Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Natural?
Another great outing from Phillies ace Cole Hamels runs Hamels record to 9-2, the best in the National League. While Hamels doesn’t have the numbers of the Padres Jake Peavy, he’s doing extremely well given that he plays in such a hitters park. I wonder how Peavy would do if he hurled at Citizens Bank Ballpark.
Anyway, I figured that I’d focus in a little on Phillies reserve infielder Greg Dobbs. Last night Dobbs went two-for-four with two RBIs, driving in Aaron Rowand and Chase Utley in the first inning to give the Phillies a 3-2 advantage they’d never lose. Dobbs is one of those indispensable players that contribute to the team despite being utterly unheralded and utterly unknown to 99% of the fans. Last season Chris Coste seemingly came out of nowhere to become a major hero for the Phillies. This season it is Greg Dobbs turn.
Originally a tenth-round pick by the Seattle Mariners out of Oklahoma, Dobbs made his MLB debut in Seattle in 2004 before getting released by the team after the 2006 campaign. Sensing an opportunity, Pat Gillick signed his one-time draft choice (yet another Mariner making his way to Philly) and watched as he beat out Karim Garcia to join the Phillies roster.
Dobbs is extremely versatile. Thus far this season Dobbs has logged 97 innings at first base, 56 at third base, 29 in left field, 5 at second base and an inning in right field. He’s hitting extremely well too – six home runs, eight doubles and 25 RBIs in 117 plate appearances. His OBP is .325, but his slugging percentage is a robust .541. Dobbs has the kind of skills you want from a pinch-hitter: the ability to make contact, put the ball into play and to perhaps hit it out of the park. At the moment Dobbs has a .344 Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position (BA/RISP), which is extremely good. He doesn’t hit that many ground balls (just 40% of the balls he puts into play are grounders), so he doesn’t hit into many 6-4-3 double plays.
I’m curious to see, as the season unfolds, how well Dobbs continues to play and if he’ll continue to make an impact. Is Greg Dobbs the next Chris Coste? Wait and see.
Anyway, I figured that I’d focus in a little on Phillies reserve infielder Greg Dobbs. Last night Dobbs went two-for-four with two RBIs, driving in Aaron Rowand and Chase Utley in the first inning to give the Phillies a 3-2 advantage they’d never lose. Dobbs is one of those indispensable players that contribute to the team despite being utterly unheralded and utterly unknown to 99% of the fans. Last season Chris Coste seemingly came out of nowhere to become a major hero for the Phillies. This season it is Greg Dobbs turn.
Originally a tenth-round pick by the Seattle Mariners out of Oklahoma, Dobbs made his MLB debut in Seattle in 2004 before getting released by the team after the 2006 campaign. Sensing an opportunity, Pat Gillick signed his one-time draft choice (yet another Mariner making his way to Philly) and watched as he beat out Karim Garcia to join the Phillies roster.
Dobbs is extremely versatile. Thus far this season Dobbs has logged 97 innings at first base, 56 at third base, 29 in left field, 5 at second base and an inning in right field. He’s hitting extremely well too – six home runs, eight doubles and 25 RBIs in 117 plate appearances. His OBP is .325, but his slugging percentage is a robust .541. Dobbs has the kind of skills you want from a pinch-hitter: the ability to make contact, put the ball into play and to perhaps hit it out of the park. At the moment Dobbs has a .344 Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position (BA/RISP), which is extremely good. He doesn’t hit that many ground balls (just 40% of the balls he puts into play are grounders), so he doesn’t hit into many 6-4-3 double plays.
I’m curious to see, as the season unfolds, how well Dobbs continues to play and if he’ll continue to make an impact. Is Greg Dobbs the next Chris Coste? Wait and see.
Labels: Dobbs, Power-Hitting
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