yeah...something's wrong...he's in a slump. last year he was hot seemingly all season. in years past, he's had extended slumps followed by torrid streaks. that's the way most hitters are. Pujuols is batting .176 with 2 RBI's so far. i don't think anyone's freaking out about it.
For Burke? What has Burke done to deserve so much love from you all guys? See it right, Burke has done NOTHING, beside the 18 inning hr. I had read in this thread that Burke always bat for good OBP and good batting avrg...I guess it's that I've missed something about him..... In the other side, Biggio has done everything in this team.
Chris Burke's most recent season: .276 avg, .347 OBP, .765 OPS Craig Biggio's most recent season: .246 avg, .306 OBP, .728 OPS For a 2B, having an OBP around .350 and an OPS in the mid to upper .700 range is pretty solid, and certainly superior to Biggio across the board. Certainly, Biggio has had a more successful career as a whole, but in terms of performance, Burke is the better bet right now.
Well, all the comparisons between them are based in tiny examples because Burke hasn't played a entire season yet. Thats why I wonder about your love afair with Burke.
Not an entire season, no, but it's not like he was merely a pinch-hitter; he had plenty of time with 366 at-bats. Also, those numbers are in line with reasonable projections based on his minor league numbers, when he did play full seasons. Nothing's a lock, but he played reasonably well (for 2B/CF, at least) offensively in a solid sample size last season, so he deserves his opportunity if there aren't any reasonable alternatives.
Bidge has more power and is a better situational hitter than Burke. I'll take Bidge over Burke at 2nd. And i'd take Pence over Burke in CF. Burke should really be in a bench role right now until Biggio decides to retire. Biggio is the man.
Huh? With all due respect, Biggio is not a strong situational hitter. He struggles to hit anything but inside fastballs and struggles to do anything but pull the ball directly to left field. He also lacks the discipline to work counts, given his atrocious OBP over the second half of last season and even worse OBP to start this season. Situational hitters are called upon to be able to spray balls all over the field dependent on the situation (baserunners, etc.), manipulate counts to their favor, and in general be a step ahead of the pitcher from a mental standpoint. Biggio is the exact opposite of these things... an ultra-aggressive, fastball-only hitter who hits to only one direction of the field with essentially an all-or-nothing approach. Burke's not a perfect situational hitter, in that he K's a bit too much - but his ability to hit to all fields as well as work counts and handle a variety of pitch types makes him a much better candidate than Biggio. Biggio is the man - historically. But Burke, based on recent evidence, hits for a higher average, gets on base more, has a higher OPS, is faster and is still on the upswing of his career, while Biggio's bat continues to slow. I know you don't like Burke, and I can tell Biggio is a hero to you - but from a baseball performance perspective, Burke is the superior option at this point in time.
If you agree, I'd love to hear how in the world Biggio is a better situational hitter than Burke. I'd also love hearing how a moderate edge in power overrides significant differences in batting average, OBP, OPS, speed and essentially every significant category. I understand that many people like Biggio from a historical perspective - I do, too. And it's completely fine to give him that spot out of loyalty. But I think it's pretty silly to argue from a baseball performance perspective that he's a better hitter than Chris Burke at this point in his career.
Anyone able to excuse the fact that this ballgame ended with a righty closer on the mound and Mike Lamb and Luke Scott both unused on the bench?
Weren't the Phillies still saving their leftie reliever (can't remember)? They did their job getting on base anyway - two on and only one out. Are you saying they should have pinch hit for Biggio? Not gonna happen. Lamb or Scott would have been brought in to hit after Biggio.
Since the game is rained out, y'all might as well read today's Get Fuzzy comic strip: http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/index.html
