Other Teams: Same Problem

Interesting that they’re keeping Jurrigans in the minors for so long. He’s not my favorite. AAA “phenom” Julio Teheran would probably perform about as well as Delgado or Minor has…his Gwinnett record hasn’t been great.

Not sure those big money free agent pitchers the Angels and Marlins signed have pitched that much better. Look at the Yankees rotation,,.they’ve spent a lot more than any other team, and they’re a mess. Same deal with the Red Sox. I see where one of the Phillies big guns is hurting…there are few guarantees with pitching. We’ll see how long the Nationals staff holds up. The Mets signed Santana, and he was hurt for several years. Their ace is a knuckleballer they signed off the minor league scrap heap.

   

If the Braves tried to trade Minor, Jurrigans, or Delgado, teams would line up to take them. There’s really not anything a team could offer that would make the trade worthwhile. Players as good as Diaz or Hinske…nothing much better.

Give Up on Minor?

Below are the statistics for several Braves pitchers starting out their career. Some stats were for part of a season, others are for more than a single season. Which should be given up on?

win/loss-ERA - K/BB

11-07…3.07…3.28...Beachy

14-10…3.35…2.82...Hanson

09-21…4.85…1.08...Glavine

10-09…5.46…2.76...Minor

02-07…5.48…1.12...Smoltz

06-14…5.61…1.36...Maddux

Some pitchers mature quicker than others. When promoted to the majors, almost every player requires an adjustment period. Very few will be lights out right out of the box.

Several questions need to be answered (feel free to reply!):

1. How long should you stick with a talented young pitcher?

2. Is two months long enough?

3. Should a talented pitcher be allowed to find his way over the course of a season?

4. Or demoted to the minors if they’re still struggling after a month or two?

5. Should all pitchers be treated the same?

6. What expectations should be placed on a young pitcher?

7. The same expectations as a veteran, number one starter?

Talented young pitchers are valuable commodities. Since they all don’t blossom into stars, it’s prudent for a team to stockpile as many pitchers as possible. Braves fans are still upset that John Schuerholz traded Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison to the Rangers. Neither has become an All-Star, and the Braves have developed several starters and relievers to take their place.

Going into the season, the Braves starting pitchers lined up thusly:

1. Hudson: missed April due to surgery, but feels great.

2. Jurrigans: 2011 All Star first half, then faded. Now at AAA.

3. Hanson: 2011 similar to Jurrigans…coming off injuries.

4. Beachy: impressive 2011 rookie year, but still a # 4 starter.

5. Minor: rookie lefty installed as # 5 starter while others are seasoned in minors.

6. Delgado: rookie replaced the injured Hudson, then the demoted Jurrigans.

7. Teheran: grumbled about starting season in AAA, then struggled.

8. Medlin: started season in bullpen, now being groomed to start.

The Braves made the decision to dump veteran Derek Lowe. After several poor seasons in the National League, he has started his 2012 campaign strong (though he was roughed up in his most recent start). perhaps he’s more comfortable in the AL.

More Questions:

1. Should the Braves trade for more pitching (or hitting)?

2. Who should be traded?

3. If prospects should be traded, why shouldn’t the Braves just play them instead?

4. If a starting position player should be traded, who takes their place?

5. Remember, teams trading with the Braves will demand value in return.

Experts say a player doesn’t reach his prime until a player is between 25 to 29. Knowing this, how soon should a young player be given up on?

Today the Braves are three games above .500, with 111 games yet to be played. They’ve played the past week without Chipper, McCann, Ross, and Freeman. Diaz played sick. The number one starter spent the first month of the season on the DL. The number two starter has spent most of the season in the minors. The starting five has been made up of two rookies, a sophomore undrafted free agent, and a third-year man coming off an injury. Should the Braves panic?

I say no.

Travel Agent

My friend Lee has a 12 year old son Daniel…Matthew’s friend. Not big into sports. What he loves is when the family travels with Lee and stays in hotels, on “work vacations.” Through the internet Daniel has made himself an expert on hotels and travel.

For their family summer vacation this year Lee handed Daniel his credit card and let him plan the whole thing. Daniel bid for all the rooms on Priceline, etc. Sometime in June they fly to Denver (for Lee’s work). The rest is vacation: Four Corners New Mexico, Las Vegas, and San Antonio. Daniel’s only regret: he’s not satisfied with the Vegas hotel Priceline placed them in. Lee has stayed there, and says it’s very nice.

