Crasnick: U.S. leans on Joe Mauer

[twinsnorth49]

Game on the line, bottom of eight, runners on second and third, one out. Joe Mauer up. Eight pitches thrown. Some fastballs right down the middle. Joe Mauer takes a walk. That's the way this kid rolls. You have a chance to be a hero? Joe will take a walk.

 

Ok, 8 pitches thown, 4 were obviously balls, only 2 could have been straight down the middle that he took for strikes, so my limited math tells me Joe took a couple of cuts there. How do you criticize a guy for not swinging at bad pitches and more than likely worsening the team's position as opposed to loading the bases with still just one out.

[BHtwins]

Of qualified hitters he led the team in 2010 and 2012 for OPS with runners in scoring position. He consistently is among the Twins best or THE best in those situations throughout his career. For example last year he had one fewer RBI than Willingham in those situations in 9 fewer chances last year.

 

He is an elite hitter. Period. People rarely hit markedly different situationally Some hit a little better some hit a little worse but rarely is there a striking difference. That is simply a subjective bias.

[adjacent]

I have a basic disagreement on the subject that a leader has to be all outgoing, screaming, cheerleading. My best boss in my long years of work was areally quiet, shy guy. But he was a leader by example, and a guy that you knew that when he said something he meant it. That made everybody around him take things seriously, and put a good effort. You can do that being quiet, or being more outgoing. But the emotion show many times is for the cameras and nothing else.

[Old Twins Cap]

Point is this: If you are the best player on the team, maybe the best in baseball, at what point is it incumbent on you to be The Decider in a big game, versus taking a walk and letting some one else be the decider?

 

Criticize me if you want, call me names if you must, but the point remains: Does Joe Mauer want to be the kind of player who makes the big play, or is he content to take a walk and let it fall to someone else? And, again, his batting average with runners on base in not the issue. In fact, it magnifies the issue. Take a swing, Joe.

 

By not swinging, if things don't turn out well, it's not Joe's fault. But, on the other hand, didn't Joe have an opportunity to win the game? And, isn't he one of baseball's best players?

 

When was the last time that Albert Pujols, Mark Texeira, or Miguel Cabrera make their name by taking a walk in key situations?

 

I'm not a Mauer hater, far from it. But, it does surprise me that in key situations, with the game on the line, he takes strikes instead of trying to be a hero. Not the way one would script it, but it is the way Mauer plays it whether the game is on the line or not.

[FrodaddyG]

Point is this: If you are the best player on the team, maybe the best in baseball, at what point is it incumbent on you to be The Decider in a big game, versus taking a walk and letting some one else be the decider?

Yeah, and even if he isn't actually up at that point, he should go up and hit when someone else is facing the situation to be the "Decider". That's what "Deciders" do. They "Decide". And on the completely unlikely 8 out of 9 chance that they aren't even the one who gets the chance to "Decide" the game, they should "Decide" that they get to hit when they want and go to the plate, with a fake nose and mustache if they have to. That's what "Deciding" is all about.

[Willihammer]

I'm not a Mauer hater, far from it. But, it does surprise me that in key situations, with the game on the line, he takes strikes instead of trying to be a hero. Not the way one would script it, but it is the way Mauer plays it whether the game is on the line or not.

You mean, swinging at good pitches and not swinging at bad pitches? Yes, Mauer does that consistently.

 

There's a reason guys pitch around Joe Mauer when the game's on the line. Same thing happens to Pujols and all the other guys you listed. The best hitters in the game are always walked in key situations.

[glunn]

You mean, swinging at good pitches and not swinging at bad pitches? Yes, Mauer does that consistently.

 

There's a reason guys pitch around Joe Mauer when the game's on the line. Same thing happens to Pujols and all the other guys you listed. The best hitters in the game are always walked in key situations.

 

Perhaps he means not swinging at strikes when the count is favorable? Or not swinging at first pitch strikes?

[jokin]

You mean, swinging at good pitches and not swinging at bad pitches? Yes, Mauer does that consistently.

 

There's a reason guys pitch around Joe Mauer when the game's on the line. Same thing happens to Pujols and all the other guys you listed. The best hitters in the game are always walked in key situations.

 

Just for the record, and I think this is the issue that the poster is concerned about:

In the WBC elim. game, Mauer came up in the 8th with runners on 2nd and 3rd and took a 2-0 pitch for a strike, which according to gamecast, was a meatball right down the middle of the plate, a little high. Contrary to poster Oldcap's assertion, this was the only really hittable pitch in the AB, as he fouled off a couple of corner strikes before working the BB. A hit in that situation might have been significant in changing the outcome, which Torre ultimately ruined by not PHing with right-hand batters against Romero.

[Alex]

Perhaps he means not swinging at strikes when the count is favorable? Or not swinging at first pitch strikes?

 

 

Mauer took a massive cut at a 3-1 fastball in the 8th iirc. He wasn't just sitting with the bat on his shoulder. Also, walking to load the bases gives the next hitter a far better chance to score a run and to, as a team, score more runs in the inning.

[jokin]

I'll never forget the time Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent fist fought each other to within 5 outs of a World Championship. That was truly awe-inspiring leadership from two of the classiest guys in baseball.

 

 

Of course, you left out the Oakland Athetics first vintage 3-peat dynasty in the 70s. Neary to a man, they virtually all hated each other, except they were united in all hating Reggie Jackson worse, and Charlie Finley even worse than Reggie.

[Oxtung]

Look Mauer's job is not to be the hero but to win the game. He is a very smart player and knows that he has MVP Morneau walking to the plate after him. So certainly if he gets a good pitch he can take a crack at it but his bigger responsibility is to not end the inning. If he takes a walk the Twins still have opportunities.

[Willihammer]

If you look at Mauer's heat maps, he likes the ball on the outer half. He has the best batted ball rates and the highest swing percentages in those zones. Consquently, that's where he's pitched least frequently.

 

Everyone in baseball is aware that that's Mauer's preference. If he took a 2-0 pitch middle-up (I'd like to see the location on pitchf/x), I think that's perfectly understandable. He hits middle-up well, but not as well as away-up or middle-away.

 

That's what you're supposed to do on 2-0 or 3-1. Take a swing at "your pitch," not just any old strike.

 

Its smart hitting.

 

Take a look at his heat map: Baseball Prospectus | PitchFX Hitter Profile: Joe Mauer

[kab21]

Two bones to pick in this thread regarding Mauer's not swinging the bat in crucial situations. He has a career .873 OPS and a .959 OPS with RISP. that is partly inflated due to getting IBB almost 100 times but his BA and SLG are also better with RISP.

 

I also disagree with the WBC example. He had Giancarlo Stanton hitting behind him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with working a BB in front of one of the best young hitters in baseball that almost never GIDP. Yes, it would be great if he was a little more aggressive at the plate but this is a luxury that a #3 hitter has. In that case he was an extra base runner for Stanton. On the Twins he's an extra base runner for Willy and Morneau.

 

If anything this shows great leadership to the young players. It shows that they can work a BB instead of swinging at balls in the dirt or taking big hacks. It also shows that he believes in his teammates.