Chone Figgins is one of the laziest hitters in baseball
Ten games in the books? It's time to get mathematical!
So far, Mariner hitters have averaged 4.01 pitches per plate appearance, second-highest in the AL. That's the good news. The bad news is that the offense has been so lousy that they've nevertheless seen a below-average number of pitches per inning. Heroes: Milton Bradley (4.44), Chone Figgins (4.33), Franklin Gutierrez (4.29), and Casey Kotchman (4.18). Zeroes: Jack Wilson (3.25). Boy is this a lonely group.
Figgins has faced 186 pitches this year and swung at 55 of them. The 29.6% swing rate ranks fourth-lowest in baseball, which is no accident, as Figgins ranked sixth-lowest last year and third-lowest the year before. Figgins and Jose Lopez could not be less alike if they tried.
Wilson, who's terrible, leads the league in strikes seen, while Bradley comes in near the bottom. You know, it's amazing to me that Figgins is able to do so much more than Wilson at the plate despite offering even less power. Learn, Jack. It's never too late. The aggressive approach you have now clearly doesn't cut it.
Enjoy it while you can: Jason Vargas is tied for the second-best K/BB in baseball despite throwing the sixth-slowest average heater. The biggest reason why? His excellent changeup, which he's thrown more often than all but two other pitchers in the league. That changeup is a wonderful, wonderful pitch, and based on nothing, I think I'd much rather have a great change than a great breaking ball. Even if you don't throw a great breaking ball, you'll still have an advantage over same-handed hitters, so having a weapon you can throw to opposite-handed hitters whenever you want is huge. Protects you from having your weaknesses exploited. I don't love Vargas or think he'll deliver us a championship or anything, but he's a damn useful starter.
After two starts, Felix Hernandez's groundball rate is as high as it was when he was a rookie. Yeah, it's only two starts, but I still can't believe what he did to the A's. The A's are not a groundball-hitting team, but Felix didn't give them a chance to do anything else.
Casey Kotchman's early groundball rate is right on top of his career mark. I hate the hit-and-run - I hate it so much - but if Wak's insistent on giving Kotchman a lot of time in the #3 slot, then if he's ever going to hit-and-run, he'll probably want to do it with Ichiro and/or Figgins on base, fewer than two outs, and Kotchman at the plate. It could save a lot of heartache.
On the bright side, we don't have to put up with EVERYONE wearing number 42.
And every single between-pitch color commentary bit talking about Jackie Robinson and the color barrier and how everyone not white playing baseball today is all thanks to him.
It just seems so lacking in thought to me, honestly
it’s like giving someone a gift card for their birthday – thanks for the gift, but how much thought did this really take/it would have been so much more meaningful if you had gotten me something personalized.
With this, it’s like “hey, let’s just have all the players do it to show we are SUPER SUPER SUPER supportive of this” rather than only having a few players do it to recognize the uniqueness of the accomplishment. Getting to wear #42 should be a privilege, not something mandated by the league once a year.
Integration was happening with or without Robinson. Robinson was just the fortunate first by the amount of, what, a couple months? The integration of the minor leagues insured that someday a black player would be called up, especially given the Civil Rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s.
I’m not trying to diminish Robinson’s on-field accomplishments, or his place as a symbol, but at some point you move from respect to deification. MLB crossed that line a long time ago.
But it had to start somewhere, whether it was Jackie in 1947, or someone else ten years later. What he went through to do what he did is reason enough for me that celebrating April 15 is always important.
Look at all the shit Jackie Robinson took on a daily basis
from other players, fans, and hotels/restaurants in road-trip cities, and tell me that he doesn’t deserve to be deified for what he did and how successfully he did it. If he had been a flop as a baseball player, it would have set the cause of integration back immeasurably, because it would have fueled the “we told you they weren’t good enough to play” cries. Instead, Robinson kept his head down, played great baseball, never fought back (either against players that slid into him studs-up, fans who shouted ignorant crap at him from the stands, or restaurants that refused to serve him), and stuck it out for years because he knew what was at stake, and for that he is a fucking hero.
Robinson was HUGE. He signed with the dodgers even before Truman integrated the armed forces.
He had the entire nation’s attention (baseball was somewhere close to as popular back then as the Superbowl is today, given the lack of diversification in media and other professional sports leagues.) Momentum really is a huge key to large social movements like this. Robinson’s failure would’ve been a tremendous blow to the Civil Rights movement and the cause of integration. He affected American life in a way no other athlete has ever come close to.
They’re absolutely massive and feel like a top hat. That and the changes to them have made me in-between sizes now after I was a solid 7 1/8 until 2006ish
But I haven’t seen League pitch yet (had to hit the hay last night) so I’m withholding final judgment. Basically, League’s going to have to be a knockout closer for me to like it.