Rajecki is a good kid. They were teammates when Will was ten. David was the best player on the team, a stud. When he cut the sleeves off his jersey, all the other boys wanted to as well. It was hilarious.

Our grill is broke, so Ceil cooked burgers inside on Friday night. The neighborhood pool opened, so Matthew and I went for a swim both Friday and Saturday night. Friday night C and A walked the dog up to the pool, then back. Saturday night we went to Willys, then had brownies and ice cream for MC’s birthday. Sunday night C brought home a PaPaJohns pizza.

Monday night we went over to a friend’s house for a burger/dog cookout. Their 12 year old son was sick, so three other families backed out. Earlier I had run errands: haircut, oil change, car wash, dollar store, check air in tires, and pick up Anna from her sleepover.

More on the Catch

Saturday morning Will was miffed that he and MC wouldn’t make batting practice. It was her 18th birthday, and he wanted to catch a ball. He likes to catch them barehanded, but he wanted to make sure he got one, so he took his glove. Since they’d be arriving too late to get the dollar tickets, he bought two seats in the left field bleachers.

I was watching the game while folding clothes, paying more attention to Bryce Harper and Strassburg, and when the Braves were batting. I was in the room when Danny Espinosa hit the 3-run home run. After he hit it I continued folding clothes, as opposed to watching him run the bases…that play was over to me.

Later I noticed a text from Will, that he had caught the HR. I looked out for replays, but I couldn’t see much the two times they showed it. Near the end of the game I looked on MLB.com and found the video. Will and MC found it as well, on her iPhone.  

About that time Harper sliced a line drive home run just over the left field fence, near where Will was sitting, but into the area between the fence and the stands. Later Will told me he had taken his cup and rope device to the game. He took it down and was close to securing the ball. Since it was Harper’s third major league home run, years from now it could become quite valuable. Unfortunately, a stadium employee game along and grabbed the treasure, telling Will to sit back down.

Will and MC didn’t stick around for the post-game Scotty McCreary concert. After dinner at Wild Wing Café they came home. Will couldn’t stop watching the video over and over. Sunday he had another busy day: North Point, a teacher’s appreciation lunch, watching MC sing, bike riding, and Passion Church. Still, he found time to watch the video several more times.  

Monday he did yardwork, fixed the garage door, ran to Home Depot and back, hung hooks for the bikes, and attended a cookout…and watched the video more.

Tuesday I discovered a different photo of Will making the catch on AJC.com. The ball is in Will’s glove, and his face can be seen between all the outstretched arms. It’s amazing that in this day and age that this innocuous event could be captured by two different media…not unlike the recent unassisted triple play by the Sandy Springs six year old.

Will's Catch

To celebrate Mary-Clayton's 18th birthday Will wanted to catch a ball at Turner Field. 

He was dismayed that they wouldn't arrive in time for batting practice. 

But sitting in the left field bleachers his wish came true when the Nationals' Danny Espinosa hit a home run. 

Will scampered down the aisle & out-jumped 3 other fans

making the catch in heavy traffic.

He headed back to his seat & presented the ball to MC

Though it was Will's first home run catch in a game

he had no qualms about throwing the ball back on the field.

The whole thing was documented on MLB.com. 

He's watched the video more times than the Zapruder film

History Repeats Itself

Will and David Norman were recruited to play on young Rob Kelly’s slow pitch softball team…for SPdL. They still play at Northside Drive Baptist Church in Buckhead. That’s where Steve Norman and I used to play (and David Hurt and Don Head). The field is tiny, and Will said he got a triple. Two other buddies played: Josiah George and David Rajecki. Rajecki (son of the old UGA kicker) said Will could play for his softball team at UGA.

Several years ago at Edie’s reception in the SPdL fellowship hall, mom Nancy Kelly pushed young Rob up to meet Lang. Rob was embarrassed. As always, Lang was very gracious and engaging.

Claire says one of her babies made the cut in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”…while being held by Cameron Diaz. Said you can even hear her coo.

I’d like to paint the garage, but I haven’t started planning. Small group meets/eats Monday night. Ceil says she wants to do something fun. I guess a trip to France and two beach trips aren’t enough.

May 24 Trivia: Another Near Miss

This week trivia was outside on the deck. At first it was hot and sunny, but when the sun set it cooled off and became “romantic”…according to Erin. Emily came with the Hurts, so we had a full eight person team.

