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Around SBN: Please, Someone Make Bob Sapp Stop Already

Jinxie

This is not a good year for Geoff Jenkins. Because he's a big part of the Brewers lineup, that means it's not a good year for the Crew--especially so, since a perfectly acceptable replacement for Jenks has languished in the dugout, making friends with starting pitchers.

The most striking thing, of course, about Geoff's dreadful season is his complete inability to hit lefties:

K% AVG OBP SLG
Total 27% 255 328 391
vs. LHP 42% 120 241 181
vs. RHP 22% 292 353 450

A 22% K rate isn't anything to be proud of, but at least that's within the realm of what a productive hitter can do. But 42%? I'm not sure how much blame for the 2006 season I want to put at Ned Yost's feet, but the fact that Geoff Jenkins has gotten 120 ABs against lefthanders this year is an absolute crime.

However, it's a mildly understandable crime when you look at some of Geoff's previous stats; he's never been as strong against lefties, but it's never been this bad:

K% AVG OBP SLG
00-04 32% 260 317 437
2005 31% 255 354 452
2006 42% 120 245 181
July 06 24% 118 286 176

I included the July 06 stats just because he has been hitting a little better in the last month; it's only a 17-AB sample. He's always struck out about 30% of the time against lefties, but especially last year, he put up a respectable line against them.

It's easy enough to knock Geoff's lefty-mashing skills, as he seems not to have any. But the real problem is his performance against everybody. He's hitting 255/328/391 in 2006, which is good for a negative 6.0 VORP. He's hemorrhaging runs at the rate of 0.057 per game, which isn't much, but...don't you think a right fielder who is average at best afield ought to be adding runs?

And, as I mentioned above, we have a couple of options who are playing above-replacement ball this year. Gabe Gross has been worth .272 runs per game--only Bill Hall and Tony "small sample size" Gwynn have been better. Corey Hart has been worth 0.055 per game, which isn't world-beating, but at least it's in the positive column.

So, what to do with Geoff? Do you keep playing him in hopes that he puts up numbers like he did in July against RHPs (306/383/486)? Do you sit him down and let the youngsters take over? Do you see if anybody will take him, even it means paying a huge chunk of his remaining salary? Do you sit him just against lefties, then hide him from Ned Yost in case skip gets cold feet and wants to pinch-hit him for Corey in the 3rd inning?

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Yes, yes, and yes
Based on the lack of production and the size of his contract, anything you could do to replace him would be warranted.  Sit him, platoon him, trade him --- it's all good.  (Well, maybe not trade him.  Unless he shows us something these last few months, though, there will be no interest in him next season by other teams.)  But this is Yost's team.

It's sad that we're having this conversation now.  I'd say there's a 95% chance Yost is back next year, and a 85% chance Jenkins is back next year.  If both of those are true, then there's a pretty good chance that Yost will be sending out his salty veteran rightfielder for all of next season too, including against lefthanders.  And, presumably, blocking someone better (albeit less salty).

To think, we'll have another year of grousing.  I'm sooo looking forward to it.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Aug 4, 2006 7:44 AM CDT reply actions  

2007
To those of us who think 2007 is the year, start your letter-writing campaign now.  Every little bit helps!
"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Aug 4, 2006 7:46 AM CDT up reply actions  

Based on the previous few weeks
I think it is safe to say the overwhelming number of people on this site will say "more Hart!"

by thekranz on Aug 4, 2006 8:27 AM CDT reply actions  

I'd be willing to bet
He rebounds against lefties next year.  As you say, there's no explanation in his track record for this kind of futility.  Maybe he has glaucoma or something.  Anyway, while I do forecast some sort of bounce-back, I don't know if I'd want to wager $8M on it.

by battlekow on Aug 4, 2006 9:21 AM CDT reply actions  

wager
i wouldn't make the bet either ($7m)
Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on Aug 4, 2006 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions  

If we ate his salary
Do you think we could trade him for JDLR?  :)

Speaking of which, his ascendance to greatness might be delayed somewhat.  You should check out the stinker he put up against Minnesota on Wendesday.  It was very Winky-like.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Aug 4, 2006 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions  

Inconsistencies
I agree with most Brewer fans that it is time to give the kids a shot. What bothers me is the inconsistencies we see when Ned Yost talks about the team.

He claims that we are going to expect performance this year since we are "in it" He then backs that up by pulling Brady Clark early in the year when he was slumping. He goes with the "hot hand" early in the year in Bill Hall but somehow Jenkins gets a pass.

If we had an exercise where we pulled all of the names of the players and their contracts out of the equation and just showed the manager stats I ask the question "who would start?"

When Gabe Gross was run out in place of Clark earlier in the year...why was Jenkins given a pass?

Now is the time to back up the talk. The trading deadline has passed so there is no need to showcase Jenkins. Give Hart and Gwynn real shots and see what you have...then at the end of the year you can decide what to do with Jenkins.

For those of you that think Jenkins has no trade value I think that as long as we pick up all but $1M of this contract that we should be able to get something for him. I have to believe that a team like the Royals could run him out every day and if he gets hot they could flip him at the deadline to a contender. Seems like a low risk for a rebuilding team.

Thoughts?

Go Brewers!

by romagna72 on Aug 4, 2006 10:34 AM CDT reply actions  

Kool Aid
Clearly for Ned, some players are more equal than others.

I hope they "Clayton" Jenkins and start Hart the remaining games once they realize the playoffs are a lost cause.  The mythical hot streak isn't coming back, his strikeout percentages have taken a dive.

Surely the Crew can get a few prospects in return, but I don't see any way to get those without contributing cash to a deal.

Fun Fact:  Royce Clayton was "Claytoned" for Bill Hall in 2003 when he was 33.  Jenkins is 32 ... and an old 32 at that.

Nate

by nmc on Aug 4, 2006 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions  

Don't Discount Geoff's defense
Yeah, he sucks at hitting right now.

Don't discount his field play.  He's an EXCELLENT defensive player, especially when we had Carlos in left.

The local reporters all love Geoff and will defend him to the end.

by Rickster on Aug 4, 2006 1:17 PM CDT reply actions  

Run away! Run away!
Right now, Jeff is lacing up his smackdown shoes.  :)

He's probably about to tell you that, despite the gun for an arm, he is actually a below-average rightfielder defensively.  (Probably because he can't run.)  You wouldn't think so, would you?

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Aug 4, 2006 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions  

The gun
The gun is more like a blunderbuss lately.  If only Geoff could throw six balls at once to make sure at least one went in where he intended.

by battlekow on Aug 4, 2006 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions  

that gun...
he's like Mark Rogers and Jeremy Jeffress, only expensive and bad.
Carlos Lee (MIL) is traded to LAA for McPherson, Morales, Saunders, Kendrick, Wood, Aybar, Mathis, Je. Weaver, and Napoli...

by ufoboy90 on Aug 4, 2006 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions  

And he can't pitch!
Which would've come in handy earlier in the year. Then again, with Rogers' and Jeffress's walk rates, that wouldn't really come in handy either.

by Jeff Sackmann on Aug 5, 2006 5:39 AM CDT up reply actions  

If they let Jenkins continue to play regularly...
...he may be out of baseball by March 2007. I continue to say platoon him now to show that he can at least hit righties and look for a way out of his contract (or most of it) ASAP.

by heybatterbatter on Aug 5, 2006 2:26 PM CDT reply actions  

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