Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images
Okay, I'm quoting myself here, but it bears repeating:
Jason Heyward has a higher percentage of RBIs for his team than any other player in baseball.
I re-quote this because neither Mark Bowman, nor David O'Brien mentioned it in their blogs today, and I think it tells us so much about this Braves team... and about Heyward. Not only does it tell us how inept all the other hitters in our order have been in run scoring situations, but it indicates how valuable Heyward has been... maybe even "most valuable." How dare I bring up talk of MVP in May, but if you drive in a higher percentage of runs for your team than anyone else in baseball, that's a pretty darn valuable player. I know, we'll talk in September when small sample sizes are a thing of the past, but this is something to keep an eye on.
0 recs | 78 comments
How long is he going to be batting in the bottom third of the order? Moving him up would both get him more opportunities to do damage, and let Chipper see more pitches to hit.
dutchschultz - May 7, 2010
Its scary
the leaders he sits with in RBIs and HR all have 15-20 more ABs than him. If he were hitting in the correct spot with real protection, he could be at 10 HR – 30 RBI by now.
ATLandUNC - May 7, 2010
Heyward is good at hitting baseballs.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
i would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
10-4 - May 7, 2010
Don’t get lazy now. The line is “This post is relevant to my interest, and I should like to subscribe to your newsletter, sir.”
Rhyno18 - May 7, 2010
Ha, well, if we’re picking nits the real line is “Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.”
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
You’re all a bunch of dorks.
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
Whatever you say Sgt…
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Says the hemaphrodite Sgt Slaughter
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
Well yeah, I never said I wasn’t one too, but I’m not the ones correcting other dorks on how to be more accurate dorks
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
touche sir
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
Should there be a D&D tourney to determine the biggest ...
dweeb on TC? Perhaps a Simpsons or movie quote contest
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
My D&D character shall be named…Carlos the dwarf.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
I put on my robe and wizard hat…
Rhyno18 - May 7, 2010
You missed my reference, but +1 b/c your reference is freakin’ hysterical as well
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Is that like Carlos the baby?
justincredubil02 - May 8, 2010
I abhor the Simpsons and D&D...
But I’ll take you folks to school on movie quotes.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
i beg to differ
and I’ll own Seinfeld quotes
kreese555 - May 7, 2010
Beg to differ all you want.
I’ll still pwn your ass (See what I did there?)
Both my parents are movie buffs; my whole family communicates in movie quotes. I have a ginormous mental bank of useless movie knowledge and quotes. Bring it.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
Glad to hear my family isn’t the only one who speaks in quotes.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Same here. My Dad has a friend who once told us that visiting was like living in an extended movie trailer.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
I dunno about you, but Tommy Boy is probably our number one go to. So quoteable.
Anchorman is up there too.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
No Anchorman for us, none of us can stand Ferrell. Monty Python, the Blues Brothers, and Ghostbusters tend to be our Big Three.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
Sounds like you guys are a little more old school (no pun intended).
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
When it comes to the most-quoted stuff, yes. This in no way means that we don’t still see a ton of the latest stuff, though. But yeah the classics get the most face time around the house. “What did you do, Ray?” is easily the most oft-repeated line.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
So, you are saying that coconuts MIGRATED?
justincredubil02 - May 8, 2010
Oh, and I also abhor the Simpsons
Matt Groening’s writing makes me want to puke.
kreese555 - May 7, 2010
The word "potential"
Personally, I dislike the word. To some, it’s a word of promise, but when I see the word potential, all I really see is this ball and chain, implying that for whatever reason, something that is not there, but could be, but is not.
Jason Heyward, at this current pace, probably would win ROY. Also at this current pace, I imagine he’ll get some MVP consideration too. I expect to see his B-R page have on his 2010 line “RoY-1, MVP-16” or something like that.
But on a team with the potential for talent as this team has, I don’t think a rookie should be relied upon so heavily to burden success on. As much as I’m really enjoying this fine rookie campaign, I don’t think Jason Heyward should be sword that slays the adversaries, but instead, the hammer from the 6th spot that drives the nail into the coffin, after McLouth, Prado, Chipper, Heap and Glaus have actually done their jobs.
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
We’ll have to be in the playoff picture for Heyward to get MVP talk.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
2006
Ryan Howard and the 2006 Philadelphia Phillies beg to differ
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
finishing 3 games out of the wild card isn’t in the playoff picture?
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
With the Dodgers winning 9/10 and seven in a row, the Phillies were out of it a lot sooner than you think.
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
Are you really suggestion that since the Phillies were practically eliminated with a week left in the season that they weren’t part of the playoff picture? I mean, really?
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
Really? Really?? Yes, really.
I am really suggestioning that they weren’t a part of the playoff picture with over a week to go, with the hottest team in baseball simply not losing at the time. Three games to make up from a non-division rival with so little to go is a pretty dismal picture, similarly to the Braves’ unsuccessful chase to catch the Rockies last year.
