Heyward still determined to make impact on Braves’ season
It has been a frustrating season for Jason Heyward, but he still has time to make an impact for the Braves. (AP photo)
(UPDATED: 2 a.m.)
Last season, Jason Heyward gave us no reason to wonder. He gave us only … wonder.
First at-bat: a three-run homer. First season: voted an All-Star starter. He finished with the second-most homers and RBIs on the Braves’ roster. He was the runner-up in the official National League rookie of the year voting by the media (the players voted him first in their award by Sporting News).
A corner outfielder with skill and power. A native of Atlanta. A product of the organization. Manna from marketing heaven. Somebody check — is there a lightning bolt burned into his bat?
But there’s something different about Heyward this year, and it’s the reason the Braves are looking for offensive help in the trade market. Make no mistake: Notwithstanding Chipper Jones’ extended string of ailments, Dan Uggla’s early struggles, and anything else that you might want to consider, the biggest reason the Braves are looking for another bat is Heyward’s second-year struggles.
Whether Uggla bounced back or not – and a 17-game hitting streak certainly suggests he has found his swing – he was going to start at second base. The team needs more production in the outfield. The talk of trading for Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence or the like is about making up for some of the punch that has been lost by the young right fielder.
We should start with this: There is zero reason to question Heyward’s potential greatness. Those who suggest Heyward is hopelessly flawed and should be traded by the Braves — it’s astounding how many of those emails I’ve received — are being premature, nonsensical, shortsighted, knee-jerk and just plain dumb. They are the ramblings of frustrated fantasy-league players.
Heyward came through in the clutch Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, stroking a two-out, two-run single in the third inning to tie the game 3-3. His first three at-bats also included a walk and an infield single. (He finished the night going 2-for-7, but maybe he just dozed off like almost everybody else in the Braves’ 19-inning, 4-3 win over the Pirates.)
“We forget he’s 21 years old,” Brian McCann said earlier of Heyward. “The bottom line is, when you’re injured and you go on the [disabled list] and you change your mechanics, it’s going to take time to find your swing again. But he’ll be fine.”
It is taking Heyward more time than he would like. This is a first for him. He has dealt with injuries before – oblique, back, groin, foot. But nothing has messed with the mechanics of his swing like the shoulder injury he had this season, not even the thumb problems of last year.
Heyward is hitting only .222. Three weeks ago, he went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double in the series finale against Colorado, and the thought occurred that it might be a turning point. But in the next 12 games, he went 7-for-44 (.159). These numbers are anemic relative to his rookie season: .277, 18 homers, 72 RBIs, .306 with runners in scoring position.
Heyward says his shoulder is fine. He attributes the problems to “bad habits” he got into when he hurt the shoulder and before he went on the disabled list for 3½ weeks in late May.
The upside to all of this is that he still has more than two months, plus a potential postseason, to make an impact. The question is to what extent the Braves are rolling the dice on a player who entered Tuesday hitting .182 since the All-Star break and for the season is at .231 with runners in scoring position and .224 with men on.
He put it an unusual way, saying, “You have to enjoy a struggle. I’m re-learning what I need to do to be successful at this level.
Physically, he says he needs to get his hands back into his swing, stop letting his arms do all the work. But the process has been frustrating.
“It’s a mental thing,” he said. “If you don’t have a feel and you can’t trust your approach or your abilities or whatever separates you from the next person, it makes it difficult. You can’t be anywhere near as productive as you want to be or the team needs you to be.”
Five days before the trade deadline, Heyward realized earlier Tuesday he wasn’t where the Braves need him to be. It certainly doesn’t make last season an aberration. It just makes us wonder about the rest of this one.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,162 comments Add your comment
Dylan
July 26th, 2011
7:47 pm
He’s .200 yah! That is actually an amazing acclompisment! I aint trying to be funny!
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
7:48 pm
Hitting streak at 17 for Uggla and he’s at .200. Stop the season!!!!
