Readers research: Walking the pitcher
Posted by Andy on May 14, 2011
Reader Will K. just emailed in to point out that Roy Halladay recently walked the opposing pitcher for the first time in his career. It happened the other day against Josh Johnson. Halladay has actually only faced the opposing pitcher 89 times in his career (thanks to mostly pitching in the AL) but that's still pretty impressive. (Aside: Halladay has also walked a pinch-hitter only once in 93 plate appearances.)
What other pitchers have walked the opposing pitcher very few times?
Incidentally, Will expressed frustration Over Jonathan Sanchez's performance in the same situation. Indeed, Sanchez has walked the opposing pitcher 13 times in 203 plate appearances.
May 14th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Carlos Silva, 1 walk in 82 PAs against pitchers.
May 14th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
On the other hand, is there ever a time where you would intentionally walk the pitcher? The 2005 NLCS comes to mind. Roger Clemens just had a 1-2-3 inning against the Cardinals after and was scheduled to lead off the next inning. If you walk Clemens, he would not get the rest he was expecting during the Astros' half of the inning, and he would be tired when he returned to the mound to face the Cards in the next inning, and might not last.
May 14th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Dan Haren: 1 walk per 106.5 PAs vs. pitchers (2 walks in 213 PAs).
David Bush: 1 walk per 93 PAs vs. pitchers (3 walks in 279 PAs).
-- Bush has held pitchers to an outstanding .085/.114/.138 line.
Non-pitchers, though: .278/.335/.470. Good luck in Texas, Dave.
May 14th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Are you suggesting that the Cards should have walked Clemens or just throwing that out there as an example? Because that would be nuts to intentionally walk any leadoff batter, much less an almost automatic out, w/Albert Pujols batting fourth in the inning.
May 14th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I am a huge Carlos Zambrano fan, and his hitting ability along with him being crazy are big reasons why. Z is probably the best hitting pitcher in baseball today, but even so he has only walked 8 times in his career. Compare that to the old time pitchers that were good hitters, Fergie Jenkins and Bob Gibson walked a bunch. Nolan Ryan was not a good hitting pitcher, but he walked 31 times in the 9 years he played for the Astros after coming over from the AL. The old time pitchers seem to make more contact also.
May 14th, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Rick Reed: 1 walk per 154.5 PAs vs. the pitcher (2 BB, 309 PA).
May 15th, 2011 at 12:10 am
Meanwhile, in Saturday's action,,,,
-- 14 games, 5 shutouts, including a pair of 1-0 games. Is it time to lower the mound yet? 🙂
-- Livan Hernandez had gone 226 starts since his last 1-0 loss, on June 11, 2004, for the Montreal Expos. Tonight, he fell to Anibal Sanchez on Mike Stanton's 7th-inning HR. There were 10 hits in the game.
-- 10 hits would have furnished a doubleheader in Dodger Stadium, where AZ rookie Josh Collmenter and 3 relievers combined on a 4-hit shutout, while Chad Billingsley allowed just 1 hit and an unearned run in 8 IP. Collmenter was making his first MLB start after 7 sharp relief outings; in 20 IP, he has allowed 2 runs on 10 hits and 1 walk. The run allowed by Billingsley was set up by his own throwing error. It was a bit of a border war for these pitchers: Billingsley is from Defiance, Ohio, while Collmenter hails from Homer, Michigan. ("M -- GO BLUE!") Andre Ethier drew a 9th-inning walk from J.J. Putz, to extend his on-base streak to 37 games and, by the way, push the tying run to 2nd base with 1 out, but Matt Kemp hit into a game-ending DP.
-- Ryan Vogelsong became the 1st pitcher in over a year to get credit for a shutout of less than 9 innings, as the Giants-Cubs game was called off in the 6th due to rain, with SF leading 3-0.
-- The Tigers won their 7th straight and moved to a season-high 4 games over .500 with a 3-0 win over KC at home. Brad Penny won for the 4th time in his last 5 starts; he has eased the fears from his rough start to the season (8.44 ERA after 4 games) by posting a 1.51 ERA in his last 5. There may still be a little concern over his low K rate; in those 5 games, Penny has just 10 Ks in 35 IP, and 23 Ks in 57 IP for the year. Jose Valverde is 10 for 10 in save chances.
