Rickie Weeks is NOT Clutch

Oh yeah!!! And this “amazing” defensive play happened too!! Photo: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

If you were (un)fortunate enough to watch the past few games, you have no doubt noticed that our 2nd baseman has some anxiety at the plate.  Strangely, this issue does not show itself unless there are other Brewers on base.  If the Brewers are down a run in the bottom of the 9th, and Weeks is leading off, there is no reason to suspect that he will not deliver.  However, if there are two outs and the bases loaded, I will take anyone else on this roster over Weeks.  That guy is the anti-Batman.  Imagine if at the end of The Dark Knight Rises Gotham gets blown up because Batman isn’t quite good enough to defeat Bane.  Pretty crappy movie right?

Now, so far I am just being a blow hard, allowing my anger and irritation to get the best of me.  So, I did what any sensible person would do….took to social media.

It became very clear yesterday, via Twitter, that I am in the minority when it comes to content for Rickie Weeks.  A few brave souls spoke up and agreed with my #scootertime campaign, but for the most part I received people who think that just because Weeks bats .300 he should stay in the middle of the lineup.  I just don’t see what you good people see.  

Look, it is one thing to make outrageous claims without having any evidence to back them up.  I have proof pudding though (get it…the proof is in the pudding, that is still something people say, right?).

Over the course of his career, Rickie Weeks seems to have stayed the same.  A once promising young talent has now budded into a B defensive player and B+ offensive talent…as long as no one is on base.  In my mind, when you take a guy with the 2nd overall pick in a draft, you should get more from him in big game situations.  Clearly based on my grades, I think Weeks is a good player.  But Weeks is paid like a big time star and big time stars should be expected to deliver in big moments.  Weeks has never shown me that he can give us those clutch hits when we need them most.  The first week of the season should be proof enough…but just in case….

Below you will find Weeks’ batting averages with runners in scoring position (RISP) since he first started playing everyday in 2005.

2005 – .234 BA                    2009 – .313 BA  (a miracle)

2006 – .260 BA                    2010 – .304 BA (double miracle!)

2007 – .178 BA                    2011 – .213 BA  (crashing back down to earth)

2008 – .240 BA                    2012 – .201 BA

So far this season, he has had 9 AB’s with RISP, struck out 4 of those times, hit into a double-play yesterday, and has a batting average of….nothing (0.000).

Still not convinced that Rickie Weeks is arguably the least clutch hitter on the Brewers roster:

Career Postseason: 14 Games, 45 AB’s, 6 hits, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .133 BA, and a .204 OBP

STILL not convinced…fine, this hurts me more than it hurts you:

Yuniesky Betancourt – 2011 RISP Batting Avg. – .237  (24 points higher than Weeks)

Mark Kotsay – 2011 RISP Batting Avg. – .323 (110 points higher!!!!

By that math, your odds were better putting in Kotsay or Yuni B to win a game rather than Weeks?!?!!?  Is this some cruel joke that the baseball gods are playing on me?  No.  Has the world started spinning backwards, creating an alternate universe where up is down and sidewalks are centerwalks?!?!?! No.  It is simply the numbers of the game.

Say whatever you want to me about how Weeks still hasn’t hit his full potential, but know that he will be 31 in September.  Also know that when the chips are down, he is going to disappoint us.

Scooter Gennett is batting .474 in Nashville right now…that is a 1.000 in OPS.  So….there’s that to consider.

Rip me apart if you feel that is the right thing to do.  I may be a blow hard, but the numbers have no reason to blow hot air up your Brew-holes.

I owe a special thanks to Rickie for his horrific performance the last two days, without it I wouldn’t have done the research and thrown up all over our new living room couch.