Saturday, March 04, 2006
Mailbag: Can Andruw do it again?
01/16/2006
Do you think Andruw Jones will be as explosive at the plate this season as last? We all know the glove will be there.-- Todd O., Sumter, S.C.
"Explosive", "electric", "sensational", "marvelous" and "wonderful" are all adjectives one could use to describe the season that Jones had last year. Unfortunately, and almost surprisingly, "inconsistent" could also be used by some to describe his MVP-caliber season.
The only reason that Jones didn't win the National League MVP Award is that most voters couldn't overlook the fact that he had a .263 batting average. Having watched him every day, I still can't understand how such a dominant force could have produced a statistic that implies inconsistency.
Heading into the 2005 season, Jones' goals weren't to lead the Majors with 51 homers or the National League with 128 RBIs; he wanted to find that level of consistency that has eluded him for most of his career.
Had he not endured an 0-for-27 stretch (six games and one at-bat in another) in April or finished the regular season with just six hits in his final 51 at-bats, that number would have been more telling of the consistently dominant season that he had.
Braves manager Bobby Cox has said on a couple of occasions that people can make statistics mean whatever they want. There's plenty of truth in that statement.
So let's go ahead and give Jones five more hits during both of his long slumps. Over the course of those 78 at-bats (the 27 at-bat drought and the 51 at-bat drought), he'd have hit just .128. But at the same time, those 10 extra hits would have been enough for him to raise his season batting average to .280.
If that had been the case, Jones likely would have been the NL MVP and Albert Pujols would have had himself yet another runner-up finish.
In other words, take away 21 games over the course of a 162-game season and Jones was as dominant as any player in baseball last year.
You ask, "Can he be just as explosive in 2006?" To that, I have to say, "Why not?"
He'll be just 29 years old in April, and he's seemingly in the prime of his career. That's not to say he's going to hit 51 homers and drive in 128 runs again this year, but even if he were to hit just 40 home runs, he could indeed have a season that could be deemed just as impressive.
Jones was able to register his career-high RBI total while hitting just .207 with runners in scoring position. With a little more consistency in those situations and another 10 hits scattered over the course of a six-month season, he may find himself capturing the MVP crown that slipped through his fingers at the end of last season.
What about Blaine Boyer as a possible closer? He put up good numbers in the bullpen last year and has the potential to be a promising closer.-- Jermaine M., San Diego
There aren't too many who would argue with that assessment. Boyer's 95 mph fastball provides him the electricity to possibly be a great closer someday. But it's far too early to put that type of preseason pressure on him.
Boyer didn't begin pitching until the final game of his high-school career, and he has just 43 career big-league appearances. But if there was a need for him and he was throwing as well as he did last August, when he began a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless outings, Boyer could certainly become a closer candidate during the season.
The Braves also have to make sure Boyer is healthy. All indications are that his right shoulder, which hindered him at the end of last season, has returned to full strength.
Some of the discomfort he felt could have been caused by fatigue. He began last season as a starter at Double-A Mississippi and didn't become a reliever until May. Just a few weeks later, he joined Atlanta's bullpen and was impressive enough to become a mainstay.
So while Boyer may indeed be a closer at some point in his career, it's far too early to place that tag on him now.
Why are we so concerned about a leadoff hitter when he is only the first batter of the first inning? Do you believe in the statement of a "true leadoff hitter"?-- No name listed, Statesville, N.C.
When you think of a leadoff hitter, you think of somebody who has good speed and the ability to get on base with great consistency. But let's not forget that there may never be another Rickey Henderson, and there are less conventional leadoff hitters who have had success in that role.
Some will say you may lead off an inning just once in the game. While that may be true, a leadoff hitter in the NL is very important because he might be able to spark a two-out rally after an opposing pitcher opens an inning by retiring the No. 8 hitter and pitcher.
A leadoff hitter is a table-setter for the big bats in the lineup. His ability to get on base with consistency gives them a chance to both come to the plate more often and have more RBI opportunities.
So, yes, I think it's vital to have a productive leadoff hitter. That's not to say that somebody like Marcus Giles, who may not be viewed as a traditional leadoff hitter, can't be successful in the role. In fact, Giles' baseball skills and savvy give him the ability to be every bit as successful in the role as Rafael Furcal was the last few years.
Which of the Braves' coaches will return this year? -- Gracie F., Athens, Ga.
Everybody will be back except for former pitching coach Leo Mazzone. He has been replaced by Roger McDowell.
Cox's staff will once again consist of Pat Corrales (bench coach), Bobby Dews (bullpen coach), Fredi Gonzalez (third-base coach), Glenn Hubbard (first-base coach), Terry Pendleton (hitting coach), Alan Butts (baseball systems operator) and Frank Fultz (strength and conditioning coach).