1. What bodily organ produces urine? Joel consulted with Mary, and answered correctly: the kidney. Five points.

2. What is the world’s fastest TWO-legged creature? The ostrich. Three points.

3. What is the most populated city in the USA? NYC. One point.

4. What comedy’s theme song was “I’ll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts? David and I looked at each other and nodded…Friends. Five points. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do that for EVERY question?

5. What ocean’s name means “peaceful”? After some banter, Joel answered correctly. Pacific. Three points.

6. What beverage was promoted by three frogs croaking out it’s name? David and I both knew again…Budweiser. One point.

7. What is Japan’s most famous rice wine? David knew: Saki. Five points.

8. What is the Flash’s real name? We had no idea. I suggested we answer Xanna. Actually there were several answers, including Barry Allen. Just a one point miss.

9. What is the world’s largest capital city AND the highest capital in North America? A confusing question, so Erin gave us extra time. Joel thought Montreal, but that’s near the St. Lawrence Seaway. At the last minute it came to me: Mexico City. Three points. After we answered, either Mary or David said they had mentioned Mexico City.

10. Name the female who sang the following lyric. Finally a question Emily could help!

…”it’s like ten thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife…” We missed this one. I really didn’t try, then when I heard the answer I was sick…I knew this one: Alanis Morisette. That two point miss would later loom big.

…”up in the club we just broke up…I’m…” Emily knew: Beyonce. Two points.

…”I never loved nobody fully, always one foot on the ground…” We didn’t know: Regina Spector.

…”my love has come along, my lonely days are over, and life is like a song” David knew this oldie: Etta James. Two more points.

…”if you want to be with me, I can make your wish come true. Come and set me free, baby and I’ll be with you” Joel answered The Spice Girls. It was Christina Agularia. At the half we were five points back of the leaders, and three points out of second. We were tied with the Floppy Fishes.

11. What type of fruit forecast a violent death or close call in all three Godfather movies? Tomato sounded right to me, though I’d never seen either of the movies. It was orange. A two point miss.

12. In what month does most of Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration take place? David thought it was September. Or was it Mary? They were right. Four points.

13. What classic track by Bob Dylan became a top ten hit for Guns & Roses? We didn’t know. It was “Knockin on Heaven’s Door.” A six point miss.

14. What type of martial art means to “strike with the foot”? Emily knew: Taekwondo. Two points.   

15. Which state was the first to ratify the 13th amendment, abolishing slavery? As we discussed, Mary mentioned Illinois…playing the Abraham Lincoln card. I didn’t hear her. We answered something else. It was Illinois. No team got it right. A big four point miss.

16. What famous Johnny is proud of the fact that his last name translates to “idiot”? Again Emily perked up. She wrote down her mother’s maiden name…IRR. Since there is no famous Johnny Irr, I suggested Depp. Six points. I tweeted that Emily was busted for using her smart phone.

17. What disease takes its name from the medieval word for “bad air”? Emily was right this time: Malaria. valuable contribution…another six points. I commented on Facebook that Emily was carrying our team. Her dad was proud.

18. What is the largest dinosaur discovered so far? After a little discussion, I provided the correct answer: Bracheosaurus. Four points.

19. What is Gymnophobia the fear of? We didn’t know. Nudity. A two point miss.

Going into the final question we were in second place, six points behind the Floppy Fish.

20. Place these dance fads in order, from oldest to newest. David came over to my side of the table and we plotted. A couple of us suggested that the Cotton Eyed Joe was from the 1800’s, but we didn’t follow up on it. The wagering was Jeopardy-style: if you miss, you lose the points. Joel suggested we not wager much. We wagered the six point difference. He was on the right track.

…the Lindy Hop…1927

…the Moonwalk…1983

…Charleston…1923

…the Jerk…2009 (or 1920)

…the Cotton-Eyed Joe…1861.

Seven teams wagered the full fifteen points. Six missed. The Floppy Fish wagered ten…and missed, leaving them with 48. They made the right wager. Had we wagered 15 and we both answered correctly, we still would’ve lost. Had we figured out the right wager, we would’ve known to risk nothing. We lost by two points. I blame myself.

Erin’s musical theme was early rock / sock hop / swing / awesome. Buddy Holly, the Beach Boys, Elvis, Louie Armstrong, the Everly Brothers. Songs like Doo Waa Diddy, Rockin Robin, Volarie, I Only Want to be With You. Even Emily liked it.

