Why Can’t This Team Score Runs?

by zogger on Sep 14, 2011 8:18 PM EDT

One of most disappointing aspects of this season is the lack of offense. I had hoped that the Bucs would improve as the season progressed, but they have not.

The Bucs are 14th in the NL in Runs per Game leading only the Padres and Giants. They are almost a full run per games less than the Cardinals who are No. 1.

Below are some comparisons between the Cards and the Bucs.

Cardinals
Run/Game: 4.7
OBP:.339
BA w/RISP: .289
HR Percent w/RISP: 3.2%
KO Percent w/RISP: 17%
BB Percent w/RISP: 18.8%

Bucs
Run/Game: 3.8
OBP: .308
BA w/RISP: .254
HR Percent w/RISP: 2.5%
KO Percent w/RISP: 24%
BB Percent w/RISP: 15.7%

Where they seem to falling down is OBP and BA w/RISP. Plus they KO w/RISP more and draw less BB w/ RISP.

Basically they need to get on base more, hit better w/RISP, and draw more Walks w/RISP. Too many low average hitters in the line up who are not being patient with RISP. Some of this can be learned, but mainly they need guys who can hit for a higher average. More HR hitting would not hurt either.

Poll

Can this group of players learn to score more runs?

Yes and Hurdle will teach them!

11 votes

Nope. Can't learn to hit better w/RISP. We need better hitters.

60 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I don’t think you’re really looking at it right. It’s not just that they can’t hit with runners in scoring position, it’s that they can’t hit period. Overall they hit .244/.309/.365. With RISP they improve to .253/.333/.394. That’s pretty much what you would expect. The Cardinals overall hit .272/.339/.421. With RISP they improve to .290/.374/.450. Looking at a percentage increase in OPS, the Pirates actually see a larger improvement in those situations than the Cardinals.

They don’t need better hitters with RISP, they just need better hitters.

by ElDuce on Sep 14, 2011 9:34 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs

"Why Can’t This Team Score Runs?"

Because they can’t hit.

Thus Spake Bluecheerathustra

by bluecheer on Sep 15, 2011 1:10 AM EDT reply actions

Can’t hit with RISP
Also many times, just fail to hit the ball at all. You have to make contact with the ball to even have a chance to possibly get someone in. Strikeouts do not help your scoring chance.

Consider the other day, Berkman had a triple with no one out. Charlie Morton struck out the next 2 batters and then got a weak grounder (i think) to leave Berkman Stranded. A slow dribbler or a slow single to SS or 2B scores Berkman most likely.

by lfhlaw on Sep 15, 2011 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

easy answer

The Pirates can’t score because they can’t get on base — a .308 OBP doesn’t cut it. The only teams with lower OBPs are, go figure, the Giants and the Padres.

by bolton on Sep 15, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup!

That is sort of the purpose of the post actually. When you boil it down, if you don’t get on base (and don’t hit HRs) then you don’t score.

That is why we need to fill our holes at 1B, SS, 3B, and Catcher with guys who can at least hit average for their position.

by zogger on Sep 15, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

The Pirates have one of the best-hitting catchers in the National League.

The team really needs a 1b who can rake and Pedro to hit like the elite talent he was drafted to be. I wonder how many runs the Pirates would have scored this season if Pedro batted .280/.360/.520?

by bolton on Sep 15, 2011 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

"Why Can't This Team Score Runs?'

Because too many nights this season have seen lineups including:

Lyle Overbay
Matt Diaz
Chase d’Arnaud
Josh Harrison
Pedro Alvarez
Dusty Brown
Wyatt Toreagas
Eric Fryer
Michael McKenry
Brandon Wood
Xavier Paul
Steve Pearce
Josh Rodriguez
Pedro Ciriaco
John Bowker

Bottom Line: Playing bad players lead to bad performance.

It's just my two cents. Could be worth more, could be worth nothing.

by Bishop1973 on Sep 15, 2011 7:23 AM EDT reply actions

wow

when you look at it like that its really depressing! Never do that again.

by JSteelers86 on Sep 15, 2011 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

comparing the Cards and the Pirates of 2011 really isnt fair, dontcha think?

the Cards are the best hitting team in the NL and have 4 players who are near the top of league, per position: pujols, holiday, berkman, molina… the pirates have 1 player, mccutchen, who quite honestly looks to be padding his stats since the allstar break.

look at the rest of the cardinals lineup and you really dont see anyone that special. jay is decent, craig has potential, freese has his moments…

lots of teams have “bad” players. the good news for the pirates is that they have potential for a change. something that couldnt have been said just a couple years ago.

by white angus on Sep 15, 2011 8:46 AM EDT reply actions

you should compare the pirates to a team with a huge rebuilding task, like the Padres or astros.

the padres top HR hitter this season has 11. yes, eleven! and that guy now plays for the BUCS! if it wasnt for their starting pitching and/or ballpark, the padres might be worse off than the astros.

once again, i dont think you can compare the pirates to the cardinals when it comes to lack of hitting… why? because its too easy to do this.

try comparing a team thats in similar circumstances yet ARE hitting well, like the Royals.
KC has a handful of hitters that are putting up good to very good numbers. they also dont have any stud “name” players like Pujols or Holiday. but why are the Royals losing? simple. when your top pitcher is Bruce Chen, you have serious issues. (chen is actually having a good year)

another team that struggles with hitting is the Tampa Rays. But we all know why they continue to compete: unbelievably talented YOUNG pitching.

finally, theres the Orioles, who went out and bought up the best strikeouts that money can buy. they have the potential to score with anyone, but their stud pitching hasnt shown up in the last 3 seasons. Matusz and Tillman were supposed to be the cornerstones to their rebirth in the AL East… but now they are stuck with plenty of bad contracts AGAIN, with only 2 players earning the value of their deals (IMO, its weiters and jones)

by white angus on Sep 15, 2011 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I think It is fair

You have to compare yourself to the best. This is your goal. Comparing to teams doing just as poorly as yourself only may make you feel better.

As for the Cards, except for King Albert (who belongs in another league), the Pirates should be able to field a team as least as good thru their farm system.

I go back to the 70’s when the Bucs regularly led the league in hitting. In fact in 1972 (I think) the 1st six hitters in the lineup had averages above .300!

by zogger on Sep 15, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

the 70's are long gone... the game is only the same in how its played.

the players are better now, more athletic. the pitchers are more powerful. everybody throws 90+ mph now, a team in the 70s would be lucky to have more than a couple of guys who did that.

anyway, i said you cant compare the cards and the pirates because of one thing: the pirates completely gutted their entire franchise for a total rebuild. it really wouldnt be fair to compare the two, IMO

by white angus on Sep 15, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Why cant they score?

They are just not very good…its that simple. Better talent is needed.
They’re lucky the pitching held up for 3 and a 1/2 months or this would have been another 100+ loss season

by Stargell on Sep 15, 2011 1:51 PM EDT reply actions