How do we get the most from Rickie Weeks?

[yount19.u]

Contrary to what the naysayers keep posting while continuing to ignore the facts, Weeks' full story has yet to be written. Giving up on him could very well be something the Brewers would regret.

 

I don't think they should give up on Weeks, unless a nice trade presents itself that will help the Crew. I do think that Weeks needs to start showing immediate improvement throughout in order to justify his job as a starter. As many have stated, the Brewers are no longer in a position to let their young players work their issues out on the field. It's time to produce, and the players that do so should get the most playing time. I hope Rickie can have a nice hot streak that continues through October. But, until that happens, Durham and Counsell should see some more playing time.

[Postseason2006]

Let's see, critical situation for a run and Ned chooses Weeks. Did Wes Helms leave Rickie the pics?

[lodiness]

I Don't think that Rickie is a leadoff hitter. I think that he'd be better at a 5-7 position to take a little pressure off him. If we can't do that, I say we trade him and move on. Does anyone know what spot he batted in the order in college? I just don't see him ever being a stud leadoff hitter.

[logan82]

Career stats of .260/.360/.426/.726 batting leadoff leads me to believe that he is fine hitting leadoff. That would be good enough for 9th best OBP, 11th best SLG and 13th best OPS in the league this year. All of that with abnormally low stats this year.

[TooLiveBrew]

Competent? Like his bad defense costing us games? Or maybe his bonehead baserunning or lack of hustle?

 

Lack of hustle? You're talking about the Brewer that, by all accounts, is as hard working player -- if not the hardest working guy on the team. And aside from one play that you can't forget, he busts his butt every single time. There's this notion that, 'Oh man, it just couldn't be worse than Weeks', and ironically it rears its head when he's finally playing well.

 

It's 2B. It could be a LOT worse than Rickie. And if you think he's going to bat .225/.330/.390 the rest of the way, you've clearly been overlooking the fact that his offense has finally started to show.

[southpaw121505]

For this year, I agree with starting Rickie still but Durham spotting him against some RHPs, maybe play some match-ups based on career splits vs the opponent's starters.

 

Going forward, I still can't give up on him like some have. I do think it's worth a try to bat him somewhere else. He's flat out said he's not as comfortable leading off. It's really hard to argue that he's better leading off because his only chances not leading off were very early in his career. Hardy is an example, whether it's coincidence that he got hot, or "protection", or just comfort level, he has been way better in the 2 hole. Whether it's placebo or not, the spot where they bat in the order does effect some guys.

[yount19.u]

It's 2B. It could be a LOT worse than Rickie. And if you think he's going to bat .225/.330/.390 the rest of the way, you've clearly been overlooking the fact that his offense has finally started to show.

 

All that's happened with his offense is that he's gone from hideous to below average. Even though his stats may show he's getting better as of late, they do not show the strike outs, pop flys, flat out refusal to protect the plate with two strikes or go to the opposite field, and the inability to play a solid 2B in critical situation. His career ops may be near average to above average for 2B, but his career ops with risp is only .680. That's a problem, among other things, and it's time to stop the hand holding. Rickie needs to prove he belongs or get used to sitting on the bench. I want to be able to see a playoff game at Miller Park this year darn it.

[TooLiveBrew]

All that's happened with his offense is that he's gone from hideous to below average.

 

If you're under the impression that he's the only player that makes outs that frustrate you, I would ask how many other games you watch.

 

There's no hand-holding, he's the best option we have.

 

 

I want to be able to see a playoff game at Miller Park this year darn it.

 

Don't worry, Rickie Weeks doesn't have the kind of impact, positive or negative, that you're alluding to here. He's been performing at an above-average level for 2B for over a month now. But, you know, just ignore that.

[danzig6767]

All that's happened with his offense is that he's gone from hideous to below average.

 

If you're under the impression that he's the only player that makes outs that frustrate you, I would ask how many other games you watch.

 

There's no hand-holding, he's the best option we have.

 

 

I want to be able to see a playoff game at Miller Park this year darn it.

 

Don't worry, Rickie Weeks doesn't have the kind of impact, positive or negative, that you're alluding to here. He's been performing at an above-average level for 2B for over a month now. But, you know, just ignore that.

