Nov 28 2008
Speedster Anderson poised to help Braves in 2009
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
ATLANTA — Speed never has been one asset the Atlanta Braves have possessed. Heck, that’s one of the things that made 1991 such a special season, when you consider Otis Nixon came in and destroyed the team’s stolen base record, finishing with 72 thefts until a drug suspension ended his season.
The Braves never really have had a burner in their ranks. Sure, names like Nixon, Deion Sanders and Rafael Furcal jump to mind, all game-changers with their speed. But for the most part, the Braves never have had guys who can shape the makeup of a game with their feet.
That’s what made the November 2007 deal that brought Josh Anderson to the organization so appealing to me. When the Braves sent Oscar Villarreal to Houston for Anderson, Atlanta acquired a player who led all of minor-league baseball in steals in 2005 with 78 swipes.
Anderson did little to disappoint in his first season with the Braves. Granted, he had a roster spot pretty much locked up with two weeks to go in spring training, but faded and ended up at Triple-A Richmond as Gregor Blanco leapfrogged past Anderson and Brandon Jones to earn the fourth outfield spot.
But all in all, it’s hard to fault what Anderson did. In 40 games with the Braves, Anderson hit .294 with three homers, 12 RBIs, seven doubles, and 10 stolen bases (in 11 attempts). A couple of folks who were at spring training remarked to me the kid was by far the fastest player in all of camp, and we saw that speed and his hustle on display when he got time with the big-league club in 2008.
So, what will we see from Anderson in 2009? I hope we see a lot more of him in Atlanta and a lot less of him in the minors.
He struck out 33 times in 126 at-bats, so he needs work at the plate, mostly on pitches down and away. Dude needs more plate discipline. Remember the old saying, “you can’t steal first base?” That came to mind from time to time as I watched Anderson swing at curve balls down and away in the zone.
But when dude makes contact and gets on base, good things happen. I think he has tremendous upside. The problem is super prospect Jordan Schafer appears ready to grab hold of the reins in center field at some point in 2009.
Still, the Braves can use Anderson, either as a platoon in left field, or as a speedster off the bench. His nine multi-hit games in September showed he’s making strides at the plate; his 29 strikeouts vs. two walks in the season’s final month shows there is work that remains to be done.
But speed kills, and Anderson uses it at the plate to beat out infield hits, cause havoc on the bases, and run down balls in the gap that remind some of us of the way Andruw Jones used to track down balls early in his career. I think you’ll see Anderson play a bigger role with this team next season, regardless of whether he’s starting or not.
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