Andruw Jones Rant

Today I visited mlb.com when just a few seconds after, I find the headline "Andruw On Pace for Unflattering Record." I chuckled and clicked on the link to find out just what this record could be. Folks, Andruw is on pace for 188 strikeouts for the season. If he continues this, he could break the Atlanta Braves Franchise record by a large margin and could even break the MLB record set by Adam Dunn in 2004, which is 195. Andruw currently has 51 strikeouts. What many people don't realize is that Dunn himself is already on pace for about that many this year too with 60 strikeouts so far. The obvious reason someone even wrote such an article is because this isn't the Andruw Jones we expected.

The strikeout total isn't what bothers me, it's the attitude this guy has. Here are a few comments quoted from the article.

-"I swing the bat the way I want to swing, the way I swing it all the time," Jones said. "So some days, you're going to have bad days and some days, you're going to have good days."

-"I can go 0-for-24," Jones said. "I don't care. People can make a big deal about it. I don't. I just go out there and play and help my team any way that I can."

-"It's not the first time that I've struggled in my life," Jones said. "It ain't no big deal. Free agent or no free agent, I just go out there and play the same way that I always play."

Does he not sound like a very ignorant person? He is basically refusing to change something with his mechanics to improve his hitting. Does he realize,that he could actually help the team more if he made a big deal out it?

-But while regularly not accepting advice from Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton, he hasn't shown the initiative necessary to make the adjustments that might have prevented him from recording just five hits in the 36 at-bats that he registered on the forgettable 10-game road trip that the Braves just experienced.

-This mindset provides indication of why he owns a .265 career batting average. His glove and power numbers may allow him to join Reggie Jackson as one of Cooperstown's members who own a sub-.270 career batting average.

-"There are some who are just .260 hitters," Pendleton said. "But there are others who are doing that and possibly are much better than they have shown. He's definitely better than a .260 hitter."

I agree with Pendleton, Andruw Jones has the capability to be a much better hitter. He just refuses to let anyone help him.

Andruw used to be one of my favorite Braves, but lately his character has changed the way I feel about him. In fact, I wouldn't mind if he signed with another team after this season. His defense has been in decline, and he has never been a very great hitter. Maybe it is time for a change in centerfield. Who knows, maybe by the end of the season, I will have totally different thoughts about Andruw.

If I were Bobby Cox, this would be my lineup...I don't believe the whole "righty vs lefty" blah blah garbage makes much of a difference.

Johnson
Renteria
Chipper
McCann
Francoeur
Diaz
Thorman
Andruw