GDT: 5/16/17 Braves vs Blue Jays

Who cares? Can't we just agree that Freddie in an elite hitter hitting out of his mind and Kemp is a very good hitter hitting at an elite level right now? And can't we agree that its fun to see in the middle of the lineup?
 
thethe said:
No protection is positive in the Freeman/Kemp situation because Freeman is good. Protection is negative because the pitcher can't hit.

And I agree - That runners on base impacts how the pitchers pitches. Thats why the game is played by humans.
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So does having Kemp behind Freeman give Freeman better pitches to hit? Is that why he is hitting as well as he is right now? Pretty sure that has been the whole argument the entire time.
 
zbhargrove said:
Who cares? Can't we just agree that Freddie in an elite hitter hitting out of his mind and Kemp is a very good hitter hitting at an elite level right now? And can't we agree that its fun to see in the middle of the lineup?
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All of these are true
 
Of course, they were going to walk Freeman in the ninth. Freeman is a better hitter than Kemp and he isn't a particularly good runner, so the force is in order at second. Kemp's presence has made the offense better overall (which isn't saying much), but I don't know if he's protecting Freeman all that much. Freeman is going to get walked in a number of situations because he's one of the best hitters in baseball.
 
50PoundHead said:
Of course, they were going to walk Freeman in the ninth. Freeman is a better hitter than Kemp and he isn't a particularly good runner, so the force is in order at second. Kemp's presence has made the offense better overall (which isn't saying much), but I don't know if he's protecting Freeman all that much. Freeman is going to get walked in a number of situations because he's one of the best hitters in baseball.
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That's right. I don't think it's a stretch to say that he'd be pitched around a little more if Kemp and Neck (or other decent hitters) weren't behind him. It's also not a stretch to imagine that contributed to his slower start last year, but I am aware (and if I were not, this forum would be very, very quick to remind me) that Freddie's elite hitting began before Kemp came over. While it is true that baseball mythology overstates the importance of "protection", it is not difficult to believe that having other folks hitting can have a positive effect on some hitters. I have to admit that I tire a little of Joe and Chip preaching protection all the time, as I agree with the idea that it didn't magically elevate Freeman's hitting ability, but the offense is certainly a lot better than it was this time last year.
 
jimsnores said:
That's right. I don't think it's a stretch to say that he'd be pitched around a little more if Kemp and Neck (or other decent hitters) weren't behind him. It's also not a stretch to imagine that contributed to his slower start last year, but I am aware (and if I were not, this forum would be very, very quick to remind me) that Freddie's elite hitting began before Kemp came over. While it is true that baseball mythology overstates the importance of "protection", it is not difficult to believe that having other folks hitting can have a positive effect on some hitters. I have to admit that I tire a little of Joe and Chip preaching protection all the time, as I agree with the idea that it didn't magically elevate Freeman's hitting ability, but the offense is certainly a lot better than it was this time last year.
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I think that's a stance that most people can get around. Hitters getting pitched around is one thing that nobody has really ever argued against. Getting more fastballs and hittable pitches in general because player X is behind them is just something I never bought into.
 
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