The "Lefty-Righty" Question
Looking at the A's lineup, you see a middle of the lineup heavy on left-handed hitters (Kotsay, Chavez, D. Johnson) and a hitter (Swisher) whose major league numbers have been far better against RHP. This would lead you to believe the A's need a right-handed bat, more than a left-handed bat, in the middle of the order.
On the other hand, looking at the 2005 stats you see a team that produced much better numbers against left-handed pitching (.271 AVG and .346 OBP) than against right-handed pitching (.259 AVG and .324 OBP). This would lead you to believe the A's need a left-handed bat, more than a right-handed bat, in the middle of the order.
Aaack! Does not compute! Help!!! <runs screaming in three directions at once, throws chair> In trying to sort out this apparent contradiction, let me suggest one possibility I haven't really heard much on AN: Perhaps the A's success vs. LHP in 2005 was somewhat of an anomaly. For example...
- Perhaps the A's faced a relatively high percentage of their lefty opponents during the stretch when they were beating everyone, and faced a relatively high percentage of their righty opponents during the stretches when they were beating no one.
- Perhaps a couple hitters hit LHP significantly better than they will most seasons in their career.
- Perhaps their excellent winning percentage against lefty starters was bolstered by a handful of pitchers they "own"--Mark Buehrle leaps to mind, and to some extent Sabathia.
- Perhaps the A's simply had more well-pitched games on days they faced a lefty starter than on days they faced a righty starter, and produced a superior W-L record against lefty starters for some reasons independent of their hitters.
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another point to consider is that
In other words, it might be better to look at how a batter does against lefty and righty pitchers in thinking about what kinds of batters the A's should look to add, rather than whether they hit lefty or righty.
Still, since we face more RHP during the season
more rhp than lhp in the world
by dannyboy @ Athletics Nation on Oct 23, 2005 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions
solution
All good points--
One reason I think some lefties can hit well against LHP is that while the breaking balls may give them more trouble, most LHP won't throw their changeup to lefty hitters, and often that takes away one of their best pitches.
Then there are the bizarre splits, like Crosby hitting barely .200 vs LHP in 2004 but over .300 vs LHP in 2005.
So it's less of a science and more of a...whatever that thing that isn't science, but completes the analogy, is.
Huff has been a favorite of mine
Taco.
by Duke of left field on Oct 22, 2005 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes
It is not a rule that lefties always do better v. rights and vice versa. That's what Ken Macha and Tony LaRussa would like you to believe, but it's not always the case.
Look at Hideki Matsui -- his career average v. LHP is 10 points higher than his career average v. RHP. Wade Boggs used to poke LHP breaking stuff off the Green Monster... These guys don't just fall off the assembly line: "Left-handed hitter, hits righties, not lefties."
What we need to do is find a guy that will complement the other players in our lineup... a guy who has a little more pop than Sally Hatteberg.
by Uncle Charlie on Oct 23, 2005 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Frank Thomas?
I like the idea...
I've seen people bring up Erubiel Durazo as a possible one-year solution. If that's what we're looking for, than I prefer Thomas.
what I meant:
if Durazo is healthy and will sign for less $$
When is Durazo expected to be ready?
Some projections have him "hitting" ...
2 long to wait.
by A s Eh on Oct 22, 2005 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions
I had read that he should be ready
The same Gammons who spend...
You never know ...
How is Harden more valuable?
- 28 to 30 starts of 5 - 7 innings?
- 50 relief appearances?
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions
28-30
I'd say the latter. I'm not saying the A's should do it. Clearly he has more value as a starter and they should keep them there unless he proves he can't stay healthy.
I'm just saying it's far too soon to say that Gammons has been proven wrong.
Hey! What is so bad about either?
WOW!
...Still, Harden's a starter until proven not.
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Thomas has some split concerns
-He's only played a full season in two of the past five years, a product of his age (possibly).
