The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t getting many RBI from the sixth spot in their batting order.
Most St. Louis Cardinals fans are aware the club’s offense has yet to achieve its desired consistency in 2010. While the potential explanations will vary depending on to whom you talk, the bottom line is that the club has scored just 82 runs in 19 games, 12th in the 16-team National League.
The big four in the lineup, Ryan Ludwick at number two followed by Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, then Colby Rasmus at number five, receive a lot of the attention for good reason. Though none has been hitting on all cylinders the entire time, there has been enough production from them to back up the strong pitching and the Cardinals to win 12 of their first 19 games. This is the case despite catalysts Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan not getting on base as frequently as expected.
Following the big four hitters has been an offensive black hole – the number six spot.
Until Yadier Molina’s game-winning eighth-inning double Monday night (pictured), the number six hole had produced only three RBI all season, just one ahead of the pitcher’s spot for the least productive in the Cardinals lineup.
2010 Cardinals, RBI by batting order position, through 19 games
| Lineup | RBI | Plays | Details (# RBI) |
| 1st | 7 | 2 | Lopez HR(4), Schumaker HR(3) |
| 2nd | 6 | 4 | Ludwick 3 HR(5) & triple |
| 3rd | 18 | 12 | Pujols 7 HR(12)/4 1B(5), gr out |
| 4th | 8 | 5 | Holliday 4 HR(6)/1 2B(2) |
| 5th | 12 | 9 | Rasmus 6 HR(9)/2 1B(2), Molina 1B |
| 6th | 4 | 4 | Ludwick 2 1B(2), Molina 1B(1)/2B(1) |
| 7th | 9 | 4 | Molina 2 HR(7)/SF, Freese SF |
| 8th | 10 | 8 | Freese 4 1B(4), Stavinoha HR(2), Ryan 2B(1)/3B(1)/BB(1) |
| 9th | 3 | 3 | Carpenter gr out, Lohse 1B, Anderson 2B |
(Thanks to statistician Tom Orf for the above table.)
Further, note that despite the fact that Ludwick has only started three games in the number six spot, he still has half of the RBIs generated from that place in the Cardinals lineup this season.
The problems are shared by many.
Games started, number six spot, 2010 Cardinals, through 19 games
| Player | Starts | RBI |
| Yadier Molina | 5 | 2 |
| Felipe Lopez | 5 | 0 |
| David Freese | 5 | 0 |
| Ryan Ludwick | 3 | 2 |
| Colby Rasmus | 1 | 0 |
Bonus coverage: Pinch-hitters not driving in runs, either
While Nick Stavinoha’s game-winning pinch-hit two-run home run back on April 9 in Milwaukee endeared the outfielder to fans, that has pretty much been it for the club this season. Orf points out that Bryan Anderson’s Monday night double was only the Cardinals’ second pinch hit of the season that actually plated a run.
Overall in 2010, St. Louis pinch-hitters are 6-for-25 (.240).
2010 Cardinals, pinch-hitting, through 19 games
| PH | Average | AB | H | RBI |
| Anderson | 0.333 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Craig | 0.000 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jay | 0.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lopez | 0.250 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Ludwick | 0.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mather | 0.333 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Rasmus | 0.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stavinoha | 0.300 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 0.240 | 25 | 6 | 3 |
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Well .240 overall for pinch hitting isn’t bad.
The RBI issue depends a lot on whether you think RBI is a worthwhile measure of ability and clutch hitting or some consequence of luck relating to whose on base a head of you and when you get your hits (that will even out over the season).
I’m more worried that the 20 HRs hit by the 2-5 spots have only produced 32 runs. Somebody needs to get on base!
