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
Chip
April 26th, 2010
11:26 am
This team easily has enough talent to compete for at least the wild card spot. The fans haven’t given up yet, but is sure looks like a lot of the Braves players have, and the fans will follow soon….The teams performance is solely the fault of Bobby Cox.
Same as last season
April 26th, 2010
11:26 am
Glaus is this year’s version of Garret Anderson
Gary
April 26th, 2010
11:28 am
Also, I will give time to KJ. He is looking good early, but is always primed for a 5-6 week slump. Jeff may be a different story. The kid hit in the minors, had good seasons in 2006 and 2007, and is off to a good start in 2010. The only thing I can think is in 2008, Andruw Jones was no longer around and Jeff got caught up thinking he had to step up his game to help the Braves. What they should have done is tell Jeff not to do anything different, but instead everyone fed him the same talk of him needed to step it up. Had they(the entire organization) left Jeff alone, he would be playing in LF for the Braves this season with these current numbers he is putting up. Then he and Heyward would be putting butts in the seats at Turner Field and the Braves would have a formidable middle of the lineup. His problems were not Bobby and TP. Jeff’s problems were John, Frank, and the rest of the front office telling him he HAS to be the face of the franchise. They put way too much pressure on this kid to up his game. And this recent series, Jeff made the plays to beat the Braves. I hope Wren loves that crow he is eating right now. Thanks for nothing.
joe
April 26th, 2010
11:30 am
The only thing TP is good for is…well you know…wiping things. Get rid of him and bring in someone who knows how to coach hitting. Is the Texas Rangers hitting coach available from last year?
Fire Terry Pendelton
April 26th, 2010
11:30 am
See name
Phil
April 26th, 2010
11:30 am
Cox and Wren, aka “Dumb and Dumber”….
Same as last season
April 26th, 2010
11:30 am
Kelly Johnson leaving was a salary dump, trading Francour was a salary dump, trading Vasquez was a salary dump, not re-signing LaRoche was because of payroll concerns, signing Glaus was because he cheap; not based on talent. So many of the Braves moves are based strictly on payroll concerns. Until they open up the purse a little more and start making BASEBALL decisions they won’t be able to compete.
Braves Fan No More
April 26th, 2010
11:30 am
And this situation is an example of why I am a Braves Fan No More. When managers don’t produce they get fired, right? When teams can’t hit, hitting coaches get fired, right? Not in Atlanta. The team has no real owner to hold the front office, the manager and coaching staff accountable. Hence, the mess in this franchise. I hope that you all have fun watching the bad, get worse.
pete
April 26th, 2010
11:31 am
Leroy, what the hell do people not coming to games have to do with the way they are hitting? Nothing you moron
myra
April 26th, 2010
11:31 am
Wow. Bravesfan I totally belive u. Sad fact is this man is gonna be our next manager.
Captain
April 26th, 2010
11:32 am
The Braves are stuck with TP. Bobby wouldn’t stand for one of his assts to be shown the door, he is more loyal than logical. TP may be able to show these guys how to properly “adjust their cup” when getting into the batter’s box, as far as hitting, not happening. A hitting coach has to be able to detect the slightest of flaws. Seems to me TP has fallen down on the job far too often.
steveh
April 26th, 2010
11:32 am
TP is going to be a good major league manager someday. He knows the game and relates well to players. He is a smart baseball guy. He just is NOT a batting coach.
Look at this way – Chipper’s number one hitting coach is is father. Same with Brian McCann. Francour goes to NY under a different batting coach and begins to hit much better (in a pitcher’s park). Andruw goes elsewhere and shows signs of life that he has not had in years. The evidence is not real positive if you are TP.
I still think he will make a really good (maybe even great) manager someday. But being a hitting coach is entirely different job description and one for which TP has shown he is not well suited.
Marko
April 26th, 2010
11:33 am
I knew an article like this would come out soon.
I wouldn’t exactly call LaRoach having a good season. Hasn’t he missed more games that Chipper so far?
