The Corey Hart thread

[RU Rah Rah]

I figured that maybe we were due for a stand-alone Corey thread, but feel free to move, etc., if there's something already out there.

 

In his last 150 games (dating back to last season, obviously), Corey's numbers are: .250/.288/.437. I am not one to immediately hit the panic button after a bad month, but he's been mediocre at the dish for basically the past year. Are you worried about him, or do you think he'll work it out?

[Tedaldtada]

I'm worried. This is a lot like Francoeur. Corey started the year off ok, but has now lost all of his patience all over again. I would give him another month, but if nothing changes, I think KM might give Gerut more regular time.

[Thurston Fluff]

He's always been streaky but I am startign to worry that maybe the league has found a weakness he has yet to adjust to. I don't think it's doom and gloom time yet but he has to start to play better soon or he may share the same fate as Bill Hall is.

[JJHardy7]

I'm happy he's rejected extension offers...so I guess that means I'm worried. I hate to say it, but I just don't see him with the Brewers long-term and that's not because of Hart's choice. I love Gamel as much as the next guy and I really, really hope he stays at 3B...however RF might be open faster than 1B if he doesn't stick at 1B.

[naivin]

With Catalanotto now on the bench, I would not hesitate to start Gerut against RHPs. He and Hart's respective numbers seem to support such a move.

[southpaw121505]

I'm worried, he's looked lost for a long time now. This is no longer a bad stretch.

[pretendastronaut]

I don't think anyone on the team swings at as many outstandingly bad pitches as much as Corey does. He reminds me of playing video game baseball sometimes, where you largely just swing at everything because you can't really read it and you just hope you hit it.

 

I really like Corey and I want him to do well, but I am losing faith in him. I was disappointed that he started this season swing at the first pitch again so often, and nobody seems to have gotten through to him that the whole league knows they can strike him out with a slider low and away on strike three. But he also seems to be swinging through so many pitches this year. The first half of last season he seemed very good about putting the bat on the ball at least.

 

It's not the same level of frustration as Hall because at least most of Hall's problem stem from always trying to do to much, but that's not the issue with Corey.

[Ennder]

Looking at his swing% numbers it still looks like his basic plate approach has improved over last season and the dip in power and extra pop up and lower contact rate on balls in zone ups are more likely a cold streak or maybe even being too tentative at the plate now rather than a sign of him being finished. I don't like including the second half of last year but not the first half though, it doesn't seem relevant given the hot month he started the year with, if you go out of your way to make a player look bad you can lose the big picture sometimes.

 

He was great the first 28 games and lost the last 15 games(.489 OPS) so does a 15 game cold streak mean much for this season? I don't know. I'd still like to see Gerut play a little bit more, especially since Hart said he wore down last year.

[JohnBriggs12]

With Catalanotto now on the bench, I would not hesitate to start Gerut against RHPs. He and Hart's respective numbers seem to support such a move.

Why not just start Catalanotto? Catalanotto isn't a big HR guy but neither is Hart. At least not lately. Hart has just 10 since June 27th of last year. That covers 128 games. At least Catalanotto makes consistent contact and gets on at a rate worthy of a number 2 hitter.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm happy he's rejected extension offers...so I guess that means I'm worried.

 

Yeah, this has been the thought in the back of my mind this season as well, JJHardy7. I know at the time, I was kinda bummed that Corey turned down an extension offer... now, it's looking like that could work out just fine by the Brewers.

 

I think at this point it's relatively safe to say that Hart is a low-ish OBP, high-ish SLG type of hitter. His AVG will go a very, very long way to determining his overall value, and he seems to have at least one glaring weakness at the plate. I'm still open to the idea of an extension offer to Corey, since the dollars would probably be lower at this point. However, any extension that covered more than like 4 or 5 seasons just seems like a huge risk right now.

[naivin]

Why not just start Catalanotto?

Gerut would be better defensively, and Catalanotto's performance the past couple seasons would seem to indicate he is not the hitter he once was. I think he is better suited for PH duty and Gerut for the 'regular' ABs.

[joepepsi]

He still can't lay off low outside sliders.

[Invader3K]

And I bet Corey is regretting turning down the Brewers last offers. There's no way he'd get close to the deal they were probably offering if he were to go on the market right now.

[Ennder]

Why not just start Catalanotto?