Jon on Guitar

We had a close-up place to stand during the Switchfoot concert, not far from the front.

DOG

Tuesday morning I woke up and went downstairs. Will had been out late, and a light had been left on all night. As I reached the bottom of the steps I realized I was not alone…a small dog was looking at me. I recognized it as the dog Joel had found, and was trying to give away.

The dog was scared at first, and I had to make an effort for it to warm up to me. After that we were buddies. But when I returned home from work, it was like the dog had never seen me. This morning her reaction wasn’t quite as bad.

Ceil and our kids would love to have a dog. Will wants to attend college. Anna wants her drivers license and a sweet 16 party. Matthew wants to go to camp. Ceil wants to move. They all want cell phones. All three cars need repairs, emissions, and new tags. I’m the guy on the riding lawnmower who knows there isn’t enough money.

Matthew & Tim

Excuse the poor quality photo of Matthew with Switchfoot bass player Tim Foreman...Jon's little brother. Like Jon and Drew Shirley, Tim was happy to come out and converse with his fans. All three went out of their way to ask each person they spoke to what their name was.

Food Corner

Not long ago I had a “burger” in Little Five Points with a fried egg on it, and a waffle for a bun. I had to eat it with a knife and fork. Next time we go to Waffle House I’ll have to try eating my eggs and bacon on top of the waffle.

I started back running last week, so by Friday my higher body temperature had me sneezing. Went home and went to bed at 8 pm. Slept til 8 am. Sneezed some more, and I wasn’t 100% all weekend. Watched some Braves and other stuff, and made a dent in the laundry.

Saturday morning C and I went to a “famers market” at the Roswell City Government Buildings. Ceil loved it…expensive breads and home-grown meats and vegetables.  

Ceil cooked burgers Friday night. I had a leftover burger Saturday. Saturday she was craving lasagna, and made the meat sauce from the all natural ground beef she bought in Roswell. Ate those leftovers Sunday.

Sunday night she made homemade pizza. Joel and Mary Clayton came over, and the kids played cards. Earlier in the day I got the emissions tested on the van, and had it washed.

Looks like Joel will be attending Shorter in the fall, on a music scholarship. I know it wasn’t Becky’s first choice. I guess Middle Tennessee State didn’t work out. I’m sure money/scholarships are a factor. The crazy catcher on Will’s team is also going to Shorter. He’d have a tougher time with fundamentalists than Joel.

In movies, don’t you get paid more when you have a speaking part?

Matthew & Drew

Switchfoot lead guitarist Drew Shirley patiently held his smile while I fumbled with my iPhone camera. On stagw he had put on a great show, then picked up Matthew and swung him around several times...exclaiming "that was weird!" Quite a personable guy.

Thrift Store Recap: March-April-May

I’ve been a busy thrift store bee these past few months, though I’ve reeled in all this nice loot:

Nike Blazer Vintage court shoes. Sole has hardly any wear. The upper has a worn look. I cleaned them up, and they look great. Kinda like Detroit Lions blue / grey. I really need to give Joel either these or the Pumas, which are similar.

Brown Merrell loafers. I’d been looking up update my brown loafer collection, and these fit the bill. I had seen a great pair of Ecco loafers in Sandy Springs, but they only had the one for the left foot.

Two pair of classic Hush Puppies (grey & tan). They look great. Matthew’s feet have been growing like weeds, and he wanted some fancy shoes. He refused to try them on at the store, and now he says they’re too big. They’re more of a cold weather shoe. Matthew says he’s gonna start wearing some of Will’s shoes…they’re about the same size.

Braves shirt. Get this: Baby blue, with royal and grey trim. Script “Atlanta” on the front. “O.NIXON” on the back. Number one, both front and back. Button up front. Feathers on the sleeves. Too bad it’s XXXL. Surely someone will buy it.

Two striped Masters shirts, both XXL. Too big for me, or my dad. I’ll sell them to Darryl at a low price. One is in perfect condition, and I only paid $1.75.

National League All Star jersey (green) from the game at Coors Field.

Red lightweight running pullover. Will has been living in these things, so I snapped it up. Now that he is UGA bound, I figure he can use more red in his wardrobe.

Red Patagonia pullover. A week after I’d bought Will the running pullover, I stumbled across a heavier Patagonia pullover, in perfect condition. He loves it.