By the look on MM face as he watches from the dugout, its hard to say what he is feeling. I think it would be safe to say the Skip and Brendan are failing to realize a shared aspiration. Skip keeps grinding, Brendan pouting. Yadi and Albert are unaffected. Holiday is interacting but unaffected. Colby is on to somethings that have been talked about here. He is using that “not feeling quite right” unsettled feeling very effectively. It makes him “wakeful” at the plate. His pitch selection and targeting are way up…………. and the “thump” is obviously there. Freese has the best swing on the team, but can’t establish an identity to channel his now sublimated appetites. A bad time to be worried about staying on the wagon……………. Ludwick is an open book. He has an at bat with last night for the money. They walk Shu to get to the right hander against the side armer. He reacts by taking to massive cuts on the slider away missing by 6inches both times. The third swing, he stays on it and tries the middle, makes contact, but is put out…………………………. my problem is this. He used to swings to be a hero before he yielded to his team obligation to aspire for the win or advancing the teams scoring potential. He needed all his swings to get that job done. This is happening with Pujols, Brendan’s over swinging, Shumaker’s quest to be a Hr doubles guy for the payday……on and on…………………. These excesses spring from where? Is this MM? Is this why Tony is invading at bats with so many poorly timed hit and runs? Just to break these trends of selfish ambition?
There were two AP in last nights game. One that was thoroughly embarrassed, and one that started play with his team. Things went better when he did. It could be argued that the climate of selfishness that Tony is combating, springs from those that would take advantage of their privileges within the parameters of his tolerance.
Will some of these guys overcome the current climate? Probably not. Colby is completely independent of all this. He is totally self absorbed in his own experience. A kid at the ball park. We need some of that innocence from his teammates. Whether your aware of it or not, Albert is very aware of his contract status and is determined to out position BD. He needs numbers. We need a team captain. He would be smart to realize that both goals are realized from the “right” posture. Craig was the first casualty. Lets hope there aren’t others.
I’m surprised Westie that an enlightened guy like you cant see the difference between those that are struggling due to real problems and those that are struggling due to bad luck.
Shu has a 30% LD rate with a 63% GB rate and just a 14%K rate. With even luck he should be hitting about .340 with those kind of numbers. Craig had a 31% LD rate and if he’d a normal BABIP for that rate instead .077 he’d have been over .300 as well. Even Molina should be hitting higher based on his LD rate.
Ryan on the other hand is a mess and the stats show it. His LD rate is only 12% though ironically he is one of the few who has improved their walk rate this year.
Overall, the team LD rate is up over last year and this should eventually translate to higher batting averages. The team K rate is also up though and the BB rate is down so whether we will score more runs remains to be seen.
If this team keeps hitting LD’s the way they have the early part of the season I have little doubt we will start scoring more runs and Westie will be telling us how these guys aren’t being as selfish and now have their heads together even though the only difference will be the balls start finding holes.
Before you can become an effective teacher, you must first make a commitment to study, to learn.
As this process unfolds, you will become aware that true learning can not be contained by any desire to possess knowledge using formative associations and perceptions which are transitory, wisdom’s true nature lying beyond the grasp of their structural logic born of ego.
As you follow this path, after a time you may notice that there are people sitting around you whenever you seek rest, their eyes fixed upon your every move. They may at times speak to you in strange tongues of their longing’s and confusion. If you feel angry or annoyed by this, you must take up your walking stick and again continue this journey of discovery. If there comes a time when you feel compassion and a sympathetic understanding for their longings and troubled thoughts, and it occurs to you that you might help in any way, your desire to become a teacher has been fulfilled. Long life to you because there is much to do when you travel as many.
The Miles signing is provocative to say the least. I predicted a move, but that wasn’t it. A favorite of Tony huh………… Tony sounded like he was on board for the Lugo transaction. Maybe not if someone is trying to please him. We had a couple of good players deserving a promotion. Is there another variable? Is it thought that the Cardinal habitat is to corrosive for rookie’s. Maybe a certain personality type was required? Interesting.
Holliday is 3 for 25 with runners in scoring position. Far bigger problem than the 6 spot IMO. If your cleanup hitter hits .120 with RISP, it hardly matters if your 6 spot is having problems.
No way that’s a strike to Colby. Umpire just evened the score for the bad call a third.
Stupid play by Albert, period!!!!!!!! Holiday got pounded – in – the whole time. Never gave in….. and got beat by it. Hard to figure. Every pitchers fear is that guy just stepping in the bucket and cleaning his clock. Like Ludwick just did.
Good players deserving promotion? Middle infielders? Surely you jest! And w/o this move (or a similar signing) who would they bring up if Ryan went down tomorrow. Gotay? Only in your PC world Westie.
