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Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

Someone has to take blame for offense

It’s always hard to know, for sure, how much a coach is at fault for the lack of productivity of the group he happens to coach. Unless you’re there, watching the work of the coach as he interacts with the players, it’s difficult to know if the coach just doesn’t have enough talent to work with or if the talent just isn’t getting the correct coaching.

That’s why I am always hesitant to blame a coach. It’s certainly tempting to blame Georgia’s defensive woes last season on defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. And I admit I’ve questioned the sanity of Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson from time to time.

The evaluation of Braves’ hitting coach Terry Pendleton is a bit different. The Braves’ offense has not been very good this season. It’s inconsistent. There is limited power, little plate discipline, mainly a bunch of punch-and-Judy hitters and absolutely no speed.

But is that Pendleton’s fault?

You can look at the statistics, which do not paint a pretty picture. Going into Tuesday’s game, Atlanta was 20th in Major League Baseball (out of 30 teams) in team batting average (.257), 23rd in runs scored (288) and 26th in home runs (52).

You can also look at whom the players turn to for help. Jeff Francoeur was sent down to Mississippi last year to work with Phillip Wellman, and then last winter Francoeur called the Texas Rangers’ hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo, for help. Brian McCann and Chipper Jones both turn to their dads when they need help at the plate.

The only player I’ve ever heard publicly give Pendleton credit for helping him out at the plate? Gregor Blanco — late last season. And Blanco is not exactly the player you want on the back of a hitting DVD if you want to compete with Tom Emanski.

Many people wonder if Pendleton were not the same guy who was an NL MVP for the Braves back in 1991, if he would still have his job as hitting coach. It’s a logical question. Last year’s Francoeur episode was embarrassing for Pendleton. If Francoeur can be helped, why couldn’t Pendleton do it instead of having to rely on the Double-A manager?

Francoeur further embarrassed Pendleton by publicly discussing his workouts with Jaramillo. It was one thing to talk about his winter workouts, but when Francoeur talked last month about having a phone conversation with Jaramillo, it made Pendleton look even worse. Even if Francoeur is just not listening to Pendleton’s advice, it looked more like Pendleton was unable to do his job.

Beyond the stats and the strange stories of players looking elsewhere for help, it’s painfully obvious when watching this team that there is no approach. As a group, the Braves’ hitters are impatient. A pitcher can be wild, and on schedule, a Braves’ hitter will come to the plate and swing at the first pitch. How many times have you watched an at-bat and asked yourself what the Braves’ hitter was thinking swinging at bad pitches?

Pendleton may be saying the right things, but the bottom line is this team is not responding. If he resigned tomorrow, a new coach might come in and say the same exact things Pendleton has preached, and the team might respond. And that’s it — sometimes a team simply needs a different voice.

It’s worth putting some of the blame on Bobby Cox, whose lineup construction can sometimes be puzzling. But Pendleton is in charge of the hitters, and therefore the spotlight will be on him unless this lineup can become more consistent. Yes, the talent level is not where it needs to be, but it’s all about seeing some improvement from the players under Pendleton’s watch as hitting coach. And unfortunately, it’s just not there.

Don’t expect anything to happen during the season. Cox would probably quit before firing a coach in midseason, as the Cubs’ did when they fired their hitting coach, former Braves first baseman Gerald Perry, two weeks ago. But at the end of the season, Pendleton could be the scapegoat if the Braves finish below .500 once again.

And it’s needed. The players just aren’t responding to Pendleton, and talented or not, the coaches have to make a difference with the hand they are dealt. Pendleton has fallen short.

The Bill Shanks Show airs weekdays from 3-6 pm on WFSM Fox Sports 1670 and online at www.foxsports1670.com