What about the following players after they left:
Marcus Giles
Ryan Langerhans
Edgar Renteria
Andruw Jones
JD Drew
Johnny Estrada
Rafael Furcal
Michael Tucker
Pete Orr
Ryan Church
Javy Lopez
They didn’t exactly light the world on fire after they left. I believe all of their numbers dipped in the few seasons that followed. Some are still serviceable but hardly a high commodity.
bill
April 26th, 2010
11:34 am
It’s really sad when you’re wishing that half your starters were able to rise up to Greg Norton’s average. Sad, sad, sad…… And then last night even poor Jason Heyward looked like he had caught this disease! Ouch!
Brian from SC
April 26th, 2010
11:34 am
Braves’ April opponents’ collective win %: .557
Collective ERA: 3.27
Braves’ May opponents’ collective win%: .478
Collective ERA: 5.16
Same as last season
April 26th, 2010
11:34 am
I still go back to the signing of Kawakami in 2008. They could have signed Adam Dunn for almost the same money, and he is virtually guaranteed to hit 35-40 HRs and drive in 100 runs. He might not hit for a high average, but at least he gets guys across the plate. Right now the Braves have no rund producers. Have you seen how many ment they leave on base? They get on base, but they can’t get them in.
carlchamblee
April 26th, 2010
11:35 am
Same as last season – it’s not the money it is how they have spent it. 25% of their payroll on the back end of the rotation, 13 mil more on a guy who can’t play defense and is no longer a dominant hitter. As I pointed out in another post, Twins have same payroll incl a huge part of it on one player and manage to put a winning team out there. Because they emphasize speed, defense, situational hitting. They brought in Thome cheap a la Glaus but he doesn’t bat 4th or 5th they hide him down in the order as DH or pinch hit him. And certainly wouldn’t try him out at a new position this late in his career with a broken down body.
RWebb
April 26th, 2010
11:36 am
It is not the hitting coach. The Braves hitters are not patience hitters and there is little or no speed on the team to manufactures runs. The Braves, past and present, win or lose on their homer and power production. This is Bobby Cox coaching style.
Chris
April 26th, 2010
11:37 am
Andruw Jones, .292 BA, 6 HR, 9RBI
Casey
April 26th, 2010
11:37 am
I have always been a big Pendleton fan. Obviously, you can’t blame everything on the hitting coach. But, when does he have to be held responsible, like anyone else in any other job? He is NOT getting the results he should be. It’s been about 3 years now that I feel the Braves hitters have been underachieving. It’s time to make a change. This can’t continue. It is completely unacceptable for all of these players to be hitting so poorly. These are good hitters. Are we supposed to sit through an entire season of THIS!?!? Pendleton, I love you, but this isn’t working out. It hasn’t been working out for about 3 years now. We have to make a change, and we can’t get rid of all of the hitters. So, our only other option is to get a new hitting coach and cross our fingers.
Pendleton Next
April 26th, 2010
11:37 am
Terry Pendleton–the next braves manager? The thought makes me ill—I need a few drinks to get over it, quickly.
Matt
April 26th, 2010
11:37 am
Is it Pendleton’s fault our guys aren’t hitting? Who knows. Could another hitting coach do more to help them? The numbers say yes.
Gary
April 26th, 2010
11:38 am
TP will not be our next manager. The man failed miserably when he interviewed for the Phillies job back in 2004/2005 and Pat Gillick went elsewhere. Even Frank Wren can get this one right.
Phil
April 26th, 2010
11:38 am
Same as last season,
The payroll is a lame excuse. We have the 11th highest payroll in baseball. Much higher than the Marlins and Nationals, yet they have the ability to find decent players. Wren and Cox are idiots, their idea of good off season pickups are Melky and Glaus. The Marlins and Nationals wouldn’t give them a second look, even at the minimum salary.
Let's Go Bravos!
April 26th, 2010
11:39 am
Is Greg Norton teaching these guys how to hit? It’s either that or it’s TP!! This is a perfect example of Wren/Schurholtz jumping the gun on our good players over the years. A player has one bad year and the bloggers/GM’s start calling for trades, and not realizing a player’s potential. I’d love to have Kelly Johnson in Left, Andrew Jones (6 hrs this year) in center, and LaRoche at first.
