So how come the current Braves can’t hit but ex-Braves can?
I’ve never been one who believed Terry Pendleton was the problem. As the saying goes, he can’t step in and hit for his guys. (It might be better if he could.) But then you look at these batting averages, and even a Pendleton admirer must cringe.
- Chipper Jones, .271.
- Brian McCann, .271.
- Jason Heyward, .246.
- Yunel Escobar, .188.
- Troy Glaus, .186.
- Matt Diaz, .175.
- Melky Cabrera, 153.
- Nate McLouth, .146.
Take away Martin Prado — who is, it must be stipulated, second in the National League in hitting at .406 — and the totality of the Braves’ regular lineup isn’t hitting Prince Fielder’s weight. Which is incredible.
The Braves rank last in the league in hitting at .228. (And remember, that’s with Prado doing a Ted Williams.) They were no-hit by Ubaldo Jimenez. They were shut out by Roy Halladay. They were one out from being blanked on a night Kyle Kendrick started for the Phillies. They were shut out over five innings by Mike Pelfrey on Sunday.
They didn’t score an earned run in three games against a Philadelphia starting pitcher. They scored three runs in 23 innings against the Mets. They’re in last place in the NL East, behind even the Washington Nationals. Yow.
And now we check another set of numbers, these belonging to players who were Braves in 2009 but who aren’t today:
- Jeff Francoeur, Mets: .286 average, three homers, 10 RBIs.
- Kelly Johnson, Diamonbacks:.322, seven homers, 12 RBIs.
- Casey Kotchman, Mariners: .279 average, three homers, 14 RBIs.
- Adam LaRoche, Diamonbacks: .278, one homer, seven RBIs.
Again, I’m not one who usually blames the hitting coach when big-leaguers don’t hit. But it does seem the guys who aren’t Braves are hitting in a way the Braves aren’t. You tell me: What does that say?
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688 comments Add your comment
Bat Masterson
April 26th, 2010
10:09 am
The blame has to be placed somewhere. He has ruined incredible talent (i.e. Andruw Jones, Fracouer, Johnson, and probably Heyward). He needs to be fired.
What come on man. I guess he fed Andruw all those donuts, and made him fat. Francouer is a head case. Kelly is streaky, if anyone messed him up and that’s a big if, then put it on Cox for moving him around the line up to much.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:10 am
Myrtle Beach, huh? You’re mean, Chip Shot.
j-man
April 26th, 2010
10:10 am
Bradley, J-Hey should have 25 RBIs. TP is the Yoko Ono of Braves hitting.
fascist strikeout
April 26th, 2010
10:11 am
I miss Don Baylor…
j-man
April 26th, 2010
10:11 am
Bring back Don Baylor
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:11 am
Yoko Ono. Even meaner, j-man.
Ted M
April 26th, 2010
10:12 am
I agree with Jacks statement of sometimes a change of scenery helps. Even if TP is not at fault sometimes a change of scenery helps ie a new hitting coach. Professional sports is a cold hard business changes are made all the time… except by Cox.
Chip
April 26th, 2010
10:12 am
Mark, you do a blog questioning TP as the hitting coach, and than you start playing devils advocate for him. What’s your stance? You think the Braves need to keep him or let him go?
j-man
April 26th, 2010
10:13 am
yea maybe that was mean
Mr. Obvious
April 26th, 2010
10:13 am
RE: bignel @ 9:58am
bignel = The Failure of the Clayton County School System
scaredbravesfan
April 26th, 2010
10:13 am
Mark are you hearing any rumblings from the front office that TP is not the right man for the job? Any chance a change can be made this early in the season? If so who do you forsee taking over?
DMBJAMS
April 26th, 2010
10:14 am
Thanks for keeping it real, Mark. It’s time the Braves do something about this obvious problem.
todd
April 26th, 2010
10:15 am
Let me ask you a question – if the cars you were in charge of repairing never ran properly after you were supposed to fix them or if the medicine you gave a patients to cure their illness never worked and they kept dying – even though it worked perfectly well when another doctor prescribed it – would you keep your job? Only if Wren and Cox were your bosses.
Bat Masterson
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Okay Mark, page hits aside, do you really think this problem can be laid at TP’s feet?
fascist strikeout
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Id say make Chipper a hitting coach after he’s done, but I’m not sure if a hitting coach is effective when on the DL
meh
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
It’s not all on TP. They’re professional ball players, they should be able to crack .200 no matter who the hitting coach is. That being said, maybe replacing TP will light a fire under their backsides and get them going.
Ted M
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Don’t count on it scaredbravesfan. Loyalty takes precedence over winning with the Braves.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
My stance, Chip, is that I thought the criticism of Terry Pendleton last season was overblown. But this year … well, his team is last in the league.