League would be a better closer than Aardsma. His fastball has more horizontal movement than the best starters in the game.
He’s filthy. But that still wouldn’t make me like it. The top five most valuable closers over the last three years have been worth between 4.7 5.2 WAR cumulatively.
If Morrow turns into even a league average starter, over three years, he moves past the most valuable reliever by almost a full win.
We are on pace for 65 home runs!
Dewey N - April 15, 2010
Chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga
Jeff Sullivan - April 15, 2010
We're also on pace to prevent a lot of jerking off this year!
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
Or a lot of lying about not jerking off.
ToddK - April 15, 2010
Last year Jack Wilson hit two home runs over 400 feet
Dewey N - April 15, 2010
But that's only an average of 200 feet per home run
killer_ewok18 - April 15, 2010
Not to mention an abysmal HR/9 rate
pdb - April 15, 2010
Guti at 4.29 pitches/AB?
I know, SSS, but I’m liking his approach at the plate so far. It seems like he’s taken another step forward in becoming an above average hitter.
wyte_lightning - April 15, 2010
I'm reminded how much off-days suck
killer_ewok18 - April 15, 2010
A whole day without a Guti sighting.
It really can’t get worse.
the other side - April 15, 2010
On the bright side, we don't have to put up with EVERYONE wearing number 42.
And every single between-pitch color commentary bit talking about Jackie Robinson and the color barrier and how everyone not white playing baseball today is all thanks to him.
harkening - April 15, 2010
But the Mariners are celebrating it tomorrow
so we won’t miss out on the celebration.
seattle_since_81 - April 15, 2010
I hate it when things that are true keep getting talked about!
pdb - April 15, 2010
I really wish they wouldn't all wear #42 though
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
.
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2009/4/15/839584/4-15-open-game-thread-part-2#14255160
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
I hope this is the comment I think it is.
BrianL - April 15, 2010
Awww it's not.
However there’s this highlight!
BrianL - April 15, 2010
.
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2009/4/15/839584/4-15-open-game-thread-part-2#14257334
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
This thread was a gold mine
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2009/4/15/839584/4-15-open-game-thread-part-2#14258949
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
`
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2009/4/15/839637/4-15-open-game-thread-part-3#14259690
BrianL - April 15, 2010
Yeah, I'm not thrilled about the everyone-wearing-42 thing particularly
but I have a hard time complaining about something that represents such a huge shift in American societal nature.
pdb - April 15, 2010
It just seems so lacking in thought to me, honestly
it’s like giving someone a gift card for their birthday – thanks for the gift, but how much thought did this really take/it would have been so much more meaningful if you had gotten me something personalized.
With this, it’s like “hey, let’s just have all the players do it to show we are SUPER SUPER SUPER supportive of this” rather than only having a few players do it to recognize the uniqueness of the accomplishment. Getting to wear #42 should be a privilege, not something mandated by the league once a year.
seattlebruin - April 15, 2010
Except it's not true.
Integration was happening with or without Robinson. Robinson was just the fortunate first by the amount of, what, a couple months? The integration of the minor leagues insured that someday a black player would be called up, especially given the Civil Rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s.
I’m not trying to diminish Robinson’s on-field accomplishments, or his place as a symbol, but at some point you move from respect to deification. MLB crossed that line a long time ago.
harkening - April 15, 2010
Still, someone has to be the first one to cross the line
and that is admirable
Bearskin Rugburn - April 15, 2010
Eventually yes, it would have happened
But it had to start somewhere, whether it was Jackie in 1947, or someone else ten years later. What he went through to do what he did is reason enough for me that celebrating April 15 is always important.
E-Lizz - April 15, 2010
Larry Doby went through just as much, if not worse given the lack of media attention.
Out of respect for the “no politics” rule of this site, I am going to drop this topic with one parting thought:
Drawing attention to race only increases the likelihood of erecting barriers between them.
harkening - April 15, 2010
Look at all the shit Jackie Robinson took on a daily basis
from other players, fans, and hotels/restaurants in road-trip cities, and tell me that he doesn’t deserve to be deified for what he did and how successfully he did it. If he had been a flop as a baseball player, it would have set the cause of integration back immeasurably, because it would have fueled the “we told you they weren’t good enough to play” cries. Instead, Robinson kept his head down, played great baseball, never fought back (either against players that slid into him studs-up, fans who shouted ignorant crap at him from the stands, or restaurants that refused to serve him), and stuck it out for years because he knew what was at stake, and for that he is a fucking hero.
pdb - April 15, 2010
Larry Doby.
harkening - April 15, 2010
Rightfully or not, Jackie Robinson was the first
Not to mention, the day is more about what Robinson represents. People don’t tend to enjoy celebrating trials; they enjoy celebrating victory.