Gaudy numbers are gaudy numbers. And if Heyward continues to put up his own gaudy numbers throughout the years, an MVP award is not far fetched, regardless of the Braves’ W-L record. Tim Lincecum’s 2008 Cy Young and Zack Grienke’s 2009 Cy Young should be indicative of that.
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
Agree to disagree…. I think you’re overestimating the Atlanta market and underestimating the Phillies 2006 season.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
What does the market have to do with anything?
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
All I said was consideration, I didn’t say he would flat out win it. Consideration doesn’t require any sort of playoff hopes, because consideration is equally valuable to players getting it, because it gives them justification to ask for more money in their careers.
If you take a look at the annual breakdowns, you’ll see that there are a lot of guys getting consideration. Maybe “consideration” is the wrong choice of word, since they had no chance in the end, but garnered votes. The Padres, Dbacks, Nationals and Reds had no chance at playoffs, but it didn’t stop Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Reynolds, Ryan Zimmerman and Joey Votto from getting votes. By year’s end, I imagine Jason Heyward will garner his own share of MVP votes.
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
+1 for “suggestioning”
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
+1
pelican.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
You rang?
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
Took more than 30 mins…the next pelican I order is free, got that!
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Fine. No charge.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
This will definitely be useful later on.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
If I don’t see this in a game thread by Sunday, I’m going to find you…
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
as you wish
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Amen.
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
Depends on age, but in my time as a basketball scout...
my common phrase was, “Potential is a fancy word for ain’t worth a shit yet”
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
You want "potential"
This kid’s going to hear it his whole life, and if he doesn’t go pro, he’s SOL
royhobbs - May 7, 2010
Wow...
like the kid who was hitting free throws at 2 on the little mini hoop in the living room, but seemingly much more legit. His follow through with that big bat was hilarious. I also liked the comment, bada spelling and all…
“Fairly obvious, like most domenicans, they lied about his age. He looks to be about 33.”
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
The lineup tonight is gross...no Heyward or BMac again
Infante
Prado
Chipper
Glaus
Diaz
Ross
Melky
McLouth
DLowe
I’ll be happy with 2 runs again.
Scott Coleman - May 7, 2010
I predict 7.
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
I still have no idea how we did that.
Scott Coleman - May 7, 2010
It’s difficult to believe Moyer will own us again.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
It’s difficult to believe Moyer won’t fall down and bust his hip.
UMDBHIK - May 7, 2010
DOB... (@ajcbraves)
says he’ll update McCann’s status on Twitter.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
oh dear ugly.
10-4 - May 7, 2010
with a lefty going, it makes sense to let Heyward stay resting...
I doubted he’d play today simply because he was pinch run for after the hit last night.
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
Plus, it sets up perfectly for a PH later on. He’s batting 1.000 so far in his career coming off the bench, you know.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
So you're saying we should move him to the bench?
interesting.
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
Do we have a future 2008 Greg Norton on our hands? Only time will tell.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
i’d rather have 3-4 ABs of heyward rather than 1, just sayin’
atl192485 - May 7, 2010
LOL
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
I’d take those numbers. He’d have to be a 60HR/200RBI/1.500OPS in the next few years though or I think the Braves might trade him.
Scott Coleman - May 7, 2010
Honestly
At this point I will not be surprised if Heyward hits 40 – 130
If he does so, I think baseball and the voters will be so enamored with what a 20 year old just did that they will vote him the MVP regardless of the teams record. Seasons like that just don’t happen for 20 year olds.
ATLandUNC - May 7, 2010
Heyward may go .300-40-130,
But that wouldn’t necessarily make him an MVP. It would make him ROY, for sure, but not MVP.
GouldisGold - May 7, 2010
Mike W is an idiot
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
Did you see those people in another chat (from Wednesday, I think) saying that Frank Wren should be on the hot seat?
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
I think it’s nuts to say that now, but if the Braves aren’t in the playoffs by 2012 or so, then I think he’ll be gone.
Scott Coleman - May 7, 2010
How long did it take John to get to the playoffs? And, how much money did he spend along the way?
justincredubil02 - May 7, 2010
One season, and a metric fuckton
Respectively.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010
That doesn’t surprise me at all
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
that's even better than Pujols numbers
Mr. Sanchez - May 7, 2010
Oh dear.....
McCann’s havingmore problems with eyes, will start wearing glasses again tomorrow.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
I’m fine with that. He came back with a fury last year once he figured out the problem and started wearing the glasses. I know he doesn’t consider this the ideal scenario, but if this breaks him out of his slump like it did last year I think he, the team, and we will all be elated.
J-Freak - May 7, 2010 via mobile
Could his eyes be the reason he’s not been hitting well. I guess at this point he’s sticking with the glasses for good.
mdhenshaw - May 7, 2010
might explain why he’s chasing breaking balls in the dirt so frequently.
Smoltz's Beard - May 7, 2010
source?
atl192485 - May 7, 2010
I haven’t seen any official articles out yet, but Mark Bowman and DOB have both posted a shitload about it on Twitter
Rhyno18 - May 7, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Talking Chop to post a comment.