i'm not ever going to be able to just document Brantley's numbers
without long-winded explanations am i? well let's get into it. as i've
already blogged, Brantley was told on May 1 that that would be his final
game as our regular leadoff hitter. from then on, Johnny Damon would
join the club and be the leadoff man, a decision i myself can say i knew
was going to be a fail from the jump. Brantley was still leading off in
the games that Damon sat out, but those games would only be a few
before Manny once again decided to change the leadoff situation.
those who remember, and check my April blog if you do not, know that Michael was finally starting to get himself turned around in the leadoff spot right before Manny made the first move. i felt it was irresponsible to rip Michael out of that spot and replace him with someone who hadn't even played Triple A ball yet. not to mention, Damon is not going to be on our team next year, unlike Brantley, so why make that move? when Damon was leading off, Brantley took over the 7th spot in the order. and after a forgivable adjustment period, he did fairly well in that spot. Manny said he liked Michael there because it'd give him RBI opportunities. so what happened next, as Michael is finally getting that batting average up? Manny realizes the Damon experiment is not working. and instead of letting Michael get back into the leadoff flow, Manny decided that Choo would be the better option.
Choo? why? because despite his struggles, he still had a high on base percentage apparently. since Choo's been leading off, he's been hitting well. i always say, if you have a guy hitting that well, you'd benefit having that bat lower in the order to drive in more runs. but Manny insists that Choo is perfect at the top cause he's an RBI guy. how's that now? and how does that differ from when Michael led off? your guesses are as good as mine.
now that Choo is leading off, Brantley, for the most part, bats 6th. when Hafner got a day off, he would bat 5th. and when Cabrera was out, he hit 2nd for a few games. when he first started batting 6th, his numbers were not good at all. did he need yet another adjustment period? i can't imagine it's easy to come in to work every day and honestly not know where you're going to be in the lineup after for the majority of your career you knew you were leading off. is it just coincidence or bad timing re: opponents that he doesn't hit as well in the 6th spot? i feel bad for him, and of course i would, but there's nothing that can be done about it now and he's just going to have to figure it out for himself.
and i know how Tribe fans are. they love the numbers. so nobody other than myself is going to look at Michael's May or April/May #s combined so far and cut him some slack. guy's been moved around so much, which he's not used to, and in baseball regularity/repetition does play an important part in the game. but the fans will look at the batting average and claim to be right about proclaiming that he's an average/mediocre player at best. it's unfortunate that he started the season out slow, but he improved a lot in May. his batting average jumped up .040 this month and he's currently riding a 9-game hitting streak. i think fans would agree that that is pretty damn good. and i expect improvement to continue.
now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his May #s, the May leadoff/overall leadoff #s, the 7th spot #s, the 6th spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 2 spot #s, and the #s of everything not leadoff combined. i will include his overall #s so far here as well. who else does this? #1 fan in the house lol
May batting average: .296
OBP: .308
SLG: .391
OPS: .699
Michael played in 29 (of 30) games in May. he started and played center in all 29 games.
Michael led off 4 games.
Michael bat 7th in 10 games.
Michael bat 6th in 9 games.
Michael bat 5th in 3 games.
Michael bat 2nd in 3 games.
in May, Michael had a total of 117 plate appearances and 115 at bats. here is how he fared:
34 hits
24 singles
9 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
16 RBIs
15 runs scored
2 walks
10 strikeouts
7 stolen bases (caught stealing twice)
6 first at bat hits
May batting average: .296 (34-115)
now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.
when Michael led off in May, he had a total of 17 plate appearances and 17 at bats in 4 games.
3 hits
2 singles
1 double
1 RBI
2 runs scored
1 caught stealing
May batting average leading off: .176 (3-17)
overall batting average in the leadoff spot for 2012: .237 (22-93). (assuming he never bats there again.)
when Michael was not leading off in May, he had a total of 100 plate appearances and 98 at bats in 25 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
31 hits
22 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
15 RBIs
13 runs scored
2 walks
10 strikeouts
7 stolen bases (caught stealing once)
6 first at bat hits
May batting average everywhere other than lead off: .316 (31-98)
now let's break these non-leadoff numbers down even further.
