What to do about the Braves Lineup
By Fred Owens
Bob posted a nice game review where he noted the inconsistency of our lineup this year – it was that way last year too but we were supposed to have fixed that this winter. One of the things I find odd is the reaction of fans in various blogs.
Towards the end of last year comments were rampant that Freeman should be called up and Lee not signed. When Freeman started slowly – as any fan with five minutes of baseball sense would expect at his age and experience level – may of the same people were begging for him to be benched in favor of Hinske.That makes no sense as Freeman has shown himself to be a gold glove caliber fielder and even while struggling was making solid contact and hitting lefties at about a 300 clip. In the last two weeks his line is .303/.410/.576/.986. He won’t stay that high all year but he’s settling in nicely thank you. That crisis having past the bloggers decided that Jason Heyward should replace a struggling Nate McClouth and hit second. Oddly enough last year many of those same folks were begging Bobby to move him into the 3,4,5 or 6 hole because “he’s a run producer.” That he is. In fact career numbers show he hits better in the 6 hole (.291/.418/.684/1.102) than in the 2 hole (.274/.383/.425/.808.) I have no trouble replacing Nate though he seems to be hitting well in the 8th spot since sliding down there, but I don’t think Heyward is the answer.
Last year Martin Prado and Omar Infante shared our leadoff man duties after Nate McClouth – the man GM Frank Wren traded for specifically to do that job – failed miserably. McClouth professed that he never considered himself a leadoff man and was in fact more comfortable in the two hole. Most of the year he found himself comfortably in Gwinnett. While neither Prado or Infante is prototypically a leadoff man, they each started 66 games in the leadoff spot and managed to get on base and in scoring position enough times to make the heart of the order look really bad when they didn’t drive them in.
With Infante gone to Florida and Dan Uggla in the fold Prado was given the leadoff spot once again. After a scorching spring training the new skipper gave McClouth his shot at the job – the job he said he was best suited for –, slotting him in behind Prado and ahead of the resurgent Chipper where he was guaranteed to see lots of fastballs. The hot spring swing vanished facing better pitching from more focused pitchers. His line so far as the two hitter .216/.286/.275/.560. That’s just not good enough and Fredi Gonzales had no choice but to move him down the lineup where as I noted earlier he seems to be doing better. Needing to fill that spot Skipper Gonzales put Heyward back at number two. Here’s where I disagree; Heyward was and is the wrong choice. He was already struggling to get off the mark this year hitting only .218. and since moving back to the 2 slot he’s hitting – in an admittedly small sampling – .118. Not only does this put more pressure on him, his power is and will be needed in a run producers slot; 3- through 6. Besides, the Braves have an experienced number two hitter with a career line of .257/.301/.409/.710 and enough extra base power to put one in the seats now and then and throw in a few doubles as well; Alex Gonzales.
I see from a Dave O’Brien tweet that AGon is hitting second today. I hope he produces well enough that the Skipper leaves him there. He’s not perfect for it, our best two hole hitter is and will be in the future Martin Prado. Prado has shown however he can leadoff well enough if the guy behind him does his job. Alex Gonzales is the best alternative available until we can get a real leadoff man and slide Prado into the 2 slot.
Note to the GM: Pick up the phone and make the call. There is a tried and superior leadoff man in his walk year out there. We have what that team needs without ruining our farm system. You said we had any money we might need and I think we can shift some cost depending on who we trade. So go ahead Frank, call Sandy Alderson today before we get too far behind the Phillies.