Dennis Reynolds
July 26th, 2011
7:48 pm
LOOK OUT!! When Jason keeps that shoulder in like he is now, he’s dangerous.
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
7:49 pm
Dennis Reynolds — I wouldn’t knock a trade for Pence but it’s going to cost A LOT more than 1 prospect. That’s the problem.
M10
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
Hanson wondered why he didnt make the allstar team just way to inconsistant.
Ben`
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
Parrish will get the credit for Dan’s hit streak….nevermind the struggles of Heyward and Gonzales.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
Karstens may not have the stuff to get the ball in the spot but those fastballs up and in on his hands Jason has got to figure that out.
Columbus
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
Braves win with Chipper. He is the captain and he does the little things and produces. He is one of toughest outs in the league. I will take 110-120 games from him any year. Every championship team has to have a veteran like him. He is one of the most productive on the team and look at the Braves record with tim in the lineup. Chipper was leading the team in RBIs or near it before he had surgery. Surgery he put off for the good of the team. You guys appreciate nothing from him? I can assure you the Braves would have a much worse record without him Look at the record over the last month. Enough said.
bravos007
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
@Jeff- trading Minor would be the dumbest move Wren could make. 60 games with a 34yo outfielder with bad knees does not sound like a smart move. the braves have no lefties and need him.
TomahawkChoppin'
July 26th, 2011
7:50 pm
heyward takes his weekly walk. whether he wants to or not
the barves
July 26th, 2011
7:51 pm
Rob Deer, eat your heart out! Uggla’s found the promise land!
Let’s go Lugo, maybe you can win the starting SS spot…
wow that’s pretty, pretty hard to believe. oy.
Hatmatbbat10
July 26th, 2011
7:51 pm
Very excited about Uggla finally reaching the .200 mark!
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:51 pm
Jeff……..Why not make a big trade for Kemp? Minor and others for him. This solidifies us long term in CF and then make minor deals to get relief pitchers. In the offseason we got to get a SS!! No question on that. I think that Chipper retires after (or before) this season and becomes the Batting Coach.
What do you think?
Lil' Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
7:51 pm
Julio Lugo–just the spark we need.
TROTTINGHOME
July 26th, 2011
7:52 pm
it’s over early tonight……sad state.
Dennis Reynolds
July 26th, 2011
7:52 pm
True, Jeff. But a player like Pence would be worth it. We have the pieces to do it and he’s a quality enough player to justify it.
Dylan
July 26th, 2011
7:52 pm
If braves don’t score a run right here. Then Beltran or upton will walk in the braves clubhouse! Ha but if we dont win expect a trade imo
Dennis Reynolds
July 26th, 2011
7:54 pm
Everybody hating on Heyward are about to eat your words. That stance is the same stance he had early last season when he was productive. He abandoned it to cheat on the inside fastball. He’s about to get HOT.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 26th, 2011
7:54 pm
Yep the .230 hitting Upton is excatly what this team needs.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:54 pm
Can we let Chip Caray play SS? He has to hit better than SeaBass or Lugo!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 26th, 2011
7:55 pm
actually he will fit right in…
Lil' Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
7:55 pm
The Braves can high-five each other for clearing the pitcher this inning.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:55 pm
Our pitchers go deeper in the count than most of our “hitters”!!!
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
7:56 pm
Damn’t! Uggla can’t carry this team forever! (OK. I’m done now.)
tdc
July 26th, 2011
7:56 pm
Jeff have the braves considered bring up Jose Constanza?
bravos007
July 26th, 2011
7:56 pm
A or Atlanta- if chip carey playing SS means he won’t be on TV, then I vote yes
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
7:57 pm
TDC — Not even George Constanza.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:57 pm
Minor, McClouth, Seabass, and one other to Dodgers for Kemp and Furcal!!!
pete
July 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
Jason Heyward will never ever be a star. He reminds me of Cliff Floyd. He has all the talent but has injuries that big him. If he cannot stay healthy at 20 and 21 what is he going to do at 30? I think his swing is way way too long. After May of last year he has been a below average hitter.