-- The BoSox got their first shutout win in the new Yankee Stadium, 6-0, behind 6 workmanlike innings from Josh Beckett. The last time Boston won a shutout in the Bronx (2008 behind Jon Lester), the Yankee lineup included Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi and Melky Cabrera, with Andy Pettitte on the hill and Jorge Posada behind the plate. Times do change....
-- In games wherein both teams managed to tally, Toronto topped the Twins, 9-3 -- in 11 innings. Jose Bautista greeted reliever Jim Hoey with a 2-run shot (#13), setting off a 6-run jailbreak. Minnesota fell to 12-25, their worst start since 1995 and one loss shy of the club's worst start ever in the Twin Cities. Their bullpen ERA is 5.17. Bautista has 61 HRs in his last 162 games.
Good night, baseball!
May 15th, 2011 at 1:34 am
In Detroit's 22 wins, Austin Jackson has 18 K's, in their 18 loses, he has 32 K's! In the lead off spot. Strike outs, esp. in the leadoff spot, are a disease. Rickey Weeks, Micheal Borne, and Dexter Fowler have all hurt their teams more than they've helped this year, because they strike out so much in the leadoff spot.
May 15th, 2011 at 5:38 am
JA,
"Jose Bautista greeted reliever Jim Hoey with a 2-run shot (#13)"
I'm a bit surprised how little attention Jose's start to the season has garnered south of the (Canadian) border.
His approach at the plate and his swing both look quite sustainable over the season.
"Minnesota fell to 12-25, their worst start since 1995 and one loss shy of the club's worst start ever in the Twin Cities"
Brings to my mind the lengthy and heated discussion about expanded baseball post-season in another BRef blog.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/10800
So Minnesota is 8.5 games behind Detroit for the only wild card (this year!) as I type. They are basically out of it this season and what do their fans have to look forward to?
Bring on the second wild card team!
May 15th, 2011 at 6:15 am
@1: Carlos Silva, unemployed.
@7: I know, that this is far oversimplifying the matter, but it plays a huge part- take steroids out of the equation, and what do you know?????
@9: as a MN fan:(((( please please don't "Bring on the second wild card." God they are bad.
I still, all these years later, think that even the first wild card is not called for, and that the division winner, with the best record, should have a 1st round bye....sorry, but the wild card, does cheapen just as many races (involving superior teams, no less), as does it create. If another wild card is added, then I most probably will tune out the regular season, just as I do, all other sports.
May 15th, 2011 at 10:27 am
@10
"as a MN fan:....."
As a Blue Jays' fan, I feel your pain about the 2011 Twins. Heck, we haven't even had a sniff of the post-season since 1993.
I believe your team has been there 7 or 8 times in that span. And you can savour last year's remarkable comeback!
I didn't want to hijack the thread with my post, but merely wanted to point out how unforgiving the current post-season format is for slow-starting teams like Minnesota. Their 2011 season is rapidly losing meaning and they will be saying "Wait 'til next year" by the third week of May.
May 15th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
One of my favorite stats: Tom Glavine's career high for walks issued in a season is 97 in 2001, his career total for walks drawn is 101. I wonder how many other pitchers can claim this distinction.
(Glavine also drew 10 free passes in 2004, which seems like a huge total for a pitcher.)
May 15th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
@8 You can't seriously be lumping those leadoff guys all together. Weeks hits for power and draws walks in addition to striking out. Fowler, if nothing else, draws walks much better than Jackson, and Bourne, while better at walking than Jackson, though not at good as Weeks or Fowler, is an excellent base-stealer (14 for 14). All of those guys (except Jackson) are on pace to be worthy as a starter (2 WAR) from oWAR alone. Weeks is on pace to have a clear All-Star/weak MVP season.
May 15th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Strikeouts aren't a problem for a leadoff hitter as long as he gets on base at a good clip.
May 15th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
The best walk I've ever seen a pitcher receive live was at a 1999 Phillies game versus the Yankees. Hideki Irabu, who wanted no part of the AB (no stance, stood straight up away from the plate), was walked by Curt Schilling on 4 pitches. It only got better when he ran from 1st to 3rd after a Tony Tarasco double. Funny stuff.
