The Series Cynic: Braves to field a U-25 team if first basemen can’t start hitting
Struggles at first base and Kris Medlen’s elbow injury could force the Braves to call on the services of some young, inexperienced players.
The Braves won their first series in nearly two weeks on Wednesday night after a 8-3 victory over the New York Mets and have miraculously maintained their division lead in the N.L. East.
And while Atlanta’s struggles with runners in scoring position have been well-documented, there seems to be one key area where the Braves are struggling that few people have recognized.
We all know that Uncle Glaus has been occupying the basement couch for sometime now—hitting .165 with 1 HR and 12 RBIs since June 13—but is there more to his story than meets the eye?
Perhaps.
The only other player to start at first base other than Glaus since June 13 is Eric Hinske, who has started four games during Troy’s offensive relapse, and he is 0-for-11 in those starts—making the duo a combined 21-for-137 (.153) over their last 42 starts.
Apparently, no one in an Atlanta uniform wants to play first base for fear of a batting average nosedive—emphasis on ATLANTA uniform.