Clack wrote:
polarbear1982 wrote:
Since 2006, as a RH batter, Berkman is hitting .261, Slugging only .429, with an OBP of .349 for an OPS of .778.

Since 2006, as a LH batter, Berkman is hitting close to .300, Slugging nearly .600, with an OBP near .400, and an OPS of nearly 1.000 over the same time span as a LHer.

Why bother to switch hit with such poor productivity as a RHer?
Berkman says he would hit much worse against LHP if he didn't switch hit. That makes a lot of sense, because he has switch hit ever since he was a kid. He has said that he can't stand in against LHP without switch hitting at this point. Even though his split is worse than nomal this year, keep in mind that he only has 74 at bats against LHP so far, which means that there is a sample size issue too. Every time this issue comes up (and it always comes up when he goes through a period when his hitting against LHP is horrible), I point out that Berkman's career splits are not that unusual, even among good hitters. On a career basis, Berkman is an average hitter vs. LHP (.793 OPS) and a tremendous hitter vs. RHP (1.024 OPS). A couple of years ago, I gave examples of some great (non switch hitting) hitters who had similar career platoon splits to Berkman. (Examples of LHB first baseman with similar career splits, Fred McGriff and Willie McCovey.)

To elaborate on the sample size issue....at bats versus LHP can sometimes be a small enough sample over a single season to result in a a lot of variability. I'll give you this example:

2004 Jeff Bagwell .291 BA .897 OPS vs. RHP .149 BA .589 OPS vs. LHP Bagwell had 125 plate appearances against LHP that year.



I agree with your comments on sample size, so his 2009 stats as a RH batter could be misleading. HOWEVER, his stats from 2006 thru this point in 2009 as a RH batter is a very large sample.

Mark Texeira's spits in OPS (RHB/LHB) are almost identical for the past 4 seasons - with both over .900 OPS. He seems to be the poster boy of successful switch hitting...even with a better BA from the right side.

In addition to your examples of McGriff and McCovey, as a LH-only first baseman are Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder....both also have huge dropoffs in OPS facing LH pitching....much like Berkman does batting RH against them...so you're probably correct that it probably wouldn't matter in Berkman's case whether he stopped switch hitting or not. He's probably not going to hit LH pitching very well...

So why not move him down in the order against lefties???