GaryMrMets
06-02-2004, 03:15 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/8815504.htm
Posted on Wed, Jun. 02, 2004
Struggling Lieberthal, Byrd get to rest their weary bats
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
There comes a time when enough futility is enough. That time might have arrived for former All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal and slumping sophomore Marlon Byrd.
Lieberthal is following his astounding 2003, when his batting average never dipped below .300 and he hit .319 with runners in scoring position, with an equally remarkable 2004, with a .224 average and an embarrassing .098 mark with runners in scoring position entering last night.
Byrd, who made a Rookie of the Year run last year as the Phillies' leadoff solution - he hit .319 in the leadoff spot with a .374 on-base percentage - now is leading off at a .215 clip with a .293 OBP.
Both sat last night. As usual, the struggling Byrd was replaced by Doug Glanville.
Lieberthal, however, seldom sits on night games after day games. Sure, backup Todd Pratt clobbers Al Leiter, last night's starter: 9-for-14 with three homers. But then, Lieberthal doesn't exactly flail against him: 8-for-27.
Asked if Lieberthal was sitting because of his most recent slump, manager Larry Bowa replied, "We've got a couple of guys struggling. Sometimes, the best thing is to get away from it."
Asked if Lieberthal's overall game made him too valuable to sit for an extended period, Bowa cagily replied, "I have confidence in both of my catchers."
Throughout, his confidence in Lieberthal's ability to turn his season around has been steady. After all, Lieberthal is a career .274 hitter.
His confidence in Byrd might be wavering. In part because of an April stint on the disabled list Byrd's surge last June came with just 79 at-bats, Bowa pointed out. He has 173 this season.
With 173 at-bats last year, Byrd was hitting around .280. "It's hard to move that average after 173 at-bats," Bowa noted.
It's hard to move it at all when you face players who can exploit your weakness. Byrd has particular trouble against lefties with the ability to cut pitches inside on him - pitchers like Leiter and tonight's starter Tom Glavine.
He also has trouble not working, which might be a problem. He spent part of Monday's 2-hour, 27-minute in-game rain delay hitting off the tee. He routinely swings 100 times after games. He takes extra hitting. Byrd might be beefy and young, but he's human.
"You swing 200, 300 times a day, you get arm weary," said Bowa, who last season instructed foundering outfielder Pat Burrell to not swing at all during a day off. Bowa figures any such instruction would be wasted on Byrd: "The guy only knows how to do something one way."
As for Lieberthal, he agreed with Bowa that a slumper sometimes needs a breather - especially when the slump has lasted essentially all season.
"I've been at that point for a long time," he said, smiling.
Given a chance after last night's game, Bowa acknowledged that Byrd would sit again tonight and declined to commit to Lieberthal, although the catcher thought he would start tonight.
Met-al woods 4 sale
The Mets' Jason Phillips tracked his atrocious start this season - he hit .156 through May 12 (96 at-bats) - to frequent golf outings during spring training. He didn't golf much before last season, when he hovered near .320 at the same point en route to a .298 season.
Guess what?
"The golf clubs are definitely going in a garage sale," said Phillips, whose yips have faded recently. He is 16-for-48 since May 12.
Money man
Generally, in Monday's draft the Phillies will be looking for athletic position players and, after they use their 21st overall pick, catching depth. They will not be basing their selections on the popular "Moneyball" concept of Oakland general manager Billy Beane, whose emphasis on number-crunching discounts intangibles that seat-of-the-pants scouts hold dear, said assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, who doesn't discount data but:
"That's as silly as saying, 'I'm only going to read the radar gun...I think it would be silly to just look at that approach.' "
Posted on Wed, Jun. 02, 2004
Struggling Lieberthal, Byrd get to rest their weary bats
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
There comes a time when enough futility is enough. That time might have arrived for former All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal and slumping sophomore Marlon Byrd.
Lieberthal is following his astounding 2003, when his batting average never dipped below .300 and he hit .319 with runners in scoring position, with an equally remarkable 2004, with a .224 average and an embarrassing .098 mark with runners in scoring position entering last night.
Byrd, who made a Rookie of the Year run last year as the Phillies' leadoff solution - he hit .319 in the leadoff spot with a .374 on-base percentage - now is leading off at a .215 clip with a .293 OBP.
Both sat last night. As usual, the struggling Byrd was replaced by Doug Glanville.
Lieberthal, however, seldom sits on night games after day games. Sure, backup Todd Pratt clobbers Al Leiter, last night's starter: 9-for-14 with three homers. But then, Lieberthal doesn't exactly flail against him: 8-for-27.
Asked if Lieberthal was sitting because of his most recent slump, manager Larry Bowa replied, "We've got a couple of guys struggling. Sometimes, the best thing is to get away from it."
Asked if Lieberthal's overall game made him too valuable to sit for an extended period, Bowa cagily replied, "I have confidence in both of my catchers."
Throughout, his confidence in Lieberthal's ability to turn his season around has been steady. After all, Lieberthal is a career .274 hitter.
His confidence in Byrd might be wavering. In part because of an April stint on the disabled list Byrd's surge last June came with just 79 at-bats, Bowa pointed out. He has 173 this season.
With 173 at-bats last year, Byrd was hitting around .280. "It's hard to move that average after 173 at-bats," Bowa noted.
It's hard to move it at all when you face players who can exploit your weakness. Byrd has particular trouble against lefties with the ability to cut pitches inside on him - pitchers like Leiter and tonight's starter Tom Glavine.
He also has trouble not working, which might be a problem. He spent part of Monday's 2-hour, 27-minute in-game rain delay hitting off the tee. He routinely swings 100 times after games. He takes extra hitting. Byrd might be beefy and young, but he's human.
"You swing 200, 300 times a day, you get arm weary," said Bowa, who last season instructed foundering outfielder Pat Burrell to not swing at all during a day off. Bowa figures any such instruction would be wasted on Byrd: "The guy only knows how to do something one way."
As for Lieberthal, he agreed with Bowa that a slumper sometimes needs a breather - especially when the slump has lasted essentially all season.
"I've been at that point for a long time," he said, smiling.
Given a chance after last night's game, Bowa acknowledged that Byrd would sit again tonight and declined to commit to Lieberthal, although the catcher thought he would start tonight.
Met-al woods 4 sale
The Mets' Jason Phillips tracked his atrocious start this season - he hit .156 through May 12 (96 at-bats) - to frequent golf outings during spring training. He didn't golf much before last season, when he hovered near .320 at the same point en route to a .298 season.
Guess what?
"The golf clubs are definitely going in a garage sale," said Phillips, whose yips have faded recently. He is 16-for-48 since May 12.
Money man
Generally, in Monday's draft the Phillies will be looking for athletic position players and, after they use their 21st overall pick, catching depth. They will not be basing their selections on the popular "Moneyball" concept of Oakland general manager Billy Beane, whose emphasis on number-crunching discounts intangibles that seat-of-the-pants scouts hold dear, said assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, who doesn't discount data but:
"That's as silly as saying, 'I'm only going to read the radar gun...I think it would be silly to just look at that approach.' "