-He can't hit outside of US Cellular. His splits are jarring over the past three seasons:
Away: .248/.382/.456 - .838 OPS
Home: .276/.404/.660 - 1.064 OPS
Away: 412 ABs, 20 hrs
Home: 479 ABs, 52 hrs
Basically, he's still Frank Thomas, so long as the games are in Chicago. Outside of Chicago, he's just another A's type of hitter: low average, medium power. Not a slugger. Not a HOF. And at anything more than $5M, that's too rich for more 'average' production. Then again, an .838 OPS is a HUGE upgrade over Hatteberg. Still. $$$.
by zitophile on Oct 22, 2005 9:44 AM PDT reply actions
Frank Thomas in Oakland
I'll take those numbers for $6mil, but we have to remember that none of this matters unless we have good reason to believe he won't get injured...
all Frank Thomas career split stats found here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/4527/splits?year=career&type=Batting
Thomas not getting injured...
- 74 Games played
- 34 Games played
unfortunately
Another point on the numbers
I think what's fooling everyone
And I think Kotsay's
vs LHP
'05 ABs/LHP SLG
LF 80 .413 JayPay
3B 216 .421 Chavez
RF 123 .325 Swisher
2B 112 .509 Ellis
SS 102 .549 Crosby
CF 179 .458 Kotsay
1B 99 .325 DJ
C 164 .335 Kendall
DH You don't want to know
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Starters ABs vs RHPs
RF 339 .490
3B 409 .489
1B 276 .467
LF 195 .467
2B 322 .466
SS 231 .416
CF 403 .404
DH 347 .357 - You're killing me
C 437 .316 - No Trade clause until '07
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Isn't it sad that
Let me just go ahead and answer that: Yes.
And Swisher outslugged them all!
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Exactly, vignette
Lefties:
Kotsay (.817 OPS vs LHP/.715 OPS vs RHP), Johnson (.799 OPS vs LHP/.806 OPS vs RHP)
Chavez (.749 OPS vs LHP/.818 OPS vs RHP --- but the difference is ALL in Slugging. Chavvy's onbase and batting averages were almost the same against both RHP & LHP.)
Swisher is much batter against righties.
Righties:
Kielty (.866 OPS vs LHP/.673 OPS vs RHP)
Crosby (.940 OPS vs LHP/.741 OPS vs RHP)
Ellis (.912 OPS vs LHP/.843 vs RHP)
Kendall (.701 OPS vs LHP/.653 OPS vs RHP)
Payton's numbers are pretty similar against both.
Nico's point is a good one, that the timing of when the A's faced right-handed pitching and left-handed pitching makes a difference. The sample sizes might be too small.
But the numbers lead me to believe the A's actually need another LEFT HANDED bat -- or just a righty that can hit righties.
something I've always wondered
That's a great question, 'Cotty
Well the obvious solution is to lock Swish, and
um
Well...at least Swish wouldn't.
For the record on Frank Thomas
In 29 at bats (over the last three years): 3 homers, 6 rbi's, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 5 walks, 5 K's.
.321/.424/.750/1.174
wouldn't
my point was
It is very simple the A's are a little
by Big Jim on Oct 22, 2005 12:58 PM PDT reply actions
And also
by Big Jim on Oct 22, 2005 1:02 PM PDT reply actions
I thought that way for awhile... backing up
We were consistently deficient in offense at
- DH
- Bench
- Catcher
If BB gets a big bopper that ends up protecting Chavez great. If it's Crosby or someone else, great.
Also, ...that is the real Chavez playing every year.
by A s Eh on Oct 23, 2005 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
right-handed power: need or wish?
All else being equal, you'd rather that person be of the opposite handedness so that teams are pressured to make a pitching change for them in late pressure situations.
But I'd rather get another lefty who's a REAL threat than a righty who's only okay.
by matthias on Oct 22, 2005 4:31 PM PDT reply actions
Wells wants out of Boston
are you a red sox fan?
Lefties and Fenway do not mix well:
by saint @ Athletics Nation on Oct 25, 2005 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions


























