More from Dusty on OBP
From Rosecran’s blog:
Nothing too exciting with Dusty this morning. He did have another take on OBP, which I know the satheads will love to rail about, but he said a lot of times he thinks the reliance on OBP makes players less aggressive at the plate. He talked about how he’d like to see Joey Votto swing the bat more.
Votto took a called third strike on Wednesday.
“I really, really hate a called third strike on a fastball, it means either you’re guessing or you weren’t read to hit. That’s the only thing it can be.”
Ugh….Dusty, everyone can’t hit like Vladimir Guerrero.
March 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I think the entire thing he was saying was more about swinging at pitches in the zone more often and not taking called strikes as much.
I don’t think he was trying to tell the guys to swing at pitches out of the zone, which is something a guy like Vlad or Delmon Young will do just because unlike most, they can do things like that and still crush the ball.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
From that same blog entry:
“I heard George Foster talking to (Jay) Bruce yesterday on the bench. Bruce was asking him questions,” Baker said. “Dave Concepcion is coming in here, Doug Flynn is coming in, one of the best gloves around and he’s talking to our infielders. I love that. That’s how the Dodgers were. Imagine being in Dodger camp and talking pitching with Sandy Koufax and hitting and baseball with Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Clem Labine, (Carl) Erskine, Joe Black, (Don) Newcombe. It was a pleasure and a joy to hang out with those guys.”
I am so sick and tired of hearing about the Los freakin’ Angeles Dodgers. Will someone tell Dusty he’s not wearing blue anymore? I’d love to go a couple of days without hearing something about LA, or Hank Aaron, or base clogging; and if I never hear the word “presence” again (be it ‘mound’ or the ‘veteran’ variety)I could die a happy preach. It’s the beginning of March, and I’m sick of these things….it could be a loooonnnng season….
March 6th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
But Preach…that’s just the Dodger way.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Doug, coupled with is other comments about OBP, I don’t buy that. I don’t think he values walks, even though throughout most of his career, his OBP was pretty darn good, even when his average was nothing to write home about.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I don’t think Baker has a problem with walks, he had one of the best walkers in baseball history for 10 or so years in San Francisco. Bonds just was a great hitter and when you threw him a strike, he hit it. I really think that is what Baker wants, guys to swing at pitches in the zone and not take so many pitches that are in the zone.
Trust me, I can’t stand Baker or his OBP rants… I just don’t think this was one of them.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Dusty definitely sounds a bit confused here…wouldn’t it stand to reason that someone with a very good OBP probably isn’t the kind of hitter who takes a lot of called strike three’s to begin with?
I’m not a huge stat geek but they do tell the story on a player’s ability. Obviously someone batting .350 can go 0-4 with 3 strikeouts in any given game, but it’s not going to happen very often, which is why you want that batter at the plate as much as possible.
Personally, i see nothing wrong with taking ball four (unless Juan Castro is on deck), guys on base is a good thing.
Nobody likes it when someone strikes out looking, but it’s not always the batter’s fault, good pitching has to come into the equation as well.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Juan Castro on deck, of course to pinch-hit for Bruce, Griffey, or Dunn only. Ah, Narron…
March 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Maybe Dusty should learn the value of keeping his mouth shut. Maybe his nickname should be “Hollywood” because he sure likes the attention.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Would Duke Snider keep his mouth shut? What about Roy Campenella? Do you think Koufax would keep his mouth shut? Don’t get me started on Aaron, he was an honorary Dodger you know. C’mon, Jim, don’t forget the Dodger way…..
March 8th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Well, i agree with bringing in the former organizational ballplayers. it helps create a sense of history and tradition. Im sure Lenny Randle and Floyd Bannister are more than qualified to coach somewhere, but in Cincy Ron Oester and Tom Browning might provide a bigger bang.
Now “when i played the game” i hated two things more than anything else on the field. 1)making the last out in a game killed me 2)taking a third strike. sorry, gotta protect the dish with two strikes…he is absolutely correct. You’re not in the game mentally if you sit there with the bat on your shoulder