The fact of the matter is, looking back, April 15th, 1947 is considered a huge victory for the game of baseball and the country itself.
cwel87 - April 15, 2010
Robinson was HUGE. He signed with the dodgers even before Truman integrated the armed forces.
He had the entire nation’s attention (baseball was somewhere close to as popular back then as the Superbowl is today, given the lack of diversification in media and other professional sports leagues.) Momentum really is a huge key to large social movements like this. Robinson’s failure would’ve been a tremendous blow to the Civil Rights movement and the cause of integration. He affected American life in a way no other athlete has ever come close to.
Decatur - April 15, 2010
The walks are nice
But I feel like a big part of that has been Sheets, Gonzalez, and a still shaky Oakland pen. Seems like they didn’t walk much in Texas.
Bearskin Rugburn - April 15, 2010
Yeah, there are all kinds of problems caused by the fact that it's been ten games against two teams
But still.
Jeff Sullivan - April 15, 2010
Oh yeah hey
at least they are capable of patience.
Bearskin Rugburn - April 15, 2010
Brandon Morrow looks like he just came out of a horror movie
SeaKoala - April 15, 2010
"I think I'm gonna be sick."
“I’m a Toronto Blue Jay.”
killer_ewok18 - April 15, 2010
"Oh my god. That's what it looks like when I pitch."
Rich Langford - April 15, 2010
I hate hate hate the way the New Era caps fit now
They’re absolutely massive and feel like a top hat. That and the changes to them have made me in-between sizes now after I was a solid 7 1/8 until 2006ish
Decatur - April 15, 2010
Ugh I know.
The 7 1/2 is like putting my head in a vice and the 7 5/8 feels enormous.
BrianL - April 15, 2010
In the same boat! But usually a 7 5/8 will fit better after I sweat in it a bit, heh.
sanford_and_son - April 15, 2010
Guess this means I'm not buying a new hat this year.
harkening - April 15, 2010
Dang. I was just thinking about buying a new hat.
Might have to reconsider or at least go try a few on first.
ABQmsFan - April 15, 2010
Guy looks dopesick.
That would explain a lot.
sanford_and_son - April 15, 2010
Boy looks like he is having a hypo.
EnglishMariner - April 15, 2010
Does Toronto require its players to bleach their skin even whiter?
JAH - April 15, 2010
He's in shock
His insulin was seized by customs after the trade, apparently
tootthekazoo - April 15, 2010
I wonder if Figgins should use a lighter bat. I mean, if it's that hard for him to take it off of his shoulder and all.
seattle_since_81 - April 15, 2010
No, no
He can keep that bat on his shoulder.
Watching him bat is the exact opposite of watching Yuni at the plate. Which is to say, incredibly entertaining.
cwel87 - April 15, 2010
How awesome was Brandon League yesterday?
JBell523 - April 15, 2010
Happy birthday Milton!
:-/ :-) :-/
Attractive Nuisance - April 15, 2010
It took me a second to figure out the meaning behind your emoticons.
Needless to say, when I figured it out, I rec’d them.
RunningFool - April 15, 2010
Where's the pedo wink?
Bearskin Rugburn - April 15, 2010
I'm really starting to like this Morrow trade more and more.
lmeyer40 - April 15, 2010
But... but... #2 starter potential...
killer_ewok18 - April 15, 2010
Still don't like it
Edgar for Pres - April 15, 2010
Nor I.
But I haven’t seen League pitch yet (had to hit the hay last night) so I’m withholding final judgment. Basically, League’s going to have to be a knockout closer for me to like it.
Bearskin Rugburn - April 15, 2010
League would be a better closer than Aardsma. His fastball has more horizontal movement than the best starters in the game.
He’s filthy. But that still wouldn’t make me like it. The top five most valuable closers over the last three years have been worth between 4.7 5.2 WAR cumulatively.
If Morrow turns into even a league average starter, over three years, he moves past the most valuable reliever by almost a full win.
This trade still makes me sad.
harkening - April 15, 2010
You can't honestly say that League is comparable to one of the top 5 closers in the game.
Edgar for Pres - April 15, 2010
Oh, i agree with you. nevermind.
Edgar for Pres - April 15, 2010
Well, i guess its your first claim I'm not sold on
Gotta see more
Bearskin Rugburn - April 16, 2010
The fact that Morrow is in Toronto's starting rotation
makes me still not like the deal. It just feels like League has to pitch amazing and Morrow horrible for the deal to work in our favor.
Edgar for Pres - April 15, 2010
Does this picture change your mind?
lmeyer40 - April 15, 2010
Actually, yes
Bearskin Rugburn - April 16, 2010
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