May 15th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
@13 - What? Weeks has drawn 15 walks in 38 games with 40 K's. He's on pace to have 170 K's this year after having 184 last year. The Brewers are one of the biggest disappointments in baseball, and Weeks is a big reason why. He swings for the fence everytime. Batting Weeks in the LO spot in NL is a recipe for a losing season and the Brewers are on their way.
May 15th, 2011 at 11:40 pm
Ricky Weeks has a .364 OBP, plenty good for a leadoff hitter. He currently has an oWAR of 1.4, putting him on pace for an oWAR of 5.6, or 56 runs above average, both of which are impressive totals. A team with 9 hitters who hit like Ricky Weeks would win 70% of it's game, good for 102 wins. 25 of his Ks have come with zero men on base, meaning the impact of a strike out versus any other type of out is virtually nil. He has hit poorly with men on, even worse with RISP, which is likely a sample size issue but, assuming it is a true measure of his ability level, indicates that you'd want to avoid having him in most other lineup spots. Leading off the game, he has a slash line of 306/342/472; he's scored 6 of the 13 times he has been on base.
By just about any measure, Weeks is a stellar offensive player who fits well in the leadoff position. Your continued attack on him says more about you than it does him. Then again, you think that his braids are the issue and conveniently forgot that Johnny Damon experienced much success long before he shaved his beard and cut his hair. You, Timmy P, are a clown.
May 15th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Also, Milwaukee has scored 160 runs, good for 10th in the NL, though the spread is a bit odd with two runaway teams (St Louis with 210 and Cinci with 202) and then the next 8 teams separated by a mere 14 games (though not everyone has scored the same number of runs). They have allowed the 11th most runs. Using OPS+, the Brewers have 3 starters significantly below average (Betancourt, 61; Gomez, 82; Kotsay, 83); Rickey would be the Brewers third best offensive force, behind Braun and Fielder. Using ERA+, they have just 1 starter pitching above average ball and 3 relief pitchers doing so.
The Brewers are struggling for many reasons: Rickie Weeks in the leadoff hole is not one of them.
May 16th, 2011 at 12:10 am
"25 of his Ks have come with zero men on base, meaning the impact of a strike out versus any other type of out is virtually nil." That is dumb, a batted ball puts the defense on defense, makes them make plays. He comes to bat a lot with nobody on, that's his job in the NL, not to hit HR's. Thanks for citing his numbers with men on, BAD! 7 homers 13 RBI. Weeks gets hit by pitches a lot. He is no longer a threat on the bases, and his fielding is way below average. Those braids certainly don't speed him up any, and make him look like a clown. He certainly is not a all-start type player.
May 16th, 2011 at 12:14 am
Rickey Weeks does get on the leader boards for one thing!
Errors Committed as 2B
2005 NL 21 (1st)
2006 NL 22 (1st)
2007 NL 13 (3rd)
2008 NL 15 (1st)
2010 NL 15 (3rd)
2011 NL 6 (1st)
May 16th, 2011 at 5:35 am
@15: LOL! Good stuff. Brings back memories of Kruk's 1993 "AB" in the All-Star game, vs RJ.....
@11: What you say, is true. This Twins season may very well be over, halfway through May. Baseball is a lot like life, however. It's not always going to go well, or be filled with (positive) meaning. Sometimes, it flat out sucks. But, if a season (of time) goes badly, you don't abandon yours.
I know that I am about to repeat, things that have been said, a million times, but I find this to be true: The point of the 162-game season, is to filter out the pretenders, allowing those teams, that really deserve the postseason, to advance- because, the nature of baseball, is that, in any short series, anything can happen, between just about any two teams, of differing skill levels. What reward is there, for a team that has had a terrific season, to get knocked out by a team that just happens, to have 3 good weeks, after 6 mediocre months?
I even like the suggestion of Phil Haberkorn (#59 on the BR thread that you posted a link to, in your comment #9), who suggested that there should be a "league champion" (AL/NL, I'm assuming....would make way more sense anyway) every month. All monthly winners, earn the right to play in the "Tournament Of Champions" at the end of the year. If a team wins multiple months, then they earn a bye (or byes, I guess, if they've really had an insane year) out of the first round. I really like this idea, too. It still rewards teams who have shined, as opposed to making the season a giant exhibition.......
