Nov 26 2008
Blanco wasn’t great, but he did enough to be part of Braves’ plans in 2009
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
ATLANTA — Yeah, he strikes out far too often. He doesn’t provide the pop the Atlanta Braves needed from their outfield this season.
But still, when you look back at Gregor Blanco’s rookie season in the major leagues, it’s hard to argue too much.
Those of you who visited this space throughout the 2008 season heard me whine about Blanco’s whiff ratio. Yes, Blanco fanned 99 times in 430 at-bats in 144 games. Project that out to a full season of 502 ABs, and you’re looking at 115 strikeouts, which isn’t acceptable for a guy who finished with one home run all season.
But Blanco gave this team a spark. First and foremost, he hustled like nobody’s business. Remember, NOBODY gave him a chance of winning the fourth outfield spot coming out of spring training. But when Josh Anderson cooled off toward the third week of Grapefruit League play, and when Brandon Jones couldn’t take advantage of Anderson’s slide, Blanco did. And as a result, he ended up on the 25-man opening-day roster.
He earned that spot, and when Mark Kotsay’s back flared up and Matt Diaz tore up his knee – both coming in the final days of May – Blanco found himself playing every day, either in center or in left. He did some really good things, mainly the 13 stolen bases, the hustle, the solid defense at both positions he provided.
Blanco faded badly in the final two months of the season, hitting .207 in August and .212 in September. But still, while his on-base percentage was too low for him to be considered a true leadoff hitter – a spot where the Braves had to employ him far too often – he still produced enough to give us hope this kid is going to improve in 2009.
Look for Blanco to play a big role with the Braves in 2009, be it as the starter in center field while Jordan Schafer finishes his minor-league seasoning, or as a key part of the bench. There is room for improvement, especially with plate discipline, but this guy can help the Braves, and the feeling here is his second season in the bigs will be better than his first.
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