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
Do you think Andruw Jones will be as explosive at the plate this season as last? We all know the glove will be there.-- Todd O., Sumter, S.C.
"Explosive", "electric", "sensational", "marvelous" and "wonderful" are all adjectives one could use to describe the season that Jones had last year. Unfortunately, and almost surprisingly, "inconsistent" could also be used by some to describe his MVP-caliber season.
The only reason that Jones didn't win the National League MVP Award is that most voters couldn't overlook the fact that he had a .263 batting average. Having watched him every day, I still can't understand how such a dominant force could have produced a statistic that implies inconsistency.
Heading into the 2005 season, Jones' goals weren't to lead the Majors with 51 homers or the National League with 128 RBIs; he wanted to find that level of consistency that has eluded him for most of his career.
Had he not endured an 0-for-27 stretch (six games and one at-bat in another) in April or finished the regular season with just six hits in his final 51 at-bats, that number would have been more telling of the consistently dominant season that he had.
Braves manager Bobby Cox has said on a couple of occasions that people can make statistics mean whatever they want. There's plenty of truth in that statement.
So let's go ahead and give Jones five more hits during both of his long slumps. Over the course of those 78 at-bats (the 27 at-bat drought and the 51 at-bat drought), he'd have hit just .128. But at the same time, those 10 extra hits would have been enough for him to raise his season batting average to .280.
If that had been the case, Jones likely would have been the NL MVP and Albert Pujols would have had himself yet another runner-up finish.
In other words, take away 21 games over the course of a 162-game season and Jones was as dominant as any player in baseball last year.
You ask, "Can he be just as explosive in 2006?" To that, I have to say, "Why not?"
He'll be just 29 years old in April, and he's seemingly in the prime of his career. That's not to say he's going to hit 51 homers and drive in 128 runs again this year, but even if he were to hit just 40 home runs, he could indeed have a season that could be deemed just as impressive.
Jones was able to register his career-high RBI total while hitting just .207 with runners in scoring position. With a little more consistency in those situations and another 10 hits scattered over the course of a six-month season, he may find himself capturing the MVP crown that slipped through his fingers at the end of last season.
What about Blaine Boyer as a possible closer? He put up good numbers in the bullpen last year and has the potential to be a promising closer.-- Jermaine M., San Diego
There aren't too many who would argue with that assessment. Boyer's 95 mph fastball provides him the electricity to possibly be a great closer someday. But it's far too early to put that type of preseason pressure on him.
Boyer didn't begin pitching until the final game of his high-school career, and he has just 43 career big-league appearances. But if there was a need for him and he was throwing as well as he did last August, when he began a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless outings, Boyer could certainly become a closer candidate during the season.
The Braves also have to make sure Boyer is healthy. All indications are that his right shoulder, which hindered him at the end of last season, has returned to full strength.
Some of the discomfort he felt could have been caused by fatigue. He began last season as a starter at Double-A Mississippi and didn't become a reliever until May. Just a few weeks later, he joined Atlanta's bullpen and was impressive enough to become a mainstay.
So while Boyer may indeed be a closer at some point in his career, it's far too early to place that tag on him now.
Why are we so concerned about a leadoff hitter when he is only the first batter of the first inning? Do you believe in the statement of a "true leadoff hitter"?-- No name listed, Statesville, N.C.
When you think of a leadoff hitter, you think of somebody who has good speed and the ability to get on base with great consistency. But let's not forget that there may never be another Rickey Henderson, and there are less conventional leadoff hitters who have had success in that role.
Some will say you may lead off an inning just once in the game. While that may be true, a leadoff hitter in the NL is very important because he might be able to spark a two-out rally after an opposing pitcher opens an inning by retiring the No. 8 hitter and pitcher.
A leadoff hitter is a table-setter for the big bats in the lineup. His ability to get on base with consistency gives them a chance to both come to the plate more often and have more RBI opportunities.
So, yes, I think it's vital to have a productive leadoff hitter. That's not to say that somebody like Marcus Giles, who may not be viewed as a traditional leadoff hitter, can't be successful in the role. In fact, Giles' baseball skills and savvy give him the ability to be every bit as successful in the role as Rafael Furcal was the last few years.
Which of the Braves' coaches will return this year? -- Gracie F., Athens, Ga.
Everybody will be back except for former pitching coach Leo Mazzone. He has been replaced by Roger McDowell.
Cox's staff will once again consist of Pat Corrales (bench coach), Bobby Dews (bullpen coach), Fredi Gonzalez (third-base coach), Glenn Hubbard (first-base coach), Terry Pendleton (hitting coach), Alan Butts (baseball systems operator) and Frank Fultz (strength and conditioning coach).
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
