Uncategorized

Striking out

9 Comments

2nd inning, 0 outs, Runners on 1st and 2nd
Marcus Thames strikes out looking

2nd inning, 1 out, Runners on 1st and 3rd
Vance Wilson strikes out looking

3rd inning, 0 outs, Runners on 1st and 3rd
Brandon Inge strikes out swinging

3rd inning, 2 outs, Runners on 1st and 2nd
Marcus Thames strikes out swinging

Two early inning prime scoring chances in which the Tigers only managed 2 runs largely because hitters failed to put the ball in play.

The Tigers offensive woes continued this weekend as they managed to score a whopping 9 runs in 3 games, in the league’s most hitter friendly environment, against a team that just isn’t good. While the Tigers have lots of problems offensively, their biggest problem might be their propensity for striking out. More specifically, the problem is their propensity for striking out given that they don’t walk much nor do they hit for power.

The Tigers are striking out every 5.69 plate appearances, which is more frequently than any other team in the American League. Now that in itself isn’t necessarily bad. Texas strikes out the next most at 5.8 PA’s/K and yet they lead the league in run scoring. The difference is that Texas is a power hitting team, and the strikeouts are a byproduct of that power hitting. Texas leads the league in homers per game, and is second in the AL in team slugging percentage.

Detroit on the other hand is 10th in homers per game and 8th in team slugging percentage. Now the power game isn’t the only way to score runs, but it is an effective way. Because the Tigers aren’t a power hitting team, they rely on stringing hits together. Stringing hits together and advancing runners is tough when you fail to put the ball in play.

Placido Polanco should help to fix the situation as he is a contact hitter who only strikes out once every 46 at-bats 13.8 plate appearances (EDIT: I goofed, sorry). Unfortunately, he only gets to bat once every 9 times. The following table has the team’s PA/K:


NAME             PA/K
Marcus Thames     2.9
Carlos Pena       3.7
M. Ordonez        3.7
T. Giarratano     4.1
Jason Smith       4.4
Brandon Inge      5.0
Chris Shelton     5.3
B. Higginson      5.4
Dmitri Young      5.4
I. Rodriguez      5.6
Vance Wilson      6.0
Omar Infante      6.1
Craig Monroe      6.7
Nook Logan        6.8
C. Guillen        7.2
Rondell White     9.6
P. Polanco       14.0
R. Martinez      15.5

Marcus Thames is probably the most offensive rate on the team, and he furthered that number by striking out 4 times in 4 plate appearances today.

Until the Tigers can start putting the ball in play, or hitting a ton of home runs, or at least start walking a lot, the Tigers are going to have a hard time scoring runs. As was demonstrated this weekend when the Tigers struck out 23 times, it doesn’t matter how great of a hitter’s park you’re in when you swing and miss.

Other Stuff

  • In case you don’t read the Detroit News, each Sunday Lynn Henning has been running a series called Baseball 101. Earlier editions have focused mostly on the intricacies of MLB contracts (options, free agency, arbitration, etc.). Today was the first stat focused one with an introduction of OPS. It was a well written primer and I’m happy to see the mainstream media embracing some of these “new-fangled” stats and educating the broader public.

  • Saturday Ivan Rodriguez earned his first unintentional walk since May 6th. True, he swung and fouled off 3 other pitches that would have been ball four, but he made it to first.

  • Justin Verlander had another specatcular outing yesterday. He picked up his 8th win and pitched 7 innings allowing only six hits and one walk while striking out 10. Let’ hope he can avoid the fate that befell 2003’s first rounder Kyle Sleeth who underwent Tommy John surgery last week.

9 thoughts on “Striking out”

  1. This is completely off-topic, but but I’ve been wondering about something. All of the talk about Colorado being hitter friendly focuses on how far the ball carries after it’s hit. Has anyone bothered to see if it also has anything to do with a pitch not breaking as much as it would in other parks?

  2. I’ve heard that talked about as well, that since the air is thinner (ie less resistance) the breaking pitches don’t grab as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is true also. And with Coors, it’s not just that the ball carries, the park is quite big which means there is a lot of room for hits to drop in as well.

  3. Why does Tram always play Wilson on Sunday and give Pudge two days off? I would rather have Pudge out on Friday or Saturday. It seems we are always 1-1 going into Sunday and then Pudge is out, so we end up 1-2 for the weekend.

  4. Trams lineup decisions are really starting annoy me. Why the hell is he resting both Rondell and Pudge on the same day when we’re playing in a NL park? Chances are inclusion of one of those guys wouldn’t have tipped the scales in our favor–we did lose 7-3)but come on!!! This is the second sunday where I feel his lineup has basically conceded defeat going in. We’re struggling to hit as it is, we’re without a DH, and he decides its a good time to give our two hottest hitters the day off. Brilliant stuff.

  5. I know that Coors’ thin air was cited by Darryl Kile as why he struggled so much there – his big curve didn’t break nearly as much. Joey, I totally agree about the lineups. I understand the need to give Pudge days off, but he seems to rest almost everyone (often at the same time). And there’s something to be said for sometimes thinking, ‘Dammit, we need to win this series’ and getting everyone in there.

  6. I’m going to play devil’s advocate and suggest that maybe it’s better to rest everyone on the same day.

    With the Tiger’s offense as poor as it has been, we could very well lose every game that we rest a key player, so it might just be best to concede every Sunday game and just mail it in.

    I don’t necessarily believe that, but it’s a thought.

  7. You have to rest players, and I would rather rest them earlier in the season than later. Granted, the Tigers probably wont have meaningful games in September but there is nothing wrong with planning for a strong finish anyway.

    Rondell and Pudge are old, folks. They need rest.

  8. Not on the same day necessarily. Especially when you consider that we didn’t play the Thurday prior to the series or the Monday following it. 2 days off in 5 should be enough for Rondell unless he’s nursing something, which as far as I know, he isn’t.

  9. Well, there’s the rub. Given Rondell’s age and injury history (mostly leg problems, right?) he probably is nursing something. Whatever that is, it’s probably not enough to put him on the DL, but aches and pains have to be dealt with some way or another. Its a long season. Same for Pudge, and while taking two productive guys out of the lineup on the same day seems to be asking for it Tram may not have had many options. It’s tough to stomach as a fan, no doubt.

Comments are closed.