Angus
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Outside of pitching, this is a bad team right now. And the problems don’t stop at the batting average. Bad defense and bad base running are all too common, as well.
I have no idea whether TP is good or not, but I know he’s not solely responsible for the bad baseball we’re watching.
What’s so different between 2nd half 2009 and what we’re seeing now?
Major Kong
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
RE: bignel @ 9:58am
bignel = The Failure of the Clayton County School System
Mr. Obvious…I’m in Dekalb…he sounds like a product of the Dekalb School System to me.
Chip
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Mark, your thoughts on Smoltz being back, somewhat….Are you scared that he’s going to beat you up?
Realist
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
The problem with blaming Pendleton is that most of those guys you list (Chipper, McCann, Diaz and even Escobar and the failed braves Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur) all have had very good seasons under TP’s guidance, too. So if you want to blame him for the .227 average now, you have to also praise him for the teams that hit well under his watch. Personally, I think he has little to do with either.
Dr. Phil
April 26th, 2010
10:18 am
This poor play all falls under the category “lollygagging” and the front office equivalent of that sorry condition. ML players do not bat under .200 and drop pop flies. I will not pay to watch pee wee baseball and neither will most Atlanta fans. This play is much worse than the 60’s and 70’s when, at least, the Braves could hit homeruns. Bring back Nockahoma before this turns into a curse!
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:18 am
I cannot imagine the Braves making a change anytime soon, scaredbravesfan. That’s not the way they operate.
Chip
April 26th, 2010
10:19 am
Mark, what percentage would you say Terry Pendleton has of becoming the Braves next manager?
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:19 am
And Realist makes a good point: The same guys who had bad seasons under Pendleton also had good seasons under him.
Bat Masterson
April 26th, 2010
10:19 am
Realist
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Where is the fun in that. That kind of logic has no place in this debate.
Scott
April 26th, 2010
10:19 am
It really is fitting for Bobby’s last year, he always liked the heavy pitching and no hitting teams and this is exactly where we are again. The fact that people are surprised by this is in itself surprising.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:20 am
I’ve never thought Terry Pendleton will be the next Braves’ manager, Chip. I think Frank Wren will look outside.
sad brotha
April 26th, 2010
10:21 am
The real reason:Terry (inept/clueless) McGuirk… THE REAL ARCHITECT OF THIS DISASTER! Liberty Media’s BOY! He slips and slides so much he makes a snake look square! He is on his own and now you see his doings! Not Wren… McJerk!
Chip
April 26th, 2010
10:21 am
Well at least the fans are showing up in record numbers for Bobby’s last dance.
Ted M
April 26th, 2010
10:21 am
Do hitting coaches matter at all? It seems a lot of people don’t think they do.
Bill
April 26th, 2010
10:22 am
Mark, good question by chip. Where do you stand on TP? Fair and balanced.
RB
April 26th, 2010
10:23 am
At this level, hiting coaches are at best – a guy that only recommends “tweeks”. This IS NOT like an OC or DC in football. Communication skills and respect are very iimportant. TP has both. Hitting is contagiuos. The Braves will catch the fever soon. Patience! Remember, this is a game of stats. Pitching is solid. Go Braves!
Jack
April 26th, 2010
10:23 am
I believe it is understandable to at least look toward the hittng coach when your team is last in hitting.
I just don’t think that the inclusion of current stats of ex-Braves support Bradley’s argument.
Are You Kidding
April 26th, 2010
10:24 am
Just say it Mark, we all know.
TP is TRASH
Chipper is OLD
Glaus is BOTH
tlj
April 26th, 2010
10:25 am
I don’t know if the problem is TP or not but there is a problem. I know it’s early and these guys are not going to hit this bad all season. Unfortunately, the month of April may cost us a shot at the playoffs. Right now we are not getting any production from 1b, cf or lf. We need a lead off hitter that can actually get on base and some power.
Until the front office does something to correct the problem, the braves are probably no better than a 3 rd place team.
The Real UT
April 26th, 2010
10:26 am
When I read that about Kelly I about spit coffee all over my computer. I always thought he was a good player. I think getting the hell away from Braves coaches might make that guy an All-Star. Wouldn’t you love to have KJ playing left right now. He should have never been moved to second. Wasn’t Prado hitting like .300 when the move to put Kelly at 2nd was made? IDK? I’m fairly sure Prado was around at that time. It was probably a time when Bobby had some rediculous issue with the way he played. My point on that is there was obviously talent within the Braves organization to fill that role without making Kelly the guy. I think trying to learn infield slowed his offensive development down big time. 2011 can’t come fast enough. Get this old coaching regime out. They are proven losers with a 1 for 14 playoff record that would have gotten Cox’s arse fired long ago in another town. Even Tennessee got rid of Fulmer. The next move for Wren will be to do a little better than the Lane Kiffin hire. Rough year to be a Tennessee sports fan.