Navy Nike DryFit shorts for me. These are good because they weren’t too baggy, too short, or too tight. Will had gotten paint on my perfect pair.

Navy Nike running shorts for Will. He has a black/yellow pair, but these are nicer.

Kaiki shorts. I’d wanted a lightweight, synthetic pair, and these were perfect. And cheap.

Black Reebok compression shorts. I needed them, and they looked good. And cheap.

Blue Hawaiian shirt. Matthew needed a shirt for a pool party, so he picked out a blue one. He says he will “live” in this shirt.

Leap Year DVD. One of Ceil’s favorite movies. She said she wanted a copy of her own. Found one at the end of the rack, much cheaper than at Target or Wal-Mart. It’s already paid for itself.

White Dishes. At the half price sale Ceil couldn’t pass on a nice set of plates. This will save wear and tear on her expensive Stanley Anderson set.

Red Robin, by Tom Clancy. A novel I’ve wanted to read, from the Jack Ryan series. At fifty cents, another no brainer.

Sixty five dollars for over $700.00 in merchandise…19 items. All of it needed or wanted.

Will's HS Career Records

Despite missing over six weeks of games, Will finished his high school career not only as the most decorated pitcher in Crown baseball history, but also very high in most offensive categories as well. No other individual ranks nearly as high, in so many categories.

BATTING

Batting Average: 2nd highest single season total in 2011: .527

On Base Percentage: 2nd highest single season total in 2011: 603

On Base Percentage: 3rd highest career total: .512  

Hits: 3rd highest single season total: 39 in 2012

Hits: 2nd highest in Crown history (82).

Doubles: 3rd highest single season: 10 in 2012

Doubles: 2nd highest career total

Triples: most in one game

Triples: 3rd highest single season total   

Triples: 2nd highest career total

Home Runs: 4th highest career total

Runs: 3rd highest career total (72)

RBI: 4th highest career total (53)

Stolen Bases: 2nd highest single season (18)

Stolen bases: highest career total (40)

Walks: highest career total.

PITCHING

Wins: most in one season

Wins: most in career

ERA: lowest in career (min 40 innings pitched)

WHIP: lowest in career (min 40 IP) (BB+hits per IP)

Strikeouts: most in career (93)

Strikeouts: 3rd highest single season (46 in 2012)

   

These numbers do not even include Will’s varsity statistics as a freshman, when he was NAC’s regular second-baseman and opening-day starting pitcher.

Last Week

This past weekend Willis Norman graduated from Toccoa Falls College. Not sure what his plans are.


Last week Will went up to Camp Highland for three days. After the end-of-school parties Anna spent the night at a friend's house. But Mary-Clayton spent the night with us…she had to be at Rock Eagle at 9:30 am.


Based on many factors, Will should've won team MVP again this year. Batting stats were pretty close, except for home runs (against) and strikeouts (for). Will contributed more in the field, on the bases, and on the mound…and off the field and in the dugout, I imagine. The MVP probably meant more to the eventual winner…Will had a lot more going on than just baseball. Actually, he was glad Braeden won.

Weekend A-Go Go

     The Switchfoot concert was quite memorable for Matthew. He knew the band would hang around and perform an after-concert, so we milled around after the show. The lead guitarist picked him up and swung him around, then he got his picture taken with the three main band members. Then the frontman performed for the 75 or so that hung around… Matthew was right at his feet. It didn't break up until after 12:30 am.
     Saturday I went with the kids to the Living Science graduation. MC sang, and Haley Hurt gave a heartfelt speech. Saw her grandmother and uncle, who I hadn't seen in a long while. Also got to catch up with lots of Living Science folk…I hadn't been up there in a year. The dad who runs a CiCi's had lost 40 pounds, and narrowly missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
     Sunday I took M down to Passion. Anna stayed home to study, and Will went to a party at MC's.
     W and M picked up C at the airport late Monday afternoon, then A and I met them at the OK Café. Ceil had a great time, and brought back lots of chocolates and other foodstuffs (she had to check her bag). She sat in first class on the way back…since they were flying standby, she wasn't able to sit with her aunt on the way over, or on the way back. She took lots of great pictures…I may post some on FB.
     Work had been busy, but its getting better. The chicken lady has been off since last Thursday, but she returns tomorrow.
     If you're like me, sometimes it's hard to determine if your daughter has a good ballet performance. If she does everything at the same time as the other girls, that's good. Seems like the arm and leg and head movements need to be just so. Anna was always able to perform with a smile on her face, which was good.

