Should we pull the plug on Walker now?

[AerchAngel]

I know it is on the batters mostly, then what is his job if he can't get through the batters? We can actually pay someone like the batboy to sit on the bench wear a uniform if that is the case.

[Dunit24]

No. Our hitters just need to be smarter. They know what it takes. Walker is a great hitting coach.

[AerchAngel]

No. Our hitters just need to be smarter. They know what it takes. Walker is a great hitting coach.

Then what is he coaching? What is his job? I do not see any results.

I thought a job is to produce results. They aren't there. He is collecting a paycheck, that is all.

[The Chosen One]

Then what is he coaching? What is his job? I do not see any results.

I thought a job is to produce results. They aren't there. He is collecting a paycheck, that is all.

Not many assistant coaches in any sport have a "Mazzone Effect".

I'm sure Walker is telling them all the same things that we're typing here. Up to the hitters to do something about it. It's also not like Frank Wren is oblivious to what goes on. He probably sees what's going on day-in-day-out and he knows Walker is trying to do something but the hitters aren't producing.

[Russ2dollas]

I think the GM assembled these guys. They are who they are. Walker's job is to tweak, help come up with approaches, etc. What really needs to happen is the Braves have to figure out a way to sprinkle some different types of hitters in the line up. That and they need stars to be stars.

[The Chosen One]

I think the GM assembled these guys. They are who they are. Walker's job is to tweak, help come up with approaches, etc. What really needs to happen is the Braves have to figure out a way to sprinkle some different types of hitters in the line up. That and they need stars to be stars.

Refuse to accept the status quo.

[nsacpi]

We have the third best hitting team in the NL, as measured by wOBA. Behind the Cards and Rockies.

[50PoundHead]

Not many assistant coaches in any sport have a "Mazzone Effect".

I'm sure Walker is telling them all the same things that we're typing here. Up to the hitters to do something about it. It's also not like Frank Wren is oblivious to what goes on. He probably sees what's going on day-in-day-out and he knows Walker is trying to do something but the hitters aren't producing.

J.C. Bradbury will be all over me, but I even think the "Mazzone Effect" was overstated.

This edition of Braves' offense is feast-or-famine. I'd be curious to see what the "in zone" swings-and-misses are and how many guys are going outside the zone. Looks to be an odd mix in that there really is no mix. There are different levels of talent, but every guy looks similar in approach. Just followed along for awhile on Gameday last night and saw the 2nd and 3rd and no outs come to naught, but part of that is where the line-up was and part of it wasn't hitting the ball.

Simmons is going to be Simmons. Doesn't have really good technique. Swing is pretty much all arms and his strike zone recognition looks to be on the iffy side. His glove will carry him of course.

[The Chosen One]

The only people swinging and missing at strikes are BJ and Uggla.

Everyone else swings and misses on balls out the zone.

[50PoundHead]

The only people swinging and missing at strikes are BJ and Uggla.

Everyone else swings and misses on balls out the zone.

Well, there you have it then.

[NYCBrave]

I'd consider it just for the sake of shaking things up, probably would send some shock through the clubhouse. Look what the Nats did with letting Eckstein go (so far it hasn't worked) but that was a decision that the manager and the players did not even agree on because they felt he was a great hitting coach.

[nsacpi]

There are some indications that Walker is making some progress. The strikeout rate for example.

Strikeouts per PA:

April 25.1
May 23.3
June 21.7
July 19.5

It seems we get a bunch of rants around here whenever the team goes through a bad patch. It seems to reflect the psyches of the posters much more than anything connected to the reality of how the team is performing.

[nsacpi]

Month-by-month OPS numbers:

April .752
May .724
June .721
July .731

Some posters harp constantly about how inconsistent this team is offensively. They resurface whenever it loses three out of four. They never offer any sort of analysis to back up their claim. Possibly because any analysis would indicate that their claims are unfounded.

[NYCBrave]

There are some indications that Walker is making some progress. The strikeout rate for example.

Strikeouts per PA:

April 25.1
May 23.3
June 21.7
July 19.5

It seems we get a bunch of rants around here whenever the team goes through a bad patch. It seems to reflect the psyches of the posters much more than anything connected to the reality of how the team is performing.

