data.3news-bydate.train.rec.sport.baseball.104742 Maven / Gradle / Ivy
From: [email protected] (Ken Kubey)
Subject: Re: HBP? BB? BIG-CAT?
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In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (David M. Tate) writes:
>[email protected] (Ken Kubey) said:
>
>>And finally, I'd like to point out that many high OBP guys draw
>>their walks more because pitchers are afraid to throw a strike
>>to them, than because they have a great "eye"
>
>I'm not sure. I used to think this was true, but more and more I'm becoming
>convinced that it's the other way around: among players with the physical
>ability to hit the ball real hard, the patient ones are the ones who get the
>chance to do it a lot.
>
>Let's break down the four basic categories of hitter, according to whether
>they are power threats and whether they walk a lot:
>
>
> Power No Power
>
> Patient Frank Thomas Brett Butler
> Barry Bonds Ozzie Smith
> Mark McGwire Craig Grebeck
> Babe Ruth Miller Huggins
> Ted Williams Billy Hamilton
> Rickey Henderson Eddie Joost
> Joe Morgan Mike Hargrove
> . .
> . .
> . .
>
> Impatient Ernie Banks Ozzie Guillen
> Dave Kingman Shawon Dunston
> Joe Carter Andres Thomas
> George Bell Jose Lind
> Kirby Puckett Devon White
Okay, I think we all agree that singles hitters should take a
strike or two and try to get on base any way they can.
So the "No Power/Impatient" guys have no excuse.
The "No Power/Patient" guys are doing the right thing.
Now the "Impatient/Power" guys (how could you leave out the Big Cat?).
Would these guys have a better slugging percentage if they took
more pitches? Perhaps, but I doubt it. If you tell Joe Carter
to go up there and take a few pitches, he will draw more walks, but
he also won't hit as many frozen ropes into the bleachers because
he is more likely to hold back on a pitch that he used to drive.
The "Patient/Power" guys? Joe Morgan had a small strike zone and
Rickey Henderson has "a strike zone the size of Hitler's heart"
so they get their walks based on the small zone.
Look at the other 5 guys: Thomas, Bonds, McGwire, Ruth and Williams. Wow!
A lot of pitchers would rather nibble at the corners and maybe
walk these guys that to throw a clear strike to them.
The pitchers would do better (in my opinion) by just coming after
them with a good fastball for a strike on the first pitch, but pitchers
would rather nibble, go 2-0 or 3-1 and then get hurt.
Ken Kubey [email protected] (415) 390-3536