The Comparison Trap

     Dan, one of the CPA's from our old small group, lent me a bunch of NP CD's. This week I've listened to the first four "Christian" CD's and three or four of the "Comparison Trap" CD's.
     They were quite timely. Yesterday I found out Will was awarded a one-time $1,000 scholarship from my company. Nice, though we were hoping for the four year $2,000 per year scholarship. Today my work neighbor Brad told me his son received the four year scholarship. Grrr. He does already have another son already in college. When I told me I smiled, remembering the message.
     The fifth installment of Andy's "Christian" message...there's lots of internet chatter about the story he told, of the woman whose husband left her for another guy. Interesting to read all the comments, as well as the article. Andy's only response has been "listen to the entire series." Lots of people haven't, and think Andy should answer to them. Pretty funny.
     Andy mentioned the Ann Rice "Christ the Lord" books…I put them on my reading list.
     I haven't figured out Twitter, much less some for the newer medias…Instagram, etc.

     At work they raffled off Braves tickets. The girl that went sat in front of Evander Holyfield. Our seats might be better this year…closer to the Braves on deck circle. With MC coming over, I didn't put my name in the hat for the tickets.

Nike Blazer Low

I couldn't resist this vintage pair of Nike court shoes, on sale for half price. It will be fun to knock around in them this summer. Also bought a pair of brown Merrell loafers. Passed on a nice pair of Nike tennis shoes.

Crown Season Leaders: Pitching

Wins & Losses: Will 7-0, Ray 5-1, Andrew 5-1, Casey 3-0, Braeden 2-0, Adam 2-4

ERA: Casey 1.75, Will 1.80, Andrew 3.50, Ray 3.84, Adam 5.39 (minimum 20 innings)

Walks & Hits per Innings Pitched: Andrew 1.44, Will 1.46, Ray 1.76, Adam 1.84, Casey 2.40 (minimum 20 innings)

Games: Andrew 14, Will 12, Adam 11, Ray & Casey 10, Franklin & Braeden 4

Innings: Adam 36, Will 35, Andrew 34, Ray 27, Casey 24, Braeden 9

Innings per Game: Adam 3.3, Will 2.9, Ray 2.7, Andrew 2.43, Casey 2.40, Braeden 2.3

Batters Faced: Adam 190, Will 163, Andrew 154, Ray 134, Casey 95, Franklin 39, Braeden 36

Pitches Thrown: Adam 743, Will 636, Andrew 573, Ray 507, Casey 373, Braeden 145

Pitches per Batter: Andrew 3.7, Ray 3.8, Will & Adam & Andrew & Casey 3.9, Braeden 4.0

Strikeouts: Will 46, Andrew 34, Casey 32, Ray & Adam 30, Braeden 9

Strikeouts per Regulation Game: Casey 9.3, Will 9.2, Ray 7.7, Andrew & Braeden 7.0, Adam 5.8

Strikeouts per Batters Faced: Will & Casey 0.3, Adam & Andrew & Ray & Braeden 0.2

% Strikes: Casey 64.3%, Will 58.5%, Andrew 57.9%, Braeden 56.6%, Adam 56.4%, Ray 52.5%

1st Pitch Strikes Resulting in an Out: Casey 78%, Will 77%, Braeden 71%, Andrew 69%, Adam 66%, Ray 65%

1st Pitch Strikes Resulting in a Hit: Will 13.2%, Casey 13.4%, Braeden 14.3%, Ray 18.8%, Andrew 21.2%, Adam 24.1%

Ratio of Groundouts to Air Outs: Will 2.14, Andrew 1.35, Adam 1.33, Ray 1.00, Braeden 0.88, Casey 0.83

% Weakly Hit Balls: Will 78%, Braeden 76%, Ray 74%, Andrew 71%, Adam 70%, Casey 69%

% Swing & Misses: Casey 26.2%, Will 25.3%, Ray 22.6%, Andrew 20.8%, Braeden 20.7%

Zero Walk Innings: Will 20, Adam 19, Andrew 18, Casey 17, Ray 12, Braeden 6

Runners Left on Base: Will 39, Adam 30, Ray 36, Andrew 23, Casey 12, Braeden 5

Crown Leaders: Fielding

Assists

42…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

39…Franklin (2B)

34…Perry (SS)