when Michael bat 7th in May, he had a total of 41 plate appearances and 41 at bats in 10 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
14 hits
9 singles
5 doubles
0 triples
0 home runs
7 RBIs
4 runs scored
0 walks
3 strikeouts
0 stolen bases (caught stealing once)
4 first at bat hits
May batting average in the 7th spot: .341 (14-41)
when Michael bat 6th in May, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 34 at bats in 9 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
8 hits
6 singles
2 doubles
0 triples
0 home runs
1 RBI
4 runs scored
1 walk
3 strikeouts
3 stolen bases
1 first at bat hit
May batting average in the 6th spot: .235 (8-34)
when Michael bat 5th in May, he had a total of 11 plate appearances and 11 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
5 hits
4 singles
0 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
1 RBI
1 run scored
0 walks
0 strikeouts
3 stolen bases
1 first at bat hit
May batting average in the 5th spot: .455 (5-11)
when Michael bat 2nd in May, he had a total of 13 plate appearances and 12 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
4 hits
3 singles
1 double
0 triples
0 home runs
6 RBIs
4 runs scored
1 walk
2 strikeouts
1 stolen base
May batting average in the 2nd spot: .333 (4-12)
now my game-by-game numbers and notes.
Game 19/Game 1, May 1: 0-4, fielder's choice, caught stealing. AVG: .237
(leading off)
^^prior to this game, Michael was informed that Damon would be taking over the leadoff spot, and i have to believe that news affected his performance^^
Game 20/Game 2, May 2: 1-5, single, run scored. AVG: .235
(batting 7th)
Game 21/Game 3, May 3: 1-4, single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .236
(batting 7th)
Game 22/Game 4, May 4: 1-3, single (first at bat), caught stealing. AVG: .239
(batting 7th)
Game 23/Game 5, May 5: 2-5, double, single, run scored. AVG: .247
(leading off)
Game 24/Game 6, May 6: 0-4. AVG: .238
(batting 7th)
Game 25/Game 7, May 7 (Day game): 2-4, RBI single (first at bat), 2-run double, run scored. AVG: .248
(batting 7th)
Game 26/Game 8, May 7 (Night game): 1-4, RBI single, run scored. AVG: .248
(leading off)
Game 27/Game 9, May 8: 0-4. AVG: .239
(batting 7th)
Game 28/Game 10, May 9: 0-3. AVG: .233
(batting 7th)
Game 29/Game 11, May 10: 4-5, double (first at bat), run scored, 2-run double, single, single. AVG: .256
(batting 7th)
Game 30/Game 12, May 11: 2-5, RBI single, RBI single. AVG: .262
(batting 7th)
Game 31/Game 13, May 12: 0-4. AVG: .254
(leading off)
Game 32/Game 14, May 13: 3-4, double, single, double. AVG: .269
(batting 7th)
Game 33/Game 15, May 14: 0-4. AVG: .261
(batting 6th)
^^this is the day Manny decided Damon would no longer be leading off, and neither would Michael. he will now bat 6th unless Travis Hafner is not in the lineup^^
Game 34/Game 16, May 15: 2-4, triple, single, stolen base. AVG: .268
(batting 5th)
Game 35/Game 17, May 16: 2-3, double, RBI single, walk. AVG: .276
(batting 6th)
Game 36/Game 18, May 17: 0-5. AVG: .267
(batting 6th)
Game 37/Game 19, May 18: 0-4. AVG: .260
(batting 6th)
Game 38/Game 20, May 19: 0-3. AVG: .255
(batting 6th)
Game 39/Game 21, May 20: 1-4, single, stolen base, run scored, fielder's choice, run scored. AVG: .255
(batting 6th)
Game 40/Game 22, May 22: 2-4, single, stolen base, run scored, single, stolen base. AVG: .261
(batting 6th)
Game 41/Game 23, May 23: 1-3, double. AVG: .262
(batting 6th)
Game 42/Game 24, May 24: 2-3, single (first at bat), single, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .269
(batting 5th)
^^this is the game in which Michael tweaked his left ankle after stealing 2nd base^^
May 25: not in lineup
Game 43/Game 25, May 26: 1-4, 3-run double, run scored. AVG: .269
(batting 2nd)
Game 44/Game 26, May 27: 2-5, RBI single, RBI groundout, single, run scored. AVG: .272
(batting 2nd)
Game 45/Game 27, May 28: 1-3, fielder's choice, walk, run scored, RBI single, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .273
(batting 2nd)
Game 46/Game 28, May 29: 1-4, fielder's choice RBI, stolen base, single. AVG: .273
(batting 5th)
Game 47/Game 29, May 30: 2-4, single (first at bat), run scored, single. AVG: .277
(batting 6th)
^^Michael ends the month on a 9-game hitting streak^^
so far in 2012, Michael has a total of 201 plate appearances and 191 at bats in 47 (of 50) games. in total, he has 53 hits, 36 singles, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 home runs, 21 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 10 walks, 18 strikeouts, and 9 stolen bases (4 caught stealing).
