Can a Careless Whisper Cure Reddicks' Batting Woes?

If you are an A's fan and let's face it you probably are because you are actually reading my blog then you're probably well aware of Josh Reddick's new theme song Careless Whisper by Wham ... it's quite the unusual walk up song but since premiering it on Monday in the first of a three game series against the Chicago White Sox Reddick has been hitting. He went 2-4 Monday night with a triple and 2-5 Tuesday night with a two-run home run. The fans in Oakland love it and so do the other players. Here's a longer version of video than just the Vine clip that has been circulating on Twitter.
The big question though is should we be believing that the 2012 Reddick has returned? I'm gonna say, "No," at least not yet. I know that every A's fan wants to believe it and with the song, it's really hard not to. Yet, let's not be too hasty! It's only two games so I am not ready to eat my words just yet. Back on April 6th I said that the A's should send Reddick down to Triple-A Sacramento. The guy couldn't hit, desperately needed to shorten his swing and was basically just fanning everything. His batting average in April? .241. Could have been worse but you'll see that even when we move on to May, it's only gotten worse.

However I did say that I would totally take it all back if he turned it around and no, I am not ready to do that .... YET. These last two games he's appeared to be the 2012 Josh Reddick who hit 32 bombs and batted .241. 

I'm certainly not questioning that his defense is still superior to almost every other right fielder out there. In 2013, while fighting a wrist injury that required off season surgery, he barley lost out on winning the Gold Glove to Boston's Shane Victorino. He made two insane "Spider-man" like grabs to rob San Francisco's Mike Morse of two home runs in the first game of spring training. So I have never questioned his defense but his offense has been pretty bad, really ugly even. As much as you want to believe he's back, I still need more proof.

In the month of May Reddick is batting .216 with eight strikeouts, only two walks and just three RBI. All three RBI came in the last two games against Chicago. So am I NOT ready to take back all of what I wrote about Reddick but I will take back the fact that I thought he should be sent down, for now. Here's what I said about Reddick after the first week of the season in my article on OPSN Five Changes the A's Need to Make Right Now:

"1. Send Reddick Down to Triple-A: Reddick is currently hitting .100 in 22 plate appearances with eight strikeouts. Now some question why I would single out Reddick when Josh Donaldson‘s batting average is similar to Reddick’s. I would answer that by looking at Reddick’s numbers in Boston and his numbers post 2012.  You would see that they are not that different meaning his so-called breakout year could very well have been a fluke. Donaldson’s breakout year was only last season so I would keep him and give him a chance to turn it around. Reddick has had his chances. Let’s be honest, Reddick slumped down the stretch in 2012 and started 2013 on a slow note. Granted he was injured in April slamming his wrist into a wall in a game in Houston. The wrist injury did not affect his defense as he was in the running for the AL Gold Glove in 2013 and his excuse that the injury hindered his swing is worth a grain of salt but he’s repeatedly said that he is 100 percent healthy this season so there is no excuse for batting .100 even in the first week of the season."

I had a chance to reread it and I still stand by the majority of my convictions but I will say that my wanting him sent down to Triple-A was, and still is, a bit rash. Can a simple Careless Whisper bring back the 2012 Reddick? I absolutely hope so and the past two nights have shown a marked improvement but two ballgames in the grand scheme of 162 means next to nothing. To believe he's back after two games is just naive.

I will say that I am pleased with his recent success and if he keeps it going then I will take back every negative thing I have said about him, however true it may have been at the time but that, my friends, is still a promise. I want to see our boys in the white cleats win as much as y'all do so ... I'd say let's have fun with the song for sure but don't see it as a sudden cure for Reddick's offensive woes at least not just yet. Let the numbers be your guide. Remember Reddick is still batting a measly .233 on the year with just two homers, so don't let his bravado fool you. In my opinion he still has something to prove at the plate.

February 6, 1895: Happy Birthday Babe!

I really didn't realize that the Babe was born in the 1800's, 1895 to be exact, 119 years ago today, February 6th. And baseball is so much older. There is no sport with such a rich and amazing history as baseball but that is a topic for another day! Today is about the Babe .... 