28…Casey (3B, SS, P)

26…Patrick ( C )

12…Andrew (P, 3B, OF)

10…Adam (P, CF)

09…Nathan (OF, 2B, P)

08…Ray (P, 3B, OF)

08…Ryan (2B, OF)

07…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

Putouts

163…Patrick ( C )

127…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

049…Charlie (1B)

041…Franklin (2B)

029…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

Total Chances:

201…Patrick ( C )

143…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

089…Franklin (2B, P)

080…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

In GameChanger, first-baseman and catchers have the most chances and putouts. Will (3B, SS, P, C), Franklin (2B), and Braeden (1B, RF, P) finished the season with the same number of errors. Patrick, the catcher, had the most.

Crown Team Leaders: More Batting

Walk to Strikeout Ratio: Will 2.25, Ray 1.62, Casey 1.5, Franklin 1.42, Perry 0.80, Adam & Braeden 0.70

Plate Attempts per Walk: Casey 5.2, Franklin 5.4, Ray 5.5, Patrick 6.3, Will & Eric 6.4, Braeden 7.4

Plate Attempts per Strikeout: Braeden 5.2, Perry 6.3, Franklin 7.7, Casey 7.8, Adam 8.5, Nathan 8.9, Ray 9.0, Patrick 9.5, Will 14.4

Stolen Bases: Patrick 18, Will 13, Franklin & Adam & Braeden 9

Batting Average with Runners In Scoring Position: Eric 550, Casey 520, Nathan 455, Will 429, Franklin 421, Braeden 417

Quality At Bat Percentage: Nathan 526, Andrew 500, Will & Braeden 487

Hard Hit Balls: Braeden 32, Will 26 (judgment call by GameChanger scorekeeper)

Pitches Seen: Will 463, Braeden 436

Pitches Seen per Plate Appearance: Charlie 4.2, Will & Perry & Ryan 4.0, Andrew & Caleb & Eric 3.8, Nathan & Braeden 3.7

Seeing 3 or more Pitches after 2 Strikes: Will 10, Nathan & Casey & Braeden 7

Plate Appearances Seeing 6 or more Pitches: Will 26, Braeden 23

Sac Fly RBI: Ryan 3, Will & Andrew & Casey & Braeden 2

Grounded Into Double Plays: Perry & Adam 3, Braeden & Patrick & Charlie 1, Will 0

Crown Team Leaders: Batting

Games: Braeden 33, Will 31

Plate Appearances: Braeden 119, Will 115

At Bats: Braeden 99, Will 90

Hits: Braeden 41, Will 39

Singles: Adam 29, Will 25, Braeden 23

Doubles: Will 10, Braeden 8

Triples: Nathan 6, Will 4, Ray 2, Braeden 1

Home Runs: Braeden 9, Perry 2, Will 0

RBI: Braeden 45, Franklin 25, Ray 24, Nathan 22, Perry &  Patrick 20, Will 19

Runs: Braeden 34, Nathan 32, Will 29 (see note).

Hit by Pitch: Patrick 12, Will & Franklin 5, Ray 4, Nathan & Perry & Ryan 3, Braeden 2

Reached on Error: Franklin 6, Will & Ryan & Andrew & Nathan 4, Braeden 3

Walks: Will 18, Braeden 16

Strikeouts: Braeden 23, Charlie 18, Eric & Sam 13, Franklin 12, Ryan & Adam & Patrick & Perry 10, Nathan 9, Andrew & Ray & Will 8

Batting Average: Casey 474, Eric 438, Adam 436, Will 433, Nathan 424, Braeden 414

On Base Percentage: Casey 579, Will 539, Franklin 538, Nathan 506, Braeden 496

Slugging: Braeden 788, Nathan 712, Will 633

On Base + Slugging: Braden 1.284, Nathan 1.218, Will 1.172

Reached Base: Will 66, Braeden 62 (H+BB+HBP+ROE)

Balls In Play: Will 82, Braeden 76

NOTE: Due to the many times Will pitched and caught throughout the season, Will was replaced by a courtesy runner more times than most of the other players. This decreased the number of runs he scored. More often than not, Will remained on first base, and was only replaced once he advanced to second or third.

Batting leadoff, Will had fewer RBI opportunities than most of the other players. Braeden batted third in the order. As these numbers bear out, the main difference between the two seniors’ statistics are Braeden’s home runs and strikeouts.