season batting average: .277 (53-191)
OBP: .313
SLG: .377
OPS: .690
those who remember, and check my April blog if you do not, know that Michael was finally starting to get himself turned around in the leadoff spot right before Manny made the first move. i felt it was irresponsible to rip Michael out of that spot and replace him with someone who hadn't even played Triple A ball yet. not to mention, Damon is not going to be on our team next year, unlike Brantley, so why make that move? when Damon was leading off, Brantley took over the 7th spot in the order. and after a forgivable adjustment period, he did fairly well in that spot. Manny said he liked Michael there because it'd give him RBI opportunities. so what happened next, as Michael is finally getting that batting average up? Manny realizes the Damon experiment is not working. and instead of letting Michael get back into the leadoff flow, Manny decided that Choo would be the better option.
Choo? why? because despite his struggles, he still had a high on base percentage apparently. since Choo's been leading off, he's been hitting well. i always say, if you have a guy hitting that well, you'd benefit having that bat lower in the order to drive in more runs. but Manny insists that Choo is perfect at the top cause he's an RBI guy. how's that now? and how does that differ from when Michael led off? your guesses are as good as mine.
now that Choo is leading off, Brantley, for the most part, bats 6th. when Hafner got a day off, he would bat 5th. and when Cabrera was out, he hit 2nd for a few games. when he first started batting 6th, his numbers were not good at all. did he need yet another adjustment period? i can't imagine it's easy to come in to work every day and honestly not know where you're going to be in the lineup after for the majority of your career you knew you were leading off. is it just coincidence or bad timing re: opponents that he doesn't hit as well in the 6th spot? i feel bad for him, and of course i would, but there's nothing that can be done about it now and he's just going to have to figure it out for himself.
and i know how Tribe fans are. they love the numbers. so nobody other than myself is going to look at Michael's May or April/May #s combined so far and cut him some slack. guy's been moved around so much, which he's not used to, and in baseball regularity/repetition does play an important part in the game. but the fans will look at the batting average and claim to be right about proclaiming that he's an average/mediocre player at best. it's unfortunate that he started the season out slow, but he improved a lot in May. his batting average jumped up .040 this month and he's currently riding a 9-game hitting streak. i think fans would agree that that is pretty damn good. and i expect improvement to continue.
now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his May #s, the May leadoff/overall leadoff #s, the 7th spot #s, the 6th spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 2 spot #s, and the #s of everything not leadoff combined. i will include his overall #s so far here as well. who else does this? #1 fan in the house lol
May batting average: .296
OBP: .308
SLG: .391
OPS: .699
Michael played in 29 (of 30) games in May. he started and played center in all 29 games.
Michael led off 4 games.
Michael bat 7th in 10 games.
Michael bat 6th in 9 games.
Michael bat 5th in 3 games.
Michael bat 2nd in 3 games.
in May, Michael had a total of 117 plate appearances and 115 at bats. here is how he fared:
34 hits
24 singles
9 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
16 RBIs
15 runs scored
2 walks
10 strikeouts
7 stolen bases (caught stealing twice)
6 first at bat hits
May batting average: .296 (34-115)
now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.
when Michael led off in May, he had a total of 17 plate appearances and 17 at bats in 4 games.
3 hits
2 singles
1 double
1 RBI
2 runs scored
1 caught stealing
May batting average leading off: .176 (3-17)
overall batting average in the leadoff spot for 2012: .237 (22-93). (assuming he never bats there again.)
when Michael was not leading off in May, he had a total of 100 plate appearances and 98 at bats in 25 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
31 hits
22 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
15 RBIs
13 runs scored
2 walks
10 strikeouts
7 stolen bases (caught stealing once)
6 first at bat hits
May batting average everywhere other than lead off: .316 (31-98)
now let's break these non-leadoff numbers down even further.
when Michael bat 7th in May, he had a total of 41 plate appearances and 41 at bats in 10 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
14 hits
9 singles
5 doubles
0 triples
0 home runs
7 RBIs
4 runs scored
0 walks
3 strikeouts
0 stolen bases (caught stealing once)
4 first at bat hits
May batting average in the 7th spot: .341 (14-41)
when Michael bat 6th in May, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 34 at bats in 9 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
8 hits
6 singles
2 doubles
0 triples
0 home runs
1 RBI
4 runs scored
1 walk
3 strikeouts
3 stolen bases
1 first at bat hit
May batting average in the 6th spot: .235 (8-34)
when Michael bat 5th in May, he had a total of 11 plate appearances and 11 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
5 hits
4 singles
0 doubles
1 triple
0 home runs
1 RBI
1 run scored
0 walks
0 strikeouts
3 stolen bases
1 first at bat hit
May batting average in the 5th spot: .455 (5-11)
when Michael bat 2nd in May, he had a total of 13 plate appearances and 12 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
4 hits
3 singles
1 double
0 triples
0 home runs
6 RBIs
4 runs scored
1 walk
2 strikeouts
1 stolen base
May batting average in the 2nd spot: .333 (4-12)
now my game-by-game numbers and notes.