 

Because Gerut is a better player than Catalanotto would be my answer.

[RU Rah Rah]

I guess it concerns me, over the long haul, to have a line up featuring:

 

Hart (last 150 games): .250/.288/.437

Kendall (last 145 games): .229/.310/.297

Hall (last 120 games): .229/.295/.382

Unproven quantity at 2B subbing for Rickie

[GB12]

I'm ready to be done with Corey Hart. Unfortunately his trade value has dissappeared.

[RyDogg66]

I too am about ready to move along after the Corey Hart Experience. If some team still fancies him I would not hesitate to move him for pitching.

[rluzinski]

This reminds me of Haudricourt proving that the Brewers had below average talent because they had a sub .500 record in their last 162 games at one point last year. Hart's recent production is very discouraging but purposely selecting the worst starting point you can find is not sound analysis.

 

Hart has an updated ZiPS projection of .275/.331/.473/.804. That is certainly nothing special for a corner outfielder but suggesting he be benched in favor of Cat is short sighted.

[JJHardy7]

That is certainly nothing special for a corner outfielder but suggesting he be benched in favor of Cat is short sighted.

 

What about putting Jody there? If this team is willing to make moves to win (as evidence by demoting Nelson and calling Gamel up to ride the pine), why not bench Hart when he isn't playing well? If a guy is struggling, I don't see a problem with him sitting on the bench a few games. If this team really wants to win, it will put Hart on the bench when he sucks. For as much talk as 'picking spots', I think a 150 games is a fair way to judge a somewhat veteran player. If it's not, then the Brewers aren't looking to win games. We're not talking about 20 games or something like that. I'm not saying we should DFA Hart. I am saying if he's not producing there's no reason he can't ride the pine for a few games. He obviously has not made adjustments. Hart isn't a bad player. He might be average or so, but his skill set isn't what this team needs right now. They need guys that can get on base.

[rluzinski]

If this team really wants to win, it will put Hart on the bench when he sucks.

 

That would be great if a team knows when a player is going to play well or not but it doesn't work that way. I could see Hart starting to lose some AB against righties or get a day or two off but that's about it right now.

 

The Brewers are doing what they think is going to maximize their wins. You might not agree with them but it's silly to accuse them of not really wanting to win.

I think a 150 games is a fair way to judge a somewhat veteran player.

 

So, that's going to give you a better idea of what to expect going forward than including all of last year or looking at his full body of work? The more recent the production, the better it is at predicting future production, obviously. But to look at AB #150 and ignore #151-160 because they don't support your argument is not objective analysis. We all know Hart has not been good for some time. The question is, what do we expect going forward?

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm very concerned about Hart. Maybe it is a good thing he and his agent have rejected our long term offers. He looks lost at the plate.

[xXxVinxXx]

I too am sick and tired of seeing Corey Hart swing at balls down and away. It's actually really sickening. Also has anyone noticed that when he runs whether it be a fly ball or running the bases he just seems lackadaisical with everything, yes I know he has long legs but come on look like your giving a full effort.

[shelmark]

He just doesn't seem like the same guy that was pre all-star break 2008. He seems so lost that he seems so shocked when he gets a fastball that he is missing those too. The bat speed is slow-mo right now on everything. He waves at everything. I don't see Gerut or Cat as the answer. He needs to shorten the swing and take it to right. An occasional bunt of the slider would be nice. I don't know anything about the guy but he seems a bit preoccupied with the hair and tats. I'd like to know about the guys work ethic before I right him off. Does he work hard? Does he watch tape or whatever it is they do now? He was my favorite player before the all-star break last year, so I am rooting for him. Hart, Hall, Kendall, ugh!

[RU Rah Rah]

So, that's going to give you a better idea of what to expect going forward than including all of last year or looking at his full body of work? The more recent the production, the better it is at predicting future production, obviously. But to look at AB #150 and ignore #151-160 because they don't support your argument is not objective analysis.

I see your point, but, to be fair:

 

1.) We're talking about 150 games, not 150 AB. (It's close to 600 AB.)

2.) I didn't intentionally choose the worst possible sample. I really just selected "last 365 days," which turned out to be the last 150 games.

[BrewCrewForever]

I bet Melvin and company sit around and laugh thinking about how Hart's agent turned down those long term offers.