Brian Roberts hit his third double in his last four games to push his season total to 55. He’ll need to double every other game to become the first player to reach 60 doubles since 1936. The bad news for Roberts was that the Orioles fell to the Blue Jays 6-5 in eleven innings.
He just missed another one last night, too. He slid into second, avoided the tag, and reached the base. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold onto the base and was tagged out. By rule, this counts as a single.
I think people overlook the fact that he does NOT hustle. I watch virtually every game either on TV or in person and he is very slow out of the box. For his speed and his ability to drive to the gaps and down the lines, there’s a reason he has 60 doubles and 1 triple. I’d say at least on 15 occasions, he should have gone to 3rd on a hit but stopped at second while the ball was being retrieved at the wall. He watches the ball as he leaves the box and makes up his mind half way to first if he’s stopping at 2nd.
Not trying to take too much away from his achievements, but anyone who routinely watches him play should notice his complete lack of hustle and the fact that he’s fine with just a double. He plays like he’s afraid to have his back to the ball. At least going into second, he has the play, to some degree, in front of him at all times.
Yeah, that’s right. Roberts is dogging it to pad his doubles numbers.
One reason his triples are down is that some of them have made it over the fence (9 homers last year, 15 homers this year) and that Roberts recognizes that he is just not as fast as he used to be. He’s never been reckless on the basepaths and he knows when he can reasonably stretch that double into a triple…or not. (Or for that matter, when he can steal a base or not. His career success rate is 80%.)
He’s also changed his approach at the plate. Less contact hitting, less bunting for hits and more focus on driving the ball to the gaps. Roberts knows that he will be 32 next season and he can’t rely on his legs for the length of his contract. He’s transforming his game so he can continue to produce at the plate as he ages.
If that’s a lack of hustle, I’m a monkey’s uncle.
Uncle of the Monkey,
He’s jogging out of the box on a line drive to the gap and is standing on second when the outfielder finally gets set to throw the ball into the infield. If you think he’s hustling, then you’re obviously not paying attention. He does NOT hustle. He still steals bases, still steals third, however he simple settles for the double. Watch the game and watch him leave the box. it’s hardly what anyone would consider “hustling”.
by the way, it’s a little odd that you are speaking on behalf of Roberts. You have NO idea what he’s thinking or what his gameplan is. All you can deturmine is what he’s doing and what he’s done based on his performance. To assume he’s hitting for more power simply because he’s getting older and needs to rely more on hitting than his speed is extremely presumptuous. To go from 9 HR to 15 is hardly amazing. He’s a gap hitter with occasional power. His entire career has been going to the gaps or right down the line. my entire point is that he doesn’t hustle. He’s fine with a double. When was the last time he was thrown out trying for 3rd on a base hit? My guess would be last season, perhaps the season before. He settles for second. He should have about 50 doubles and 10 triples this season. He stops at second. I don’t understand how you can argue that if you watch the majority of games in person or on TV.
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@Jared W:
You have NO idea what he’s thinking or what his gameplan is. All you can deturmine is what he’s doing and what he’s done based on his performance. To assume he’s hitting for more power simply because he’s getting older and needs to rely more on hitting than his speed is extremely presumptuous.
Not at all. He is bunting less and cutting down on his swing less in certain situations. Surely you have noticed this with all the games you watch. I’ve seen it, I am hardly the first person to comment on it. He’s swinging away more, driving the ball to the gaps more than ever before. I am merely drawing conclusions from watching him play.
To go from 9 HR to 15 is hardly amazing. He’s a gap hitter with occasional power.
My point was not that he is trying to hit more homers, thus his totals went up but that he has been a bit lucky this season and some of those well-struck balls to the rightfield corner are getting over the fence. Turn those 6 extra homers into triples and Roberts is right at his career average.
When was the last time he was thrown out trying for 3rd on a base hit? My guess would be last season, perhaps the season before.
You say this like it’s a negative thing. I’d rather a baserunner be judicious and I’m inclined to trust Roberts’ judgement based on his history of good baserunning decisions.
I don’t think he “settles” for second, I think he’s just using good judgement. I would imagine having Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, etc hitting behind him this year would have something to do with it too. Why risk the out at third when he finally had some hitters with decent pop hitting behind him?
One more factor…Roberts tends to hit his triples away from OPACY (at least recently). He has also hit 11 of his 15 homers on the road. Kind of supports the whole “triples turning into homers” theory.
He could break out of the box full speed every time…but for what? An extra base a couple times a season? I think he knows when to turn it on and off and I’m all for him saving his legs (and outs) a bit. 4 years on his new contract to go…want him good for as long as he can manage. So I say, hustle schmustle. He hustles at the right times.
The only beef I would have with Roberts this season is that he didn’t draw enough walks. Other than that, he’s been great.