AVG and a .313 SLG
I’m wondering if I should drop them in the order, bench them, or option them to AAA.
Oh, wait, those guys are Carl Crawford, Joe Mauer, and Albert Pujols. Hmmm…. maybe I should wait a little longer.
Patience is a virtue – which is nonexistent in fantasy baseball. This is NOT fantasy baseball. Give it at least a month.
bruce
April 5th, 2011
3:56 pm
give him at least several more series before beginning to judge.
Ted M
April 5th, 2011
3:57 pm
McLouth’s is 6 mil plus 1.25 mil buyout of his contract next yr which definitely be exercised.
So he is costing us 7.25 mil for this yr.
George Stein
April 5th, 2011
3:59 pm
You have a team with several years of strong performance, IlliniBrave.
Bill Stanfill
April 5th, 2011
4:13 pm
No doubt about it–CF is the Braves’ top concern going into this season (followed by Chipper’s health and Freeman’s readiness to contribute).
Of course it’s early–but McLouth leads the team in strike-outs. Unlike most of the other players in the line-up, McLouth has to prove himself. He’s under the microscope. When the summer begins to heat up, McLouth has to be reasonably solid–or the Braves are going to have to decide what part of their treasure they’re going to have to trade to get a viable CF’er.
Delbert D.
April 5th, 2011
4:16 pm
Way too early to complain about McLouth. If Heyward had 1 fewer hit and McLouth 1 more they would both be at .250. Don’t like the 5 strikeouts, though.
Ted M
April 5th, 2011
4:25 pm
It may be “Way too early to complain about McLouth” but its not to early to put in the 8th spot in the order.
TM923
April 5th, 2011
4:32 pm
I love the people who throw in Pujols, Uggla, Crawford or any other proven slugger who has gotten off to a slow start… to show support for McLouth.
You gotta be kidding me. The only way McLouth’s name should be in the same sentence is if you mention their occupation. Nate has earned his way into the criticism he is getting.
Is 4 games the right amount of time to judge him? no, but he is showing the same signs as he has the last 2 years when he’s struggled.
So you moron’s that don’t want to acknowledge that Nate is a problem anywhere in the lineup, much less in the 2-hole… need to question your baseball knowledge and stop questioning those who see the obvious.
heartofdarkness
April 5th, 2011
4:34 pm
It appears Fredi is going to rest Chipper and McCann more this year, maybe as part of a regular rotation, but not on the same day. That would offer a couple opportunities a week to move Heyward or Hicks into the second spot, if McLouth’s struggles continue. More importantly, we are already a half game back in the standings.
Darryl Blackberry
April 5th, 2011
4:46 pm
I’d rather see Freeman and McLouth switch places, but I doubt Fredi Gonzalez would go for it.
IlliniBrave
April 5th, 2011
4:49 pm
@TM923: Moron’s? Hmmm…. well, “moron’s” is the possessive form of the noun. I think you meant “morons”. Also, you seem awfully sure of yourself, your superior “baseball knowledge”, and your judgment of the “obvious”. Are you a baseball scout, manager, former player, etc.?
ChicagoBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:00 pm
Have to agree with Bobby’s chauffeur, although I strongly disapprove of the lame little league analogy. Dropping him 6 spots in the order, before he’s even sniffed 50 AB’s, would probably destroy his confidence. If he loses that before the season really gets going, then the team can almost certainly expect another hugely disappointing season from the $6M center fielder.
He put together a solid spring, and if anything, the team has too much invested him to risk that after 20 plate appearances. Not justifying his early slump this year, or his woeful 2010 campaign…I want him to start getting on base just as much as anyone. But for the organization to show that they’re not behind him this early in the year would only create a problem, before it has a chance to solve itself. Letting Freddie get going in the 8 spot, where he can get comfortable is important. Making drastic lineup changes this early could do more harm than it could help.
Einsteindawg
April 5th, 2011
5:02 pm
Jeff, to answer your question, his last at bat on July 31, 2010. You can’t spell “out” without McLouth. Time to develop and stick with our young talent. Remember that insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
IlliniBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:05 pm
@ChicagoBrave: Are you a Cubs fan? Been to Wrigley yet this season? Planning on going when the Braves are in town in late Aug? I try to go every year at least once or twice – and preferably when my Bravos are in town.
idot
April 5th, 2011
5:14 pm
Shultz, you really know how to bring out the negative DAs.
