What’s It Going to Take for Eric Byrnes To Get Some Respect From You, BoMel?
Jeff DaVanon is starting in CF and batting leadoff in tonight’s series opener against the Rockies, who are starting righty BK Kim. (Counsell is 9th tonight).
DTLFL has, fortunately, found no reports that Byrnes is injured or ill. We hope this is in fact the truth and we did not miss something.
Today cannot be a legitimate rest day for Byrnes because the entire team was off yesterday.
Neither Byrnes nor DaVanon have a record against BK Kim. Kim, as is typical for righties, pitches better against righties, but his ERA against them is 4.14, which suggests he doesn’t dominate them. (Byrnes is a righty. DaVanon is a switch hitter who is better from the left side).
The lefty Luis Gonzalez has too small a record to tell us much: just 1-3.
(S. Green is another story; he’s 6/13 against BK and 2nd on the D’Backs in BA at .310. We have no issues with him being in there!)
Since the disaster of June 24th, when Byrnes when 0-6 with 4 K’s and a bloody nose from a missed diving catch, he is BA. 13/35 (.371) XBH/H 6/13 (.461), SLG 20/35 (.571), K/BB 4/3 (1.33; he’s usually over 2.00). He’s batted in 4 runs, scored 5 and advanced 6 runners.
He’s gotten at least one hit in 8 of the 9 games he’s started since that awful 6/24, and in the one game in which he did not get a hit, he drew a walk and scored a run. I say he’s rather warm right now.
Byrnes leads the D’Backs in SLG and XBH/H, is tied with Chad Tracy for the lead in HRs (and has quite fewer ABs and K’s than Tracy). He’s second in doubles (and one of the best doubles hitters in the league), and third in BA (.295). He has also gotten a pair of stolen bases lately to tie Craig Counsell for the team lead in that category, but Byrnes has a much better success rate than Counsell).
Byrnes’ BA = .295, DaVanon = 277, Gonzo = .260.
Once again, we are seeing the "regular" D’Back lineup minus it’s "regular" center fielder, Eric Byrnes.
Byrnesie is just one XBH of any sort away from exceed his total in that category for all of abysmal, aberrant 2005, and just two doubles shy of exceeding the total in THAT category. I was hoping he’d get past those two figures tonight.
Oh well, I am late for the gym.
Kéllia "Fire Bob Melvin!" Ramares
Oakland, CA
mlblogsbyrnesblog
I really don’t know why Byrnesy gets no respect. Maybe it’s because he’s a blond, maybe because he’s a surfer. I really don’t get using Davanon instead of him . .. but I’d sure be HAPPY if the D/backs would trade him to the Giants. He belongs here. He wants to be here. Damm you Sabean and McGowan, get me BYRNSEY!
I really don’t know why Byrnesy gets no respect. Maybe it’s because he’s a blond, maybe because he’s a surfer.
“…And a free spirited Californian, who has tried all manner of X-Sports. Or maybe the graybeards, some of whom are still on the field, can’t deal with his “all out all the time” style.
I really don’t get using Davanon instead of him . ..
BoMel has this obsession with lefty-righty matchups, which I think explains the unusally heavy left-handed nature of the AZ lineup. In fact, one of the reasons Byrnesie was acquired was to add balance to the lineup. In these days of quality starts being only 6 innings and all sorts of specialized relief pitchers, a more mixed lineup can be an asset in late innings.
But BoMel’s answer to that is switch hitters. I would bet that we might see less of Jackson, also a pure right hander, if the switch hitting Tony Clark could be even a mediocre hitter this year.
Of course, this obsession with lefty-righty percentages overlooks the fact that Byrnesie hits righties for power, and sometimes does not do well against lefties.
I also just believe that BoMel CAN’T Believe that Byrnesie is doing as well as he has. BoMel is waiting for disaster to strike. I bet that when Byrnesie went into his cooling off period after hitting .336, that BoMel was waiting for him to drop to .230. I bet he can’t believe that Byrnesie leveled off at .280 (his intragame low a few weeks ago) and has been assaulting .300 again.
“but I’d sure be HAPPY if the D/backs would trade him to the Giants. He belongs here. He wants to be here. Damm you Sabean and McGowan, get me BYRNSEY!”
Yes, he would be a great addition to the Giants. At 31 next year, he would represent a real youth movement in the outfield. And a huge PR plus, being a very popular local boy.