MariettaDerek
July 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
Whoa. This report was DOUBLE PITS TO CHESTY indeed!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
Upton FYI over the last two weeks
7 for his last 44 for a big ole.159 average. Yeah lets bring in that average for this team that is already struggling, but not Beltran.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
bravos007…….Chip might have a higher OBP…..would get thrown at????
Dylan
July 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
Hey Jeff. Is wren on that phone yet?
Rite-Aid
July 26th, 2011
7:59 pm
@Jeff, can you flick Wren off for assembling this team? All the Braves fans would appreciate it
TomahawkChoppin'
July 26th, 2011
7:59 pm
Dennis. As long as heyward continues this ‘bouncing thing’ into his diving stance, he will continue to slump. Bouncing his eyes, head, shoulders, and hands through the zone will make his hand eye coordination off. if you look at his stance in spring training of 2010 and early on in 2010, he was still at the plate and dove in towards the plate just a little. now everything is exaggerated in his stance. just don’t see any adjustments at the plate yet. but i still hope he can turn it around.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
7:59 pm
Please a 1,2,3 inning!!
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
8:03 pm
If Larry Parrish could just get these guys to his great career batting avg of .263
tdc
July 26th, 2011
8:03 pm
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
7:57 pm
TDC — Not even George Constanza.
Why not? The guy is batting .323 with 23 stolen bases.
MariettaDerek
July 26th, 2011
8:03 pm
Heyward: Hey, Coach Parrish. Any advice for me?
Parrish: Yeah, Jason. Gotta be more loopy and jumpy with your swing. And stand really far from the plate and dive in when you swing. Overall, just make the whole stance and swing really weird and long looking.
Heyward: Got it, Coach.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 26th, 2011
8:03 pm
Well the Eagles may have a hold out in Desean Jackson. So what if we traded Julio Jones to the Eagles for Andrew McCutchen back to the Braves? A small sacrifice for one Atlanta franchise for the betterment of another?
Mister Frisky
July 26th, 2011
8:04 pm
5 through 9 Atlantas version of Murderers Rowe.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
8:04 pm
Blind squirrels can find nuts……a 1,2,3 inning. According to Elias, that is the first 1,2,3 inning by a Braves pitcher since Chipper had surgery!
Lil' Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
8:04 pm
Braves baseball is boring. No hitting, no running, just going through the motions.
TomahawkChoppin'
July 26th, 2011
8:04 pm
A for Atlanta, way to go. now can you ask nicely for the braves to score 4+ runs this inning. maybe bat around.
toldyouso
July 26th, 2011
8:05 pm
Braves have too many weak areas. Have done well, but this is why they want make the play offs and if they do will go down early;
1. lack of speed on bases
2. no one can bunt
3. no one can throw anyone out at home plate from outfield accurately
4. macann has tough time throwing runners out at second.
5. we leave more men on base in scoring position and can not drive them in….. major problem
6. chipper in the man and because of his age, he want be able to make it, this is his last year, but he still has best bat on team and always will. at 60 years of age he could hit better than anyone other than macann on this team… how do they all make it to the majors and stay.. no one hits and sees the ball like chipper…
Last, I hope they make it, but this is what i see….
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
8:07 pm
Tomahawkin………….We gonna go with 2 outs this inning…..score 3 runs!
Jeff Schultz
July 26th, 2011
8:08 pm
Dylan — “Hey Jeff. Is wren on that phone yet?” … Nope. But I just bumped into him back by the frozen yogurt machine.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
8:08 pm
Prado has suddenly gone to hitting like he swings with Prada
Lil' Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
8:08 pm
McCann is a nice guy but way overrated. His defense is awful. Can’t throw anybody out, can’t hang on to throws from the outfield. I guess he gets all that love for his bat, cuz it certainly isn’t his glove or arm.
A for Atlanta
July 26th, 2011
8:09 pm
Told ya…..2 out rally!!!