Freddie this week

by Azmanz on May 5, 2008 12:31 AM PDT

So, I believe the next 4 games we play are going to be against left handed pitchers.. does that mean that freddie will not play for a week or is bochy going to give him a shot to see if he can play every day? boch seems really into the lefty lefty match ups so im scared he will cool off in the next week by not playing every day. i like ort and all but freddie is way better

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Lefties can't hit against lefties.

Everyone knows that. It’s science.

This is me blatantly pimping my website.

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by groug on May 5, 2008 1:00 AM PDT reply actions

It's not only science

God says so, too.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 5, 2008 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions

And rocket surgery, too!

Wernher Von Braun says so.

by S.F. Giangst on May 5, 2008 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Nice link. thanks

" Their still Shitty" - Major Leagues the movie.
I am a Giants fan. Thus I enjoy my pain. Currently enjoying it more then usual.

by daveinexile on May 5, 2008 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions

Here Comes The Science!

by SnowLeopard on May 5, 2008 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow

I hadn’t seen that before.

That was some douchiness.

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by groug on May 5, 2008 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Fred Lewis

Lewis will get a couple of starts and maybe Ortmeier will get a few starts against the LHP.

by wilriv21 on May 5, 2008 2:08 AM PDT reply actions

It’s actually six straight games against lefthanders from what I’ve read. Bochy has said that Lewis will start some of the games, but not Bowker.

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by rxmeister on May 5, 2008 5:30 AM PDT reply actions

Look, platoon splits are real. Every player has them, and some have more extreme splits than others. Freddie’s minor-league record suggests that he’s one of those with an extreme split, so I’m happy Bochy is breaking him in slowly against lefties.

by Evan on May 5, 2008 8:14 AM PDT reply actions

Why?

Why break Fast Freddie in slowly against southpaws? I agree there is no point in breaking down his confidence. But why not give him the majority of the starts against southpaws this week to see just what he can do?

No, I’m not highly confident. But Freddie is one of the few young Giants who actually has a chance to get on base a fair amount. Why not see what he can do—and at the same time, give him needed experience against southpaws at the major league level?

by sharksrog on May 6, 2008 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Freddie

Freddie looked awful the last time I saw him against lefties. He got three fastball in the golf zone and couldn’t even foul one off. Freddie’s start is exciting but I think he’s just a platoon player who would be lucky to do 250/350/450 over the course of a whole season.

by Change Up on May 5, 2008 10:14 AM PDT reply actions

He's not going to learn by sitting...

...whereas he might if he plays. His OPS against lefties went up each of his last 3 years in the minors (.672 in 2005, .699 in 2006, .787 in 2007) even though those are all fairly small samples.

You may be right, but isn’t the whole point of this season to find out these kinds of things?

I don’t have a problem with Ort getting a start or two, but I want to see Lewis get plenty of chances to see LHP.

2008: My previous assessment may have been overly optimistic.

by EliminateMe on May 5, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions

No, this is the major leagues. You don’t just throw a guy out there and let him drown (see Bocock, Brian). Boch has this right, start him out with the easier, or middle of the road lefties, but don’t throw him in for an extendede 1-21, 6 game failure-a-thon. He won’t learn ewverything this year. He’s doing fine – don’t over do it to the point he starts struggling.

by allfrank on May 5, 2008 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m not saying they should hang him out to dry, but Lewis has a grand total of 9 PAs against lefties this year. I guess there aren’t many easier/middle of the road lefties. He’s collected two hits and 3 walks in those 9 PAs, so it’s not like he’s been totally overmatched. And this is consistent with his minor league splits – although he’s never shown any power against southpaws, he has consistently put up passable OBPs against them (.310 in 2007, .363 in 2006, .331 in 2005).

2008: My previous assessment may have been overly optimistic.

by EliminateMe on May 5, 2008 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I guess there aren’t many easier/middle of the road lefties.

Nope, but we’ve got one! I think Zito could make himself useful by throwing BP to Lewis and Bowker.

Bochy: Barry, we’d like you to throw BP today.
Zito: But isn’t the BP pitcher just supposed a guy grooving pitches that are easy to hit?
Bochy: Which is why you’re perfect for the job!

2008 Giants: A steaming pile of scrap!

by Goofus on May 5, 2008 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions

C'mon

We wouldn’t want to give them a false sense of confidence.

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by Natto on May 5, 2008 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Only

Only the highest of those three OBP’s is passable for a leadoff hitter.

by sharksrog on May 6, 2008 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions

If those were overall numbers, sure. But as the down site of a split, none of them scream “platoon this guy or else!”

All-Father Watch: 1.56 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 16 Ks in 17 1/3 IP

by EliminateMe on May 6, 2008 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions

You mean

like Dave Roberts’ do?

by tyrannoman on May 6, 2008 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, like that.

Roberts’ 2007 split OBP: .356/.226 . Now that one screams.

Oddly, though, Roberts’ career splits are not nearly as extreme ( .346/.318) and he actually had reverse splits in 02 (very small sample), 03, and 05.

All-Father Watch: 1.56 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 16 Ks in 17 1/3 IP

by EliminateMe on May 6, 2008 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions

No.

Perhaps the low OBP numbers as the downside of a split don’t indicate a platoon—but they would seem to indicate at least a drop down in the order. A good team needs its leadoff man to get on about 35% of the time or better.

by sharksrog on May 6, 2008 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Okay

But what does this team need?

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by groug on May 7, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions

yep, that at bat against JC Romero exposed quite a large down and in hole in his swing.

by WTF on May 5, 2008 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Romero may have exposed a hole in Lewis’ swing, but do remember that Romero is off to a great start. His pitches just may have been that nasty.

by tyrannoman on May 6, 2008 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree

I agree with you, Change Up. But what do the Giants have to lose by giving him a full chance?

by sharksrog on May 6, 2008 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Eliminate me does have a point. If this is truly a write-off year then better to just trot him out there and make him hit against lefties to see if he can get it.

Too bad there’s not a lefties league where lefty prospects can learn to hit lefties. I mean I’m guessing the reason why lefties have such a platoon split is simply through lack of practice hitting against LHP.

by Change Up on May 5, 2008 10:23 PM PDT reply actions

Chris Haft's take...

...in yesterday’s Giants Mailbag is that Bochy hasn’t only been playing the platoon:

A couple of times when Lewis didn’t play against a left-handed starter, his hamstrings were sore. Those were opportune times to rest Lewis and give Ortmeier some much-needed at-bats.

That’s certainly reasonable enough; if he needs a rest, sit him against a lefty.

All-Father Watch: 1.56 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 16 Ks in 17 1/3 IP

by EliminateMe on May 6, 2008 12:05 PM PDT reply actions