BravesfaninWis
April 26th, 2010
10:27 am
I can’t wait until this regime is gone for good. I am tired of this same old broken record routine. That’s what this team gets for going cheap (Glaus instead of LaRoche) and hitting their knees and praying like hell that it works.
So far the only thing that looks like a lock is that they will average more errors per game then runs.
Mr. Pappagiorgio
April 26th, 2010
10:27 am
The real problem with the team is the mental approach. I honestly believe the playera are laid back due to the coaching mentality. I think the approach of the hitters/players comes from the top down. They need to play/hit with more urgency and intensity….why do you think J-Hey is so much better with two out in the bottom of the ninth..he’s more focused and intense??….It’s a mental game….in order to succeed you have to mentally be focused on doing your job…the Bobby Cox mentality of being a players coach works great with some players….but not with this team. I think it perfectly explains the reason players do well in other cities…because they have to perform and stay sharp because it is expected…you think they would tolerate a .180 htting Troy Glaus in New York???
rob
April 26th, 2010
10:27 am
It’s baseball. The team is in a slump and no one is breaking them out yet. The team will hit for around 283 and average 4 runs per game come late August. This pitching staff will have Atlanta in the race all year. I’d rather slump in April than August.
Relax.
BuckheadBrave
April 26th, 2010
10:29 am
What I don’t get is the front office loyalty to certain poor performing payers. We had to endure 3 years of a slumping Francoeur but Kelly Johnson is out after a poor first half? It’d be really nice to have KJ in left field right now. And why are we being put through Escobar no giving a damn, there a PLENTY of teams that still think highly enough of him they will give up the farm, we should exploit that while we still can. The one thing that should not be tolerated is poor effort and not caring. Chipper has earned working his way through this season but this offseason he needs to be told either you retire or you will be moved to another team. Why can Wren say that to Glavne and Smoltz but not Chipper? Someone like the Red Sox gets the business they don’t run their team like a family softball team, they parted ways with Manny and Nomar two of their most popular players EVER and we are stuck watching Escobar and Chipper not even give a damn.
wintervilledawg
April 26th, 2010
10:29 am
I’d like to know what other pitchers are setting up. can’t they get someone who retired last year to come in under contract to tell the team what the scouting reports say about them. Like I was saying last week. The Braves have always had poor offense since Cox has been manager. If you don’t remember or believe then take a look at Clarence Jones as hitting instructor. All that talent and they have never been a good offensive team. Why???
John Tucker
April 26th, 2010
10:29 am
If TP isn’t the pronblem, he is the only common denominator for the Braves’ offensive woes the past feew years and the demise of good hitters like Andruw, KJ, Francouer and now Melky, Glaus and Diaz
Time to promote TP to the Front Office or send him packing.
North Ga
April 26th, 2010
10:30 am
Even one of our past players in the group mentioned above said TP could not help anyone. His remarks were that Kelly Johnson would have a career year away from TP.
Donovan
April 26th, 2010
10:30 am
My Lord! This Braves organization is hung up on such a loyalty thing that Bobby Cox and Pendleton are merely old cigar store Indians wearing uniforms and taking up space in the dugout waiting for retirement. The only reason Pendleton was crowned batting coach was due to his participation as a player years ago when the Braves were somebody. Heyward at his tender age has more credibility and credentials than Pendleton.
Benjamin
April 26th, 2010
10:30 am
I really did feel like Kelly Johnson would be served well to get out of Atlanta, and don’t blame TP but rather BC for his lack of development over the years. He seemed to get jerked around a lot here, and I’m glad he’s in a spot where he’s a regular fixture and can thrive. Arizona’s the perfect place for KJ.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he were playing in the All Star game this July.
As for our lineup, I really do feel like we’re going to improve. We’re not this bad. It’s just an early season slump.
Tony Oliva
April 26th, 2010
10:31 am
No coaches ever get on the field and play, but there are some specialty coaches whose teams are always fundamentally sound in their special area. Pendleton either can’t analyze or he can’t teach. Bobby does TP and the fans no favors by keeping him as the hitting coach.
Zack
April 26th, 2010
10:31 am
The ONLY reason TP is still here is because he is close with Bobby. Everyone knows he will fill in the next 2 years as an experiment at the manager postition. after all we are in atlanta
Major Kong
April 26th, 2010
10:31 am
MB…I hope you’re right about Wren choosing next manager from outside organization…’cause I was in Post- Grad school in Baltimore in late 90’s….between Angelos, Wren & Miller in 1999 that was one screwy organization.