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." - Babe Ruth

The Babe is probably the most well-known, famous baseball player of all time. Even if someone say doesn't know who Joe DiMaggio or Ty Cobb is, you can guarantee they have at least heard of Babe Ruth. I so wish I could have met him, ok well at least have seen him play! 

I have seen some of the greatest of all time play ... Mariano Rivera. He would be the one I would say I am most proud to have seen play and I certainly do not doubt he will be the first unanimous Hall of Fame inductee. No one doesn't like Mo, no one. He was a class act on and off the field and one of the most AMAZING pitchers of all time. spent his whole career with the same team, I mean he is the legend people will talk about in 50 years. And I saw him play Everyone loves him and rightfully so! Randy Johnson would be another one, Ken Griffey Jr.,  ... these are legends I have seen live. I'm trying to think of some others but I will get back to that. Maybe in another blog post or something because this was supposed to be a little piece celebrating The Babe.

"Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back."

– Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth Jr. was born in Maryland in 1895. Nicknamed The Bambino, The Sultan of Swat and The Babe he became the most famed baseball player of all time! He was sent to a strict parochial school as a boy where he excelled in baseball and later his pitching was noticed by the owner of the then minor league Baltimore Orioles, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. 

"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."

– Babe Ruth

The Orioles owner, Jack Dunn, became Ruth's legal guardian. People called him Dunn's new babe. The nickname stuck and the man we know as Babe Ruth was officially born!  And most of the rest of the factual information most of us know (I'm assuming you may be a casual baseball fan) - called up to the Red Sox, won some championships, threw 13 scoreless innings in a game (a MLB record), got traded to the Yankees in 1919 so the owner of the Red Sox could finance the musical "No-No Nanette" and The Curse of the Bambino became a reality for 86 years before the Red Sox won their first championship in 2004. In New York Ruth became a full time outfielder and his offensive abilities only got better.

"If I'd just tried for them dinky singles I would've batted around six hundred."

– Babe Ruth

The Bambino holds so many MLB records! He was one of the first five players inducted into the hall of fame in 1936 along with Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson - those names all together At Spring Training every year when we get to see guys like Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom, Bob Welch, Rickey Henderson and Campy! Those guys are legends to me! But I am a baseball history nerd so these guy would be by far the coolest to see all together! OMG! 

Babe hit his final home runs at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA and reminded people of his greatness as they were all in one game on May 25, 1935. Of course everyone knows the story of when he called his shot and nailed a home run to left! That is just insane! 

"I looked out at center field and I pointed. I said, 'I'm going to hit the next pitched ball right past the flagpole.' Well, the Good Lord must have been with me."

– Babe Ruth

Ok back to the Babe's records, of course we all know the stories and the stats but for the casual fan I shall repeat the most important. Babe Ruth held the single season home run record with 60 which stood for 34 years. He held every important slugging record for years including most year leading a league in home runs with 12, most total bases in a season with 457 and the highest slugging percentage for a season for a single season with .847. In his career he hit 714 home runs in his career. That record stood until Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit number 715 to surpass him. 

Ruth's life after baseball never materialized the way he wanted it to.

He had dreams of becoming a big league manager. Unfortunately the reputation that preceded him was a bit to crazy of a lifestyle and he was seen as irresponsible aka not manager material. He later did become a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was known as a very generous man. Ruth made his final public appearance for Yankee Stadium's, aka the House that Ruth Built, 25th anniversary in 1948.

He died of cancer on August 16, j1948. He left most of his money to the Babe Ruth Foundation for Under Privileged Children and is survived by his wife Claire and two daughters, Dorothy and Julia. So there's a little mini bio of one of the all time greats in the game of baseball!! With all my randomness just thrown right in there! But that's why I sometimes do just blog posts and not articles ... I can put more of my personality into a blog post vs an article ... anyway, I am rambling so I will conclude with a quote from the Bambino,

  

Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world."

– Babe Ruth