Sizemore Will Come Around

This is more of a fantasy baseball piece, but the author looks at Grady's underlying numbers and finds that apart from being jammed too much and sucking on the basepath, he's been incredibly unlucky in the 'ole baBIP department.

over 2 years ago hans 14 comments 0 recs |

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He actually had a bad baBIP last year as well if I remember right, but I think that has to do more with the amount of grounders he hits to the right side of the infield than being unlucky.

"I gotta be honest, I dunno much about the climate in Japan." - Matt Underwood

by USSChoo on May 24, 2009 7:43 PM EDT reply actions

Sizemore should commence lashing pitches into the gaps and getting on base at a healthy clip from here on out.

I hope so, but what is the basis for such an assertion? Sizemore is sixth on the team in doubles, with eight.

by odradek on May 24, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions

Well, his career BABIP is .317, and so far this year it’s .238. I’d say that’s unlucky.

by Voltaire on May 25, 2009 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Do you know what last years was?

"I gotta be honest, I dunno much about the climate in Japan." - Matt Underwood

by USSChoo on May 25, 2009 3:57 AM EDT up reply actions

.291

by APV on May 25, 2009 7:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Hmm, not as low as I thought it was.

"I gotta be honest, I dunno much about the climate in Japan." - Matt Underwood

by USSChoo on May 25, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m talking about “lashing pitches into the gap.” Grady is having bad luck with his hits, so maybe BABIP will grant him a few more singles, but he’s not much of a gap hitter these days. He hit only 34 doubles in 2007 and 39 in 2008. People think he’s a gap hitter, but look at the spray charts. Grady’s hit one double in Progressive this season, to left center.

by odradek on May 25, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, Grady’s eight doubles put him on a pace for 35 doubles, about what he’s done the past two seasons.

by odradek on May 25, 2009 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Right, and I think his HR pace is about in line with his career too. The difference is singles, he just isn’t getting any of them.

by Ryan Kelsey on May 26, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Walks are about the same. His slugging is down to .416 (off a career .486).

by odradek on May 26, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions

There must be some correlation with low BAPIP and pull tendency – if you use less of the field, you get a lower BAPIP. Or perhaps the less you hit the ball to the biggest open spaces of the field, the middle, basically – the lower BABIP.

I couldn’t watch the game yesterday – can someone tell me where Grady hit the triple? I was curious – I’d asked myself recently when was the last time Grady split a gap.

by mcrose on May 25, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions

right down the RF line.

by TribeJay on May 25, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Castrovince says the Tribe may put Grady on the DL when Hafner returns (“when”, heh). Bad elbow pain is the cause, and it’s been a problem alll year long. No word on what the injury is, or how aggressively it needs to be treated, but if Grady is openly talking about going on the DL, as he does in Castrovince’s article on the subject, then you know it must be serious.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090526&content_id=4963664&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle

by MTF on May 27, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions