Plethora of home runs is a hot topic
MIAMI — The story of the first half of the 2017 baseball season revolves around home runs, and the topic captivated the players and spectators assembled at Marlins Park for this year’s All-Star festivities.
On Monday, New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge won the Home Run Derby with a ferocious display of power. A day later, Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the composition of the baseballs, which some players believed are juiced, while reaching an agreement with Major League Baseball Players Assn. chief Tony Clark: Home runs are good for the game.
Unless, of course, you are a pitcher. Consider the case of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. While maintaining a 2.18 earned-run average, he has given up 18 homers — two more than his previous career high for a season.
“Everybody was asking yesterday: ‘Are the balls juiced? Is it the era? Are you just going to give up home runs?’ ” Kershaw said Tuesday. “But there’s a lot of guys still not giving up home runs. There’s a lot of guys pitching really well.
“To me, it’s not that big a deal. Offense is important. It’s what people like to see. It’s exciting. But I think good pitching will still win out, in the end.”
Kershaw downplayed the idea that hitters were able to do damage on pitches they once could not. He said he could not recall an occasion this season in which he felt he executed a pitch properly, only to see the ball leave the park.
“I think I’ve given up 18 homers, so I can’t remember all of them,” Kershaw said. “But I would venture to say none of them were amazing pitches. That’s probably my guess.”
Flaw exposed
Cody Bellinger credited Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward and assistant hitting coach Shawn Wooten with finding a mechanical glitch that contributed to his cold spell before the final weekend of the first half.
From June 25 to July 7, Bellinger went 11 games without hitting a home run and batted .167.
He felt his swing clicked back into place July 8, when he hit a game-tying homer against the Kansas City Royals, in addition to contributing a double and a walkoff walk.
“When you’re not fully on against major league pitching it’s pretty hard,” Bellinger said. “Sometimes when you watch video, it’s hard to point out. Our hitting coaches noticed something. If your hands or your feet are a little off, it throws off your whole rhythm. I found a little something, and kind of got my rhythm back.”
Seeing Red
The starting lineup for the National League included shortstop Zack Cozart of the Cincinnati Reds.
Although Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen blamed the team’s fans for not electing Corey Seager as the starting shortstop, Reds first baseman Joey Votto said Cozart absolutely was deserving.
“He’s certainly played as well as Corey this year,” Votto said. “I’m wary of comparing players, especially ones that are on my team, because I’m clearly biased.
“But Corey is one of my favorite players in baseball. You can’t get me to say a bad thing about him. I love his game. He’s got a long, long future. He’s got a chance to come to 10 or 15 of these [All-Star games].”
Votto said he was not surprised that a shortstop from Los Angeles could lose the voting to a shortstop from Cincinnati.
“At that point, he was the best offensive shortstop in baseball,” Votto said.
“Baseball fans are savvy. We are in a small market, but the average fan can tell, and Reds fans can tell. I will say, I’ve started two of these All-Star games when I should have started two of them, and that was a byproduct of the Reds’ fan base showing up and supporting me.”
Danger signs
The rise in velocity among pitchers and exit velocity among hitters reflects how the art of pitching has shifted from getting batters to mishit the ball to getting them to miss it entirely.
When they hit it, the risk has increased that a line drive could injure a pitcher.
“I don’t put a lot of thought into it,” Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer said.
“It’s dangerous. A lot of things in life are dangerous. Traveling in a car is dangerous. Letting Mookie Betts operate a plane is dangerous. Part of the fun is the risk factor.”
Betts, the Boston Red Sox outfielder, and Archer flew to the AllStar game in a private plane. Betts was the pilot.