Because Prince Fielder is left-handed, we must make every effort to protect him

April 12, 2008

This is why we have beat reporters. To investigate the questions no one is asking.

Neither Prince Fielder nor Ryan Braun has prospered in his new spot in the batting order over the first 10 games but Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost said Friday that it was too soon to flip-flop them.

Fine. Nice tidbit for the bottom of your notebook. What else you got?

“I’m not apt to change this early,” Yost said before the Brewers lost, 4-2, to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. “I’ll give it its due course. I’ll look at it awhile longer.

Oh, we’re still proving that first one? It’s been 10 games. One-sixteen-point-twoth of a season. See you in June. If Fielder still has no home runs and is still eating those muscle-crippling soy burgers, we will revisit this.

Fielder batted fourth most of the season last year, with Braun ahead of him. Braun won the National League rookie of the year award and Fielder became the youngest player to slug 50 home runs in a season.

Two nice seasons from two players who seem to be developing into nice hitters. Point made.

Because Fielder is the only left-handed hitter in the Brewers’ regular lineup this season, Yost decided to protect him with Braun.

Pardon?

Because Fielder is the only left-handed hitter in the Brewers’ regular lineup this season, Yost decided to protect him with Braun.

The sentence construction here boils down to “Because _______, Yost decided ________.” So many things would fit in these blanks, because it is Ned Yost’s job to make all sorts of decisions. “Because Derrick Turnbow is fragile emotionally, Yost decided to only use him when it doesn’t matter.” “Because Gabe Gross threw an opposing team’s batted ball over the fence for a home run, Yost decided a better defensive player should start in center field for the remaining 151 games.” “Because he was friends with Dale Earnhardt and believes in magical spirits, Yost decided to wear his 3 t-shirt under his uniform for every game.”

Haudricourt’s statement doesn’t follow the same formula. There is no need in the first clause that is solved in the second. They’re two independent statements.

[1] Prince Fielder hits from the left side of the plate. Often, he is the only such player in the lineup. This is true. [2] Ryan Braun has been batting immediately after Fielder in the lineup. True again. (We’re conceding the point that this “protects” Fielder, who, as was stated above, hit 50 home runs in 2007 while finding his crucial protection from a variety of other sources.)

But why does the fact that Fielder is left-handed necessitate his being protected? The annual “Left-Handed Performance By A Team Award” was canceled in 1987 after it was awarded to Tony Gwynn, John Kruk and Tim Flannery, whose Padres finished sixth in the NL West, exposing the myth that a hitting statistic for a subset of a team equals success.

Back to the thing.

Yost said the key was for Braun to be selective at the plate without Fielder behind him for protection. Braun has not been selective, however, drawing no walks in 44 at-bats while hitting .227 with three homers and seven runs batted in. …

Braun was not alone in his impatience at the plate. The Brewers have drawn only 19 walks, the lowest total in the league. Their .302 on-base percentage ranked 12th among the 16 teams.

“That’s the only real negative aspect of our offense right now,” Yost said.

No big deal. It’s just that one aspect.