May 16th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
2 thoughts:
- Carlos Zambrano is not the best hitting pitcher in baseball. Micah Owings is currently in the minors but he is by far the best hitting pitcher in baseball. He's the best hitting pitcher since Baeb Ruth. What he's not is a big league pitcher - he's a position player with a good arm. It's only a matter of time before he moves to the field and has a 2nd career as a position player.
- re: pitcher walks - the most amazing stat in baseball IMO is that Mickey Lolich drew 105 walks in 1017 PA in his career. What's astounding about it is that, other than drawing walks, Lolich was one of the worst hitting pitchers in MLB history with a 110/215/121slash line. Depending on where you set the PA qualification, Lolich's BA and ISO are among the 10-20 worst hitting pitchers of all time while his BB% rate is among the very best of all time and of course, pitchers are the worst hitters making Lolich one of the worst MLB hitters of all time. His BB% is the same as Joe Dimaggio and Johnny Bench among others. Opposing pitchers had no reason to walk him - throw it down the middle and he's getting himself out and yet he managed draw 105 walks over his career. I never saw Lolich play but he had to be absolutely incredible at fouling off pitches. . . . .
May 16th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Baeb Ruth. *chuckle*
May 16th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Carlos Silva, unemployed.
He is in the Yankees' minor league system.
May 16th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
So, who's getting a slight whiff of "1965" wafting on the winds from the Bronx this year?
May 16th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Zambrano drives in the first run of the game for the Cubs tonight. Cubs have awesome bullpen, awesome bench (Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker), men at the top of the order that don't strike out in Castro and Barney and Fukudome. They have only one good starting pitcher right now and that is the great Carlos Zambrano. Garza has a strange beard, and has played bad, Dempster has red hair and has played bad, but better last 3 starts. Aramis Rameirez only has one HR, and Carlos Pena is just starting to come to life. Cubs are team to watch (and bet on) the next 60 days!
May 16th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
So, who's getting a slight whiff of "1965" wafting on the winds from the Bronx this year?
Similar odor to 2005 (20-19), 2007 (18-20), 2008 (20-22), 2009 (19-17)....
May 16th, 2011 at 11:40 pm
@27, JT -- Yeah, you got me there. It's funny, after I saw they lost again tonight, I went and did the P-I search and was surprised to find they haven't had many real good starts in recent years.
But as much as their record, I was referencing the big names that suddenly look their age: Jeter hitting .255 with a .626 OPS; A-Rod, .242, .781; and no need to mention Jorge's numbers.
And yet (as I do a startled about-face), the Yanks came into tonight's game #1 in the AL in runs, OBP, SLG and OPS. So ... um ... never mind.
May 16th, 2011 at 11:41 pm
@26 -- Good thing you posted that before the 6th inning, eh? 🙂
May 16th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
@16 -- I guess that's why Milwaukee leadoff men are 3rd in the NL in Runs, 2nd in OBP and OPS. But of course, you only care about looks ... and the Great (sack o' crap) Zambano.
May 16th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Garza has a strange beard, and has played bad, Dempster has red hair and has played bad
That's the good stuff I like reading from you.
=========================
Obviously, JA, I don't think that kind of history proves the Yankees can just turn it on in June. But a mid-May slump doesn't prove anything either. Just a few weeks ago A-Rod had only like 6 strikeouts in the first 3 weeks, to go with about 14 BB and an OPS over 1000, and everyone was talking about how he'd been able to do his normal off-season workout, no problems with the hip, and I'm thinking he's gonna make another run at 50 HR, and........ now he looks like isht, on pace for his worst year ever. Safest bet, he's gonna have an A-Rodish season, modified for age 35. Other guys will come around too, or be jettisoned. It's possible the team will collapse, but I don't expect it.
May 17th, 2011 at 4:28 am
@29 and 30 Rickey Weeks had a good game tonight 2 for 4, 1 walk and no K's, and the Brewers one a close game on the road, see how that works. Zambrano is working with the backup catcher and was crossed up a few times in the 6th, but he pitched well.