Now can you include the BB rate? It seems to me it's trending in the wrong direction, but I don't know the stats so I could be wrong.

[nsacpi]

Now can you include the BB rate? It seems to me it's trending in the wrong direction, but I don't know the stats so I could be wrong.

You can find all the numbers at any number of websites. fangraphs, baseball reference. Go look em up. They are quite educational.

[NYCBrave]

You can find all the numbers at any number of websites. fangraphs, baseball reference. Go look em up. They are quite educational.

Walk Rate:

April: 9.3% (4th)
May: 8.6% (14th)
June: 10.8% (7th)
July: 6.3% (26th)

BINGO! Certainly shows how poorly of an approach the team has had in July so far.

[BRule]

No one should be surprised by this, I posted the CWS OBP/walk numbers under Walker and they were always in the bottom 5-6 of the league. Didn't understand the hire then, nothing has happened since then to change my opinion.

[The Chosen One]

Walk Rate:

April: 9.3% (4th)
May: 8.6% (14th)
June: 10.8% (7th)
July: 6.3% (26th)

BINGO! Certainly shows how poorly of an approach the team has had in July so far.

The solution?

Need more Laird.

[50PoundHead]

I think inconsistency is the bugbear that rankles a lot of folks (myself included). I don't know which team leads the majors in times being shut out, but we've been shut out 11 times and have looked mercilessly bad in games where we produced one or two runs. I agree with the notion that the team looks better on paper than it has on the field, but it's difficult to argue with a seven-game lead in the standings. Outside of Freeman and McCann, our top-tier players haven't looked that way. Heyward was showing signs before his injury and if he gets on track, it makes everyone better.

[nsacpi]

Walk Rate:

April: 9.3% (4th)
May: 8.6% (14th)
June: 10.8% (7th)
July: 6.3% (26th)

BINGO! Certainly shows how poorly of an approach the team has had in July so far.

OK. The team has had a poor walk rate in July. Does this say something relevant about the pitching coach? Was Walker good in April and June, average in May, poor in July?

[NYCBrave]

OK. The team has had a poor walk rate in July. Does this say something relevant about the pitching coach? Was Walker good in April and June, average in May, poor in July?

Pitching coach?? This is the hitters BB rate.

[Julio3000]

It seems like hitting coaches get fired because they are either not communicating effectively with players (i.e. poor job performance) or because their bosses choose to make an example of them and shake up an underperforming club. The Braves have never been the kind of organization that does the latter, so I assume they're satisfied with Walker's job performance.

[emk418]

THE ISSUE IS FREDI!

[Enscheff]

I'm not exactly sure how anyone can be shocked with how some of these guys have underperformed. Certainly the extent to which they have sucked is alarming, but we ALL knew it was possible.

We all knew Heyward was prone to being injured and inconsistent.

We all knew JUpton was strikeout prone and had questions about his motivation. He wouldn't have been available otherwise.

We all knew Uggla was turning into a low average, high power guy with a good/great walk rate.

We all knew BUpton also K'd a lot and likely would hit for a low average.

We all should have known Simmons wasn't a legitimate leadoff hitter.

So we are seeing everyone but CJ, Mac and Freeman play towards their worst case scenario. It sucks, but none of it came out of the blue, and I doubt much of it is Walker's fault. The Braves pretty much have only one choice: hope the studs start playing like studs.

[AerchAngel]

Okay some of you say it is not needed.

Okay let me ask, what is his actual job? He is on a payroll for a reason, I want to hear that reason. The bat boy can produce the same results.

[bravesnumberone]

I understand it's a results-driven game and wouldn't cry foul necessarily if he were replaced. But if Greg Walker has been instructing these guys to swing at some of the **** I've seen them swing at, I seriously doubt he would ever advanced this high in coaching. At the end of the day, it's on the hitters. If you can't hit a low 90s fast ball with zero movement over the plate, unless you're a pitcher, and don't have the discipline to lay off a pitch over your head or one that starts low and stays in the dirt, I really don't know what you're doing on an MLB roster.

[GovClintonTyree]

I think we should have another assistant hitting coach who is an optometrist.