Time For A Change
I've spent a lot of time ripping on Chan Ho Park this season, but I need to give the man credit where credit is due. Park pitched one of his best games in recent memory on Saturday, even if he did almost become the answer to yet another trivia question after C.C. Sabathia's blast. I'm still going to dread every moment he's on the mound, but you have to give the man credit for having a pitchers duel with Sabathia.
On a less positive note, it's time to seriously consider ending the Blake DeWitt experiment. Look at his numbers at different points in the season.
March 31st - April 26th 64 PA .255/.359/.327
April 27th - May 17th 56 PA .404/.446/.750
May 18th - June 22nd 112 PA .212/.270/.257
The idea that Blake DeWitt is a productive major leaguer comes entirely from that 56 plate appearance stretch and his first three games where he was hitting .556. Outside of those 56 plate appearances DeWitt has been a sub replacement level player on a team that desperately needs offense. You can argue that DeWitt has earned the right to have a slump but at this point in his career, he's had over three times as many bad plate appearances as good ones, and the good ones have come in a sample size so small they can be easily written off as a fluke. Anyone can go out of their mind over the span of 56 plate appearances. Jose Castillo once had a 1.276 OPS in 83 PA. Chris Shelton put a 1.716 OPS in 54 PA, and neither of those guys has done anything productive since then.
The solution isn't to put DeWitt into a platoon with Andy LaRoche, or to move him to second to replace Jeff Kent, it's to get him off the active roster. DeWitt needs to go down to Vegas, continue the development that we rapidly accelerated, and start putting in serious time at second so he can be an option for next year. If DeWitt makes some improvements, he can be an option there instead of praying Furcal's back heals or throwing a massive wad of money at Orlando Hudson. Also remember Joe Torre is completely infatuated with DeWitt, and the only way to keep him from playing is to take him away.
Blake DeWitt's stock has risen in my eyes during his time in the bigs. The big knock against him coming into this year was a total lack of plate discipline and he's greatly improved that this year. DeWitt can still be a productive big leaguer in the future, it's just that no one thought that he would be in 2008, and those predictions were entirely right.
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Hard to argue with your analysis. It will say alot when Nomar is activated on who the Dodgers decide to send to AAA. The smart play says to send DeWitt to AAA to become a 2nd baseman, the Ned/Torre play remains to be seen.
Nice to see you give Chan Ho Park his due props. That was a great performance on Saturday. Have you noticed how his K rate is dramatically better when he starts?
by ToyCannon on Jun 23, 2008 10:45 AM PDT 0 recs
Park also has 18 K in his last 21 2/3 relief innings (about 7.5 K/9). He does seem to be a bit of a magician: 47 2/3 IP, 1.406 WHIP, 7 HR, but 154 ERA+. (Stranded all six inherited baserunners too*.) I was skeptical too, but he was hitting 94 on the Fox broadcast gun, so I’d rather watch Park have these shots than the departed Lollipop Loaiza. Saturday’s start was great, although on TV it seemed there were several outs that looked like hits off the bat, i.e., well struck. He’s certainly earned his $500,000.
The 49 guys who had a 50+ IP season with 1.4 WHIP or higher, ERA+ 150 or higher. Middle reliever city for the most part (Andy LaRoche’s dad is in there):
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/usfM
- two-out bases-loaded groundout, one-out bases-loaded GIDP by a pitcher.
by El Lay Dave on
Jun 23, 2008 1:55 PM PDT
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Interesting. I typed three asterisks with no spaces for that footnote indicator. Got a single asterisk in the text and the bullet for the footnote. Little did I know.
by El Lay Dave on
Jun 23, 2008 1:57 PM PDT
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NOT TIME FOR A CHANGE YET.
Not time for a change yet. When Andy’s and Blakes batting averages are equivilant, maybe. Are you assuming that DeWitt can’t bounce back? All he has to do is quit wrapping the bat on his load.
by 68elcamino427 on Jun 23, 2008 10:01 PM PDT 0 recs
DeWitt has been terrible for over 75% of his career now. All he can cling to is that one stretch.
Co-Author Of The Fourth Most Popular NL West Based Blog On SBN
by Andrew on
Jun 23, 2008 10:34 PM PDT
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Cant buy this argument
This is too much like the “Choi only had 1 good week”, therefore lets not count those games.
All games count.
And even Dewitt’s .359 OBP during the 1st stretch you sight isnt too bad.
The main problem with Blake is he hasnt walked very much the last several weeks.
But i’d keep him in there.
by Joey Joe on Jun 24, 2008 10:34 AM PDT 0 recs
Choi at least had a decent line overall and his bad periods weren’t nearly as bad. He had a .733 OPS pre home run binge and a .715 after. Certainly not good, but not nearly as bad as DeWitt’s bad stretches.
DeWitt is hitting .268/.335/.391 overall, and no one expected him to be ready at this point. Conventional wisdom was right.
Co-Author Of The Fourth Most Popular NL West Based Blog On SBN
by Andrew on
Jun 24, 2008 11:33 AM PDT
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For some reason, I just can't resist
“DeWitt is hitting .268/.335/.391”
Pierre: 2005 – 2008: .287 .330 .361
by El Lay Dave on
Jun 24, 2008 5:36 PM PDT
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Over Kent?
The solution isn’t to put DeWitt into a platoon with Andy LaRoche, or to move him to second to replace Jeff Kent, it’s to get him off the active roster.
Jeff Kent has been putting up a .255/.294/.416 line. DeWitt at .268/.335/.391 is still the more productive hitter just going by OPS, not factoring that ta point of OBP is more valuable than a point of SLG. As for defense, Kent has set the bar low. I dread the Nomar-Kent middle infield possibility, if Nomar ever stops hurting himself.
But seriously, a sub. 300 OBP is really bad, unless you’re Marcus Thames.
by StolenMonkey86 on Jun 24, 2008 3:39 PM PDT 0 recs
I forgot to mention that Kent’s PrOPS is 50 points higher. He also wouldn’t benefit from time in the minors.
Co-Author Of The Fourth Most Popular NL West Based Blog On SBN
by Andrew on
Jun 24, 2008 4:24 PM PDT
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Re: Choi and Joey Joe
In 95 games/340 PA with the Marlins (Choi’s first season there), he hit .270/.388/.495. Then he got traded.
That’s longer than DeWitt. Jus’ sayin.
by fanerman on Jun 24, 2008 5:58 PM PDT 0 recs
Dewitt has done far and away, better and more than expected. Now is the time to get him back to Vegas for the experience he needs. He’s currently not helping himself or the LAD
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by Bluetrain on Jun 25, 2008 5:17 AM PDT 0 recs
so what do you suggest?
Who’s going to play at 3rd if not Dewitt? LaRoche still hasn’t proven anything yet and
Garciaparra can’t stay healthy. So who do we replace him with?
by CSon on Jun 27, 2008 6:07 PM PDT 0 recs