Yea he's hitting better, at the same time though, his defense has been a trainwreck. In the last two weeks, he has single handedly blown either four or five double plays by either muffing the grounder or by terrible throws. That also doesn't account for a couple plays where he was lucky grounders he missed weren't called an error or his baserunning blunders.

 

Weeks is a guy i've kept thinking will eventually put it together, but no player on the team frustrates me more than him. No question that Durham has range issues, but i also trust him to no blow simple plays as much either. Plus, with Weeks being miserable this year vs righthanders, i'd rather Ned did a straight platoon the rest of the season. With Weeks hitting .210 with a .313 OBP against righties and his ability to turn should be outs into baserunners and extended innings with his glove, i just have a hard time seeing where the harm is from Durham starting when righties are on the mound.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

No question that Durham has range issues, but i also trust him to no blow simple plays as much either.

 

I know you said 'as much', but as irony would have it, Durham booted an easy play this afternoon.

[yount19.u]

No question that Durham has range issues, but i also trust him to no blow simple plays as much either.

 

I know you said 'as much', but as irony would have it, Durham booted an easy play this afternoon.

You know, I thought about that as the play happened and it was not that easy of a play (if we are thinking of the same one). The ball was hit hard and took an awkward bounce at the end. Since Durham was right in front of the ball, like he should have been, it bounced off his chest and squirted a few feet away. If he did not position himself properly, it may have been extra bases. What I've seen Weeks do all too often is try and field balls like that off his left or right side. Many times they shoot up the base of his glove and go into the outfield. They're usually not errors, as the ball is hit hard and the way he tries to play it makes it look more difficult than it should be. If Weeks were more fundamentally sound, like Durham or Counsell, most of these balls would be turned into easy outs. Weeks has the athletic ability to be a gold glove 2nd baseman, its the lack of fundamentals that keep getting in the way.

Don't worry, Rickie Weeks doesn't have the kind of impact, positive or negative, that you're alluding to here. He's been performing at an above-average level for 2B for over a month now. But, you know, just ignore that.

 

Nothing's being ignored here. OPS is a great measure of a player's production, but it is not the only measure. By simply watching Weeks play this past month, and impartial observer would have a difficult time saying he was above average in any way. His poor defense has cost us some games and his lack of run production has not helped either. Just for the sake of argument, even if we did agree that he was playing average for 2nd this last month, he still is well below average for a leadoff hitter and that is also unacceptable. Even though many agree he would be better suited hitting down in the lineup, he's tragically the only real option right now, so he needs to do what he can to perform in that spot and he's not.

[TooLiveBrew]

By simply watching Weeks play this past month, and impartial observer would have a difficult time saying he was above average in any way.

 

Right, but when compared to his peers at 2B, he has been above-average for a month+

 

 

Just for the sake of argument, even if we did agree that he was playing average for 2nd this last month, he still is well below average for a leadoff hitter and that is also unacceptable.

 

For my quick-&-dirty guess, he's probably been about average amongst lead-off men for July ---> early Aug. You certainly bring objectivity to the discussion, but your expectations of what is "acceptable" & "unacceptable" are too extreme for my tastes.

 

 

You know, I thought about that as the play happened and it was not that easy of a play (if we are thinking of the same one). The ball was hit hard and took an awkward bounce at the end.

 

This happens in baseball, and Weeks gets absolutely raked over the coals when it happens to him. It was a routine play relative to MLB difficulty, and Durham positively should have made it if he's held to the standard that Weeks is.

 

 

Weeks has the athletic ability to be a gold glove 2nd baseman, its the lack of fundamentals that keep getting in the way.

 

I can't disagree with this at all.

[Godspeed]

Here is Jim Powell's take on Weeks:

I must say I find it a bit silly and presumptuous of critics to lay so much blame at the feet of Rickie Weeks for the Cubs' sweep of the Brewers. First of all, I don't know anyone who has studied the situation who thinks Ray Durham is ready to play everyday at second base at this stage in his career. Permanently benching Weeks because he didn't turn a double-play and got doubled off first base inexcusably is not going to make the Brewers a better team, but pretending it would gives frustrated fans and media types a nice punching bag to hammer.

