GaryMrMets
03-29-2004, 05:31 PM
http://www.courierpostonline.com/prosports/phillies/ph032704a.htm
For Phils' Byrd, hitting leadoff no problem
Saturday, March 27, 2004
By KEVIN ROBERTS
Courier-Post Staff
SARASOTA, Fla.
The Phillies' history with leadoff hitters has been a very dicey business.
You have to go back to Richie Ashburn to find a hitter who consistently batted first for the Phillies and was consistently good at it. Since Ashburn did it every year from 1950 to 1959, the Phillies have not had a leadoff hitter make at least 500 plate appearances and post on-base percentages of at least .360 in consecutive years. Not one.
Lenny Dykstra was a great leadoff hitter, but injuries kept him off the field. The Phillies won their only World Series with Pete Rose batting first, but Rose never reached .360 in back-to-back years as a Phillie. The Phillies have tried a parade of low-percentage hitters, from Dave Cash to Doug Glanville to Juan Samuel, up there through the years, and no one was able to really thrive in that role.
This brings the Phillies to Marlon Byrd. Last season Byrd solved the Phillies' leadoff problems, hitting .319 with a .374 on-base percentage after Phillies manager Larry Bowa moved him to the top of the lineup.
In September, with the Phillies fighting for a playoff spot, Byrd hit .330 with a .411 on-base percentage. His final numbers of .303 and .366 are more than just respectable for a leadoff hitter - of full-time leadoff hitters in the National League, only Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik topped Byrd's .366 on-base percentage.
"He's got a game plan when he goes up there," Bowa said. "All he talks about is scoring 100 runs, so you know he's got an idea.
"He's a hard worker. He wants to succeed. No matter how things are going, whether he gets three hits or goes 0-for-4, he's in the batting cage the next day working."
Bowa said Byrd may never be a guy who walks a hundred times and steals 60 bases - but he also points out that those guys don't really exist anymore. On-base percentage is now the land of power hitters. The top 10 on-base percentages in the National League last season were all owned by middle-of-the-lineup boppers, from Barry Bonds to Chipper Jones.
Much of a baseball team's lineup is just math - the higher a hitter bats in the lineup, the more he'll come to the plate over the course of a game and therefore a season. So in front of Jim Thome, Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, the Phillies need base runners.
"That's what it's all about, getting on base," Byrd said. "That's everything."
Byrd, 26 years old and in his second year, will be trying to give the Phillies the consistent leadoff hitter they've been looking for. He was a middle-of-the-lineup power hitter in the minors but always showed good plate discipline. Byrd posted a .379 on-base percentage in the minor leagues.
"I don't think it's something he tried to do last season," Phillies hitting coach Greg Gross said. "He was pretty good at getting on base in the minors, too. That's something he's always been able to do.
"Plus, he's one of the few guys in this lineup with speed who's capable of stealing a base."
Byrd stole 11 bases in 12 attempts last season and said he's working on reading pitchers and getting better jumps this year, with an eye toward 20 or more steals. The top of the Phillies lineup is still a little unsettled, as Bowa continues to experiment with either Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins hitting second.
But for the first time in years, the Phillies can just pencil in their leadoff hitter. This is the first season of Byrd's professional career that he hasn't jumped a level (although the big leagues will provide plenty of year-to-year adjustments), and he's hitting .321 this spring with a .368 on-base percentage.
"I think he's a little more comfortable this spring because he knows he doesn't have to prove himself and win a job," Bowa said. "He's on the right track to being a real good leadoff hitter in this league."
For Phils' Byrd, hitting leadoff no problem
Saturday, March 27, 2004
By KEVIN ROBERTS
Courier-Post Staff
SARASOTA, Fla.
The Phillies' history with leadoff hitters has been a very dicey business.
You have to go back to Richie Ashburn to find a hitter who consistently batted first for the Phillies and was consistently good at it. Since Ashburn did it every year from 1950 to 1959, the Phillies have not had a leadoff hitter make at least 500 plate appearances and post on-base percentages of at least .360 in consecutive years. Not one.
Lenny Dykstra was a great leadoff hitter, but injuries kept him off the field. The Phillies won their only World Series with Pete Rose batting first, but Rose never reached .360 in back-to-back years as a Phillie. The Phillies have tried a parade of low-percentage hitters, from Dave Cash to Doug Glanville to Juan Samuel, up there through the years, and no one was able to really thrive in that role.
This brings the Phillies to Marlon Byrd. Last season Byrd solved the Phillies' leadoff problems, hitting .319 with a .374 on-base percentage after Phillies manager Larry Bowa moved him to the top of the lineup.
In September, with the Phillies fighting for a playoff spot, Byrd hit .330 with a .411 on-base percentage. His final numbers of .303 and .366 are more than just respectable for a leadoff hitter - of full-time leadoff hitters in the National League, only Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik topped Byrd's .366 on-base percentage.
"He's got a game plan when he goes up there," Bowa said. "All he talks about is scoring 100 runs, so you know he's got an idea.
"He's a hard worker. He wants to succeed. No matter how things are going, whether he gets three hits or goes 0-for-4, he's in the batting cage the next day working."
Bowa said Byrd may never be a guy who walks a hundred times and steals 60 bases - but he also points out that those guys don't really exist anymore. On-base percentage is now the land of power hitters. The top 10 on-base percentages in the National League last season were all owned by middle-of-the-lineup boppers, from Barry Bonds to Chipper Jones.
Much of a baseball team's lineup is just math - the higher a hitter bats in the lineup, the more he'll come to the plate over the course of a game and therefore a season. So in front of Jim Thome, Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, the Phillies need base runners.
"That's what it's all about, getting on base," Byrd said. "That's everything."
Byrd, 26 years old and in his second year, will be trying to give the Phillies the consistent leadoff hitter they've been looking for. He was a middle-of-the-lineup power hitter in the minors but always showed good plate discipline. Byrd posted a .379 on-base percentage in the minor leagues.
"I don't think it's something he tried to do last season," Phillies hitting coach Greg Gross said. "He was pretty good at getting on base in the minors, too. That's something he's always been able to do.
"Plus, he's one of the few guys in this lineup with speed who's capable of stealing a base."
Byrd stole 11 bases in 12 attempts last season and said he's working on reading pitchers and getting better jumps this year, with an eye toward 20 or more steals. The top of the Phillies lineup is still a little unsettled, as Bowa continues to experiment with either Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins hitting second.
But for the first time in years, the Phillies can just pencil in their leadoff hitter. This is the first season of Byrd's professional career that he hasn't jumped a level (although the big leagues will provide plenty of year-to-year adjustments), and he's hitting .321 this spring with a .368 on-base percentage.
"I think he's a little more comfortable this spring because he knows he doesn't have to prove himself and win a job," Bowa said. "He's on the right track to being a real good leadoff hitter in this league."