Hank Aaron
April 26th, 2010
11:39 am
“Real” Men know who to use their bats…
the Braves hitters are all sissys…
Ted M
April 26th, 2010
11:39 am
bravesfan – Is that true? Where did you hear that?
Let's Go Bravos!
April 26th, 2010
11:40 am
maybe it’s the coaching that is causing this. Maybe when players are in Atlanta, they don’t have to work as hard as they do in other organizations!
Henry D
April 26th, 2010
11:40 am
This is a result of Cox’s spring training method of let’s see how much golf and off days everyone can work in while in Florida. He got by with it when Smoltz, Glavine and Maddox were here. but not anymore. I heard he finally shut the clubhouse door and reamed some butt. That should have happened two or three years ago. This team is soft and know there will be no repurcussions from their lack of effort.
Chip
April 26th, 2010
11:40 am
Just a random thought…Am I the only person who thinks that Rafael Belliard juiced during his time with the Braves?
Phil
April 26th, 2010
11:41 am
“TP will not be our next manager. Even Frank Wren can get this one right”.
Are you sure about that? I’m not.
Bill
April 26th, 2010
11:41 am
The Blog is running about 95% to blame TP and Mgr. Why not add a poll Mark.
Chip, You know the Braves have not won crap since Leo’s been gone…thats a fact.
Mark you never answered the Question on TP..Yes or No should he go. I bet you say No. Thats the ajc way.
I believe Management don’t give a damn what fans want. Whats your opinion?
Same as last season
April 26th, 2010
11:41 am
carlchamblee – I agree with your comment. Wren got scared and tried to over compensate in the 2008 offseason by bringing in a lot of pitching (Vasquez, Lowe, Kawakami) and neglecting the offense. They paid way too much for Lowe & Kawakami. Lowe is nothing better than a 4th or 5th starter at this point, and Kawakami is better suited for relief – he doesn’t have the stamina to last more than 4 innings.
Fire Frank Wren
April 26th, 2010
11:41 am
Frank can take Terry Pendleton when he goes… Hasta la vista.
bignel
April 26th, 2010
11:41 am
MR. obvious and kong you guys are just racist. i just cant believe that now you are now talking bad about clayton and dekalb county schools just like you want to fire TP because he is black
heartofdarkness
April 26th, 2010
11:43 am
It is highly unlikely anyone blogging online will have much of an idea how effective a hitting coach at the professional level is. Hitting coaches can break down mechanics, review videos of player’s at bats during games and design drills to reinforce reflexes. They can talk psychology and how to instill confidence at the plate. They create an atmosphere where it is possible to succeed, but they can’t force success. If they could, hitting coaches would be paid like players and players would be paid like hitting coaches. Baseball can be a tough game on people who try too hard. My recollections of Terry Pendleton go back to when he first came over to the Braves after many successful years with the Cardinals. The Braves became a more competitive team with his arrival. I compare his joining the Braves to Frank Robinson’s joining the Orioles in the mid-sixties where a good team found the ability at the outset to play at a higher level.
Coaches don’t have the same effect on a team that players do, but I doubt TP has forgotten what it takes to be successful in this game.
And the Braves will hit when their hitters become confident they will hit. Sorry, no easy answers.
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
April 26th, 2010
11:43 am
TP is a problem, he should have been gone yrs ago. Can someone tell me one player that has gotten better with TP as his hitting coach? …………. Didn’t think so. Maybe he’ll be a good manager, but as a hitting coach Helen Keller would be an improvement.
coach k
April 26th, 2010
11:44 am
its time to move infante in the lineup everyday. Put him at 3rd move chipper to first. start diaz in left and bring schaeffer up and blow out glaus, melky nate and while the bus is rolling make sure TP is on board. Wasting too much good pitching with no hitting and this team and us deserve more.