I am well aware of Weeks' shortcomings this season, but I will say this without any hesitation: Rickie Weeks will ultimately be an All-Star second baseman in his career. When you rush a young talent to the Majors who has only small college and 200 minor league games worth of experience, you know in advance you will have to grimace through some growing pains. Weeks is only 25 years old and, despite what has been an underachieving season offensively so far, he still has an OBP better than half of the rest of the regulars in the Brewers' lineup.

It is always easy to pick a target and rip away, but the correct analysis of the Cubs' series is that Chicago just played great baseball and was the better team. Turning Ray Durham into an everyday player right now would not change that.

http://community.sportsbubbler.com/blogs/jimpowell/archive/2008/08/03/sunday-musings.aspx

[TooLiveBrew]

Jim Powell > awesome

 

Permanently benching Weeks because he didn't turn a double-play and got doubled off first base inexcusably is not going to make the Brewers a better team, but pretending it would gives frustrated fans and media types a nice punching bag to hammer...

 

It is always easy to pick a target and rip away, but the correct analysis of the Cubs' series is that Chicago just played great baseball and was the better team. Turning Ray Durham into an everyday player right now would not change that.

 

Thank you, Jim. And thank you, GYPE, for sharing that. Eloquent, well-informed, & totally blunt.

[owbc]

I never thought I'd see it, but Rickie has a 4-hit game with 3 of the hits to the opposite field.

 

Now, the question is, why did he suddenly decide to start hitting the ball the other way, which obviously is a great idea since the scouting reports must indicate that he is a dead pull hitter.

 

I don't know the answer, but I suspect Ray Durham may have given him some pointers.

[Hammer]

I don't know the answer, but I suspect Ray Durham may have given him some pointers.

Maybe Rickie is now afraid of what Prince may do to him if he doesn't start hitting like expected.

Prince smash = Bad

Oppo-shots = good

[lcbj68c]

I suspect he just got a late swing on a fastball a few times. More luck, less skill

[Hammer]

lcbj68c[/b]]I suspect he just got a late swing on a fastball a few times. More luck, less skill

Nah, it really didn't look that way on TV. It looked like a concerted effort to go the other way with outside pitches...just my opinion though.

[lcbj68c]

Sure enough, blue moon this evening. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Oldcity]

I suspect he just got a late swing on a fastball a few times. More luck, less skill

Awesome. Good to see he has your support.

 

[Gobias Industries]

I suspect he just got a late swing on a fastball a few times. More luck, less skill

Free Callix Crabbe!

 

How you find the negative in his day today is beyond me. Can't say I'm surprised.

 

[cwolf2012]

I'd love to see Rickie take the same approach he had in the minors up here. I don't care if he doesn't take as many walks if he hits the ball better. If there was a way to make him bat leadoff, but not realize it, that'd be perfect. I figure that he'll bat more towards .275 with that approach with an OBP of .355ish and a much better SLG.

 

But who knows, maybe that's what he's doing. I'd love to see a whole month of production anything resembling his production in the minors and college. It's not impossible, but not likely either.

[yount19.u]

If Rickie starts taking the approach from todays game in every game, the Brewers will have no trouble getting to the post season. With the exception of his last at bat, he forgot about trying to pull every ball and hit a home run. He instead did a nice job of hitting it where it was pitched and had some nice opposite filed singles. On defense, he squared up on every ball he could and did not rush a single throw. By far his best game of the year and he did not have one extra base hit.

[homer]

I suspect he just got a late swing on a fastball a few times. More luck, less skill

Weeks has the fastest bat on the team. He's never late......except on throws to first base occassionally.

 

 

By the way, Weeks is hitting around .269 since May 17.

[Darnell Junior]

He just missed that hanger for the 5th hit today, too. Weeks seems to be pulling the ball a LOT more than he has in past years, and I think that's at the root of all his troubles. It seems like every hit he's had this year is right down the third base line or at BEST up the middle. Good to see 4 of his last 6 at bats ending with a hit to right field. I hope something has mentally clicked for him about hitting oppo, because I'm sick of people trying to tell me Ray Durham is our best option.