Hit for average or hit for power?
If you could only do one or the other which would you pick? There are very few Babe Ruth's who bat .342 and hit 714 home runs, so you need to pick a style.
The teams that were stocked with power hitters are all gone from the playoffs. The runs now are coming at a premium in the World Series with good pitching on both sides.
So does the need to squeek out a run over rule the sit back and wait for the big inning approach?
How does it affect your hitting approach at the plate if you're faced with the same dilemma?
What are your thoughts, which would you rather have if you could only have one?
It depends on whose point of view this is from. If I'm the owner of a baseball team, I'm going for power, knowing that the long ball draws more fans and more cash.
If I'm a coach, I'd rather have a "small ball" lineup because there is a constant threat in every inning to scratch across another run or two, as opposed to relying on the "big inning."
If a power lineup loses its power, it tends to be dead in the water, as I've seen at times this season with my Yankees. Hitters with high averages, however, can find other ways to win ball games when they're mired in a slump.
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that's true, but the power hitters are known for making crucial slams. Much like Pujols in game 5 of the NLCS. or last year Edmonds in game 6 of the NLCS.
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KC,
Undoubtedly, the best lineups are a good mix of average and power. While it's no question that Pujols had a huge blast in game 5 and Edmonds in game 6, you can still see that those two in the Cardinals lineup were not enough to get it done this year or last year.
Power lineups carry a strong presence, but they only produce results when they're set up in situations to do so.
Despite Pujols power this year, the Cardinals could not make the same kind of opportunities that the Astros set up for themselves. From what I saw in that series, I saw a lot of the Astros hitters setting themselves up to score with small ball, and it was a big success to get them into the World Series.
In the case of last year's postseason, the Cards suffered a power outage in the World Series, while the Red Sox got hot at the right time to sweep them.
My point here is, if I was forced to choose between EITHER a power lineup or average lineup, I'd stick with the average hitters because they can find other ways to win when the entire lineup may not be clicking to its full potential.
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I'm in full agreement with bigif507. As a Cubs fan (please no comments from the peanut gallery) I have witnessed the flaws of the power line up on a regular basis. I have also seen the Cardinals quite a bit as well. I admire Pujols who can hit for both power and average. Thats what makes him so dangerous. As we know, a solo shot is probably not going to hurt a team now and again. This is the majority of the power hitters production. You need the table setters to get you the added RBI. I think David Eckstein is a great example. He fights off pitches, draws walks, steals bases, and in general is a pest at the plate and on the bases. He is a true average hitter. In order to score runs, you have to get on base. He does that and he propelled the Cards offense.
I chose the for average hitter's style hands down.
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I think the mindset of the home-run hitter and the high-average hitter are more or less the same. It is like I was taught by my father-- you hit the ball square with the fat part of the bat and more often than not good things will happen...
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