BravesHeroZero
April 26th, 2010
11:44 am
Why is Prado hitting? Heyward? Why did Andruw Jones nearly win an MVP 5-6 years ago?
Why have the Braves never really hit when it counts the most (with other hitting coaches)? The 90s? World Series?
Why did Smotlz, and Glavine hit so well?
Sometimes, when players are rejected from a good situation, their egos are challenged, and they perform better elsewhere for a short time until they feel comfortable again.
Players seem to be too comfortable in Georgia…
Angus
April 26th, 2010
11:44 am
Thinking about the Braves woes, honestly, TP isn’t in my top 5. I’m unsure of the order of importance, but top 5 problems:
- Chipper’s age
- Yunel’s head
- Glaus’s everything
- lack of a lead-off hitter (I vote for Infante)
- overall lack of team athleticism (primarily, the ability to run faster than molasses)
Mark Wohlers
April 26th, 2010
11:44 am
Can’t blame me for this one…
Gary
April 26th, 2010
11:45 am
Bill, Leo leaving is not the reason for the lack of success. 2005 is also the season Furcal left and the Braves have yet to replace him at the top of the lineup. Outside of 2006 and the injuries of late 2008, the pitching has not been the reason for the Braves demise. The problem is scoring runs and that usually starts at the top of the lineup. When Furcal was on, the Braves racked up the runs. Since he left, runs are hard to come by.
Terry pendelton here
April 26th, 2010
11:45 am
i can’t do but one thing at a time guys darnit! I’m trying to help nate and troy and they both suck so bad i don’t have time to help esco and everybody else. I let them play video games to get there hand eye coordination down pact. then it’s c the ball hit the ball. I know what I’m doing it’s the freaking retards I’m coaching that need to b replaced. who else would start troy???? And melky lol freaking yankee
Chip
April 26th, 2010
11:45 am
I’m pretty sure that TP is Hank’s choice for replacing Cox….We’ll see.
Eddie
April 26th, 2010
11:46 am
I don’t think it’s Pendleton’s fault that the players are not hitting, but I do think it has something to do with the organization, and the way that the club house is managed.
That being the case all of management has to take some of the responsibility, but most of it should be placed on the players.
They’re pofessionals, that are being compensated to perform. If they’re not getting the necessary help from Pendleton, then it’s to their advantage to do what needs to be done o get better.
When their contracts are over, they’re not going to reference Pendleton as the reason for their successes or for their failures.
Casey
April 26th, 2010
11:46 am
@Bat Masterson (wanabe)
You are an A$$HOLE!!! This blog is for Braves fans. Go find a Phillies or Mets blog, you poser!
Same as last season
April 26th, 2010
11:46 am
Phil……actually according to CBS Sports, the Braves have the 15th highest payroll for 2010. It is listed at a little more than $84million. They are only $50million away form having the lowest payroll, but $120million away from having the highest.
Ted M
April 26th, 2010
11:47 am
bravesfan – I’m really interested in the origin of your story. Please spill
bro
April 26th, 2010
11:47 am
Problem is TP and COX. Braves have not been a real good hitting team since TP became the BC. Cox is constantly going to the lefty/righty thing and thus his team has no consistence. It is a great big mess of in and out, in and out. No one really knows when or if they are going to play. He does not always instill confidence in younger players and he continues to play the vets no matter how bad they are. Hayward is only on the team because he had no other options. You can praise Cox all you want, and he was a good manager-not great for years, but it is well past time for his old school ways to be gone. The young players do not really appreciate or understand his ways and methods. It is time for a real manager and not a players manager. The Falcons had one of those-Mora.
Benjamin
April 26th, 2010
11:48 am
MB, if you’re at the shootaround, ask Josh what he thinks of all the rancor they’re trying to stir in Milwaukee over his comments? I was watching the Brewers on their local sports channel the other day and the BASEBALL announcers took several jabs at him.
Personally, I don’t think he said anything others haven’t voiced in the past — lol — Milwaukee isn’t exactly an ideal destination for athletes. In terms of NBA play, it’s got to be right there with Sacramento…