Game 19/Game 1, May 1: 0-4, fielder's choice, caught stealing. AVG: .237
(leading off)
^^prior to this game, Michael was informed that Damon would be taking over the leadoff spot, and i have to believe that news affected his performance^^
Game 20/Game 2, May 2: 1-5, single, run scored. AVG: .235
(batting 7th)
Game 21/Game 3, May 3: 1-4, single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .236
(batting 7th)
Game 22/Game 4, May 4: 1-3, single (first at bat), caught stealing. AVG: .239
(batting 7th)
Game 23/Game 5, May 5: 2-5, double, single, run scored. AVG: .247
(leading off)
Game 24/Game 6, May 6: 0-4. AVG: .238
(batting 7th)
Game 25/Game 7, May 7 (Day game): 2-4, RBI single (first at bat), 2-run double, run scored. AVG: .248
(batting 7th)
Game 26/Game 8, May 7 (Night game): 1-4, RBI single, run scored. AVG: .248
(leading off)
Game 27/Game 9, May 8: 0-4. AVG: .239
(batting 7th)
Game 28/Game 10, May 9: 0-3. AVG: .233
(batting 7th)
Game 29/Game 11, May 10: 4-5, double (first at bat), run scored, 2-run double, single, single. AVG: .256
(batting 7th)
Game 30/Game 12, May 11: 2-5, RBI single, RBI single. AVG: .262
(batting 7th)
Game 31/Game 13, May 12: 0-4. AVG: .254
(leading off)
Game 32/Game 14, May 13: 3-4, double, single, double. AVG: .269
(batting 7th)
Game 33/Game 15, May 14: 0-4. AVG: .261
(batting 6th)
^^this is the day Manny decided Damon would no longer be leading off, and neither would Michael. he will now bat 6th unless Travis Hafner is not in the lineup^^
Game 34/Game 16, May 15: 2-4, triple, single, stolen base. AVG: .268
(batting 5th)
Game 35/Game 17, May 16: 2-3, double, RBI single, walk. AVG: .276
(batting 6th)
Game 36/Game 18, May 17: 0-5. AVG: .267
(batting 6th)
Game 37/Game 19, May 18: 0-4. AVG: .260
(batting 6th)
Game 38/Game 20, May 19: 0-3. AVG: .255
(batting 6th)
Game 39/Game 21, May 20: 1-4, single, stolen base, run scored, fielder's choice, run scored. AVG: .255
(batting 6th)
Game 40/Game 22, May 22: 2-4, single, stolen base, run scored, single, stolen base. AVG: .261
(batting 6th)
Game 41/Game 23, May 23: 1-3, double. AVG: .262
(batting 6th)
Game 42/Game 24, May 24: 2-3, single (first at bat), single, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .269
(batting 5th)
^^this is the game in which Michael tweaked his left ankle after stealing 2nd base^^
May 25: not in lineup
Game 43/Game 25, May 26: 1-4, 3-run double, run scored. AVG: .269
(batting 2nd)
Game 44/Game 26, May 27: 2-5, RBI single, RBI groundout, single, run scored. AVG: .272
(batting 2nd)
Game 45/Game 27, May 28: 1-3, fielder's choice, walk, run scored, RBI single, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .273
(batting 2nd)
Game 46/Game 28, May 29: 1-4, fielder's choice RBI, stolen base, single. AVG: .273
(batting 5th)
Game 47/Game 29, May 30: 2-4, single (first at bat), run scored, single. AVG: .277
(batting 6th)
^^Michael ends the month on a 9-game hitting streak^^
so far in 2012, Michael has a total of 201 plate appearances and 191 at bats in 47 (of 50) games. in total, he has 53 hits, 36 singles, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 home runs, 21 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 10 walks, 18 strikeouts, and 9 stolen bases (4 caught stealing).
season batting average: .277 (53-191)
OBP: .313
SLG: .377
OPS: .690
No comments:
Post a Comment