There comes a time when being well liked and a good presence in the clubhouse isn’t enough for a guy to stay on an MLB roster. In my opinion, that time has come for Fernando Tatis. He cannot field, cannot throw and can no longer hit a fastball. It is a sad thing to say, as Tatis was such a vital part of this ballclub last year but he is doing more harm to this team then he is doing good.
After seeing Tatis hit .392 with runners on base last year and .357 with RISP, his 2009 numbers are extremely disappointing. Tatis is hitting only .195 with runners on base this year, and .188 with RISP.
Tatis has also been a double play machine this year. He has grounded into a team high 10 DPs. He continually rolls over balls on the outside part of the plate and refuses to go the other way, something he did so well last year.
Keith Hernandez pointed out on an earlier broadcast that Tatis’ swing from last year is different from this year’s. Maybe Keith can give Fernando some pointers and help Tatis get the bat through the hitting zone faster. Tatis’ separated shoulder from last year could also be pointed to for his struggles, but no one really knows.
At this point I’d rather see Nick Evans out there as he certainly has more pop than Fernando these days, but unfortunately if a guy makes an error he gets benched for the next three days. Sorry, Nick. Have to play a perfect 1B!
Here’s to hoping Tatis gets it going soon, because if he doesn’t Omar might be forced to demote him in favor of a better hitter.
Pete Lappin (3)