Rock Star from Mars
April 5th, 2011
5:14 pm
We have to have someone in the farm system better than this TURD. He will be our undoing!
ChicagoBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:15 pm
Wouldn’t call myself a Cubs fan, still hold a grudge from the 2003 NLDS, but they’re the Cubs, threats to no one, so it’s hard to root against them, baseball’s baseball, and ever since I moved from ATL I found myself following the team of where I’ve lived (Brewers and now Cubs…I live closer to the North side). I was up there on saturday, and go quite a bit usually…tickets are easy to find and cheap these days. Went to all 3 last year, and definitely gonna try to make it to at least 3 in Aug. Just not sure which jersey to buy before I go.
Rock Star from Mars
April 5th, 2011
5:15 pm
Also……please tell me Uggla isnt on the juice. Guys pipes r GInormous.
ChicagoBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:19 pm
Keen insight from Rock Star in 2 posts now.
IlliniBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:21 pm
@Chi-Brave: yeah, it’s actually nice to be able to find a ticket again. I remember the 90’s when my wife and I would take all the kids up there and not even have to worry about tickets at all. Then the team got better, bought all those free agents, and tickets became expensive and rare.
As for jerseys, I always wear my Ryno throwback, unless the Braves are playing. Then it’s my B-Mac All-Star edition – which usually generates a little crap from surrounding fans.
TM923
April 5th, 2011
5:23 pm
IlliniBrave- don’t you worry about me or what i am or have been in the past, please.
I didn’t call you out… mind your business. Unless you care to compare Pujols, Crawford, Uggla or any future HOF’er to McLouth. Then, we got a problem.
Bring Me the Head of Deforest Kelley
April 5th, 2011
5:23 pm
McLouth may not be the ideal #2 hitter, but consider:
1. There is no other viable candidate for CF at the moment, so McLouth has to hit somewhere in the lineup.
2. In theory, McLouth should see a lot more hitable pitches with Chipper batting behind him, than if he were moved to the #6 spot and had Gonzalez behind him.
3. At the rate Jones and McCann are reaching base lately, there is a lot more opportunity to score runs with Heyward batting behind them than with McLouth.
Even McLouth’s most vocal detractors have to give him a chance – 4 games is not a chance. If after 2-3 weeks he’s still hitting below .200, then maybe a time for a lineup change, depending on whose bat is hot at the moment. We’re not losing games at this point because of our #2 hitter.
ChicagoBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:28 pm
Thinking Heyward…Sunday red
IlliniBrave
April 5th, 2011
5:57 pm
Love that look. Might get one like that myself!
BravesWin_BravesWin_BravesWin
April 5th, 2011
6:16 pm
Nate showed where he was headed last year and this year is just more of the same. He’s a speedy guy with great defense who most likely, if we stick with him long enough, be able to bat his weight. He looks lost at the plate, and is doing the Frenchy thing, pressing and swinging at stuff that is off the plate or low by a foot. Everytime he comes to the plate, my brain whispers “guarenteed out”. What’s killing us is when he does it, its a rally-killer, and creates critical outs at the worst times. Please Fredi, please please puh-leez don’t let him play into May if this continues! Thanks.
Phillies, Class of the NL
April 5th, 2011
7:34 pm
Does it really matter where McLouth bats? The Philadelphia Phillies are so far superior its a futile exercise…
Phillies, Class of the NL
April 5th, 2011
7:34 pm
Enter your comments here
Ernie Wheelwright
April 5th, 2011
7:58 pm
Four games. Why did you write this?
Daveman1423
April 5th, 2011
8:19 pm
Are you kidding me??? Nate had an incredible spring and after 4 games u are throwing in the towel. Jeff u need to go on vacation or something!
DetroitBraves
April 5th, 2011
8:42 pm
I’m not sure why people think the sample size is 4 games when it is obviously so much more. Baseball is about probabilities, that’s why they play 162 games. It only makes sense to place your bets on what is most likely to happen, accepting when you end up living in the tails of the distrubution, apparently being “wrong”. The Braves, in putting McLouth in the second spot, are betting on the right tail. Does that make sense to any of you?