Miles was a pretty good pinch hitter for us, and swings from both sides. That’s a big part of it. Rookies make bad pinch hitters.
Make that 3 for 26 with RISP.
Nice stroke by Molina. Level….deep… ………. He never did throw a strike to Colby. Never intended to.
Pulling Carpenter after 89 pitches…….with a three run lead? Tony made a value judgment that wasn’t about the strength of Jay as a hitter. It was about Carpenter all of a sudden shaking Molina off a bunch of times. Tony made a read……..found a justification.
Interesting analysis of Pujols strike zone management using pitch f/x
http://www.baseballdigest.com/2010/04/25/albert-pujols-free-swinger/
Gustie call by Molina. Great execution by Miller. No way he is looking for a fastball there.
I guess I don’t know what to make of that Pujols article. We already knew Albert’s plate dicsipline is off.
That Heyward guy stinks.
Miles will be up in record time I’ll bet.
Jay looks like he’s never seen a real pitcher before.
The offense has a lot of disfunction at the moment and we still have the best record in baseball, or close.
I feel like I need to keep my fingers crossed with Garcia. He’s been too good to be true. Sooner or later he’ll get blown out, then we get to see how he rebounds. Hopefully not tomorrow.
With MH not hitting with RISP, and Colby hot, it would be sensable to switch them and go R-L-R. Would be interesting to see how much Albert got walked. But that would be spun by some as a slap at the $120M man. Way too expensive for a 6th place hitter, blah blah blah.
That shot from behind the plate of Albert’s hit up the middle shows him almost sitting out on the pitch before he hooked it up. He has moved his hand around this week. He may find his way.
Heyward is 20. He hasn’t figured it out yet.
Miles has been reject by a number of teams. Does this mean that we were wrong too? Is this an indictment on how bad this team is if he can just walk in? I liked him as a player. He seems self motivated. There have to be changes made. At least its not Gotay. I’m just a spectator on this one.
Jay is left handed is all I can discern.
Philadelphia coming up..
Garcia will have bad days. He has a good motion. Nice pitches. Second time through will tell.
Colby at forth is better for MH. Is it right for Colby? Albert base running move today leaves me wondering if he is wacko. He is at least insulated from reason. If Ryan or Freese threatened to take the bat out of his hands like he did to Colby. He would have really made a demonstration.
Whether he was safe or out is irrelevant. He was beaten by two steps for the third out.. The home plate umpire rectified the situation by calling Colby out on a pitch that was 10 inches off the plate. Tony argued the same play in Phoenix, his argument being that it was a dangerous and aggressive tag that could have caused problems if Lopez slaps someone hard with his glove. It was a provocative “no call” by the ump.
accumulative totals are cute.
where the effectiveness ratio using rbi opps per AB’s (not PA’s)?
Don’t pay any attention to the Sachs Gold boys rioting in Washington. They know regulations are inevitable and they just want to be sure that Obama’s bill is the medicine that’s administered.
Yes, it Brer Rabbit and the Brier patch all over again.
I’ve tried to introduce readers here to the outer world for quite a while, in the name of sports and the Cardinals of course. If you were to study my posts for the last two years, you would now see where your at with different eyes. A fact that is recognized by “the few” , and GS true insulation against serious prosecution is this; They have been the active agent for the US in the global battle against “The Red Threat” since Ronald Reagen became the corporate representative (figure head) using the office of the President………….. are they crooks……yes……. are the complaints lodged against them real? Those are the least of their crimes to put it mildly. Are the Cardinals involved? Yes……but I could care less at this point, because I now deem it irrelevant. I will spill just a tiny morals for the few…..for fun.
Could one man, even if he had access the the most wonderful source of information, manipulate the entire world economic system with out being recognized by the SEC or more importantly, the financial analyst’s by the thousands work for huge global interests?
The answer is no………….. couldn’t be done. That source doesn’t exist anyway.
Unless………………………………. that man happened to have access to the NSA surveillance apparatus…………and maybe a completely independent accomplice (operative) with their fingers in ever pie in the world already………………………. that was the energy plan. It is working beautifully so far.
What do you mean Westie? inevitable? medicine? GS wants regulation! It keeps new players out of the game.