I like McLouth

[Moose Milligan]

I like Nate, too. Cool name.

But let's not get too crazy here. This is the very same guy who was 3.5 wins below replacement from 2010 through the moment the O's acquired him. Has it been determined why he was one of the very worst players in MLB for the past two and half years? What happened? Are we reasonably sure he's fixed what ailed him?

Maybe it's just part of the wackiness of the '12 Orioles, but they're winning with this guy batting #3:

                                                                                                                                                              Rk                 Player WAR/pos From   To   Age   G   PA   AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS       Pos          Tm1            [b]Nate McLouth    [/b]-3.2 2010 2012 28-30 208  698  590  73 123 29  3 10  43  85   7 130   8 13  2   7 13  4 .208 .315 .319 .634     *8/79     ATL-TOT2     Yuniesky Betancourt    -3.2 2010 2012 28-30 360 1400 1327 132 333 70  6 36 182  48   4 152   3  5 17  39  6  8 .251 .275 .394 .669    *6/45D     KCR-MIL3              Greg Dobbs    -2.9 2010 2012 31-33 302  832  777  67 205 36  1 16  91  42   6 154   2  3  8  22  5  3 .264 .300 .375 .675    5/379D PHI-FLA-MIA4            Brandon Wood    -2.7 2010 2011 25-26 186  515  476  46  87 12  0 11  45  25   2 144   2 10  2   9  1  0 .183 .226 .277 .503   *5/634D     LAA-TOT5           Willie Harris    -2.6 2010 2012 32-34 283  593  508  66 105 21  2 12  57  72   3 130   6  3  4   9 11  7 .207 .310 .327 .637   /79458D WSN-NYM-CIN6             Jorge Cantu    -2.6 2010 2011 28-29 184  670  616  58 149 33  1 14  72  36   2 123   7  1 10  21  0  0 .242 .287 .367 .654    /*53D4     TOT-SDP7              Joe Mather    -2.5 2010 2012 27-29 141  316  291  21  62 16  0  5  27  18   3  64   1  5  1   6  3  3 .213 .260 .320 .580   /987531 STL-ATL-CHC8             Xavier Nady    -2.5 2010 2012 31-33 241  679  625  65 148 27  0 13  74  34   3 155  11  1  8  19  3  0 .237 .285 .342 .627     3/79D CHC-ARI-WSN9             Pedro Feliz    -2.5 2010 2010 35-35 137  429  409  36  89 12  2  5  40  13   1  41   1  0  6  13  1  1 .218 .240 .293 .533      *5/3         TOT10      Tsuyoshi Nishioka    -2.4 2011 2012 26-27  71  254  233  14  50  5  0  0  20  16   1  44   1  3  1   1  2  4 .215 .267 .236 .503     /*64D         MIN

Lowest WAR total over the past three seasons - and don't blame WAR, he stunk!

I love how former SG All-Star Brandon Wood is on that list.

[Brendan25]

McLouth seems like a guy that Buck really likes. Good defense, smart on the bases, and doesn't try to do too much.

The play yesterday where he got to second when Adams bloop hit landed in front of Francoeur are the plays that catches Bucks attention.

[BoltonBob]

I like Nate, too. Cool name.

But let's not get too crazy here. This is the very same guy who was 3.5 wins below replacement from 2010 through the moment the O's acquired him. Has it been determined why he was one of the very worst players in MLB for the past two and half years? What happened? Are we reasonably sure he's fixed what ailed him?

Maybe it's just part of the wackiness of the '12 Orioles, but they're winning with this guy batting #3:

                                                                                                                                                              Rk                 Player WAR/pos From   To   Age   G   PA   AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS       Pos          Tm1            [b]Nate McLouth    [/b]-3.2 2010 2012 28-30 208  698  590  73 123 29  3 10  43  85   7 130   8 13  2   7 13  4 .208 .315 .319 .634     *8/79     ATL-TOT2     Yuniesky Betancourt    -3.2 2010 2012 28-30 360 1400 1327 132 333 70  6 36 182  48   4 152   3  5 17  39  6  8 .251 .275 .394 .669    *6/45D     KCR-MIL3              Greg Dobbs    -2.9 2010 2012 31-33 302  832  777  67 205 36  1 16  91  42   6 154   2  3  8  22  5  3 .264 .300 .375 .675    5/379D PHI-FLA-MIA4            Brandon Wood    -2.7 2010 2011 25-26 186  515  476  46  87 12  0 11  45  25   2 144   2 10  2   9  1  0 .183 .226 .277 .503   *5/634D     LAA-TOT5           Willie Harris    -2.6 2010 2012 32-34 283  593  508  66 105 21  2 12  57  72   3 130   6  3  4   9 11  7 .207 .310 .327 .637   /79458D WSN-NYM-CIN6             Jorge Cantu    -2.6 2010 2011 28-29 184  670  616  58 149 33  1 14  72  36   2 123   7  1 10  21  0  0 .242 .287 .367 .654    /*53D4     TOT-SDP7              Joe Mather    -2.5 2010 2012 27-29 141  316  291  21  62 16  0  5  27  18   3  64   1  5  1   6  3  3 .213 .260 .320 .580   /987531 STL-ATL-CHC8             Xavier Nady    -2.5 2010 2012 31-33 241  679  625  65 148 27  0 13  74  34   3 155  11  1  8  19  3  0 .237 .285 .342 .627     3/79D CHC-ARI-WSN9             Pedro Feliz    -2.5 2010 2010 35-35 137  429  409  36  89 12  2  5  40  13   1  41   1  0  6  13  1  1 .218 .240 .293 .533      *5/3         TOT10      Tsuyoshi Nishioka    -2.4 2011 2012 26-27  71  254  233  14  50  5  0  0  20  16   1  44   1  3  1   1  2  4 .215 .267 .236 .503     /*64D         MIN

Lowest WAR total over the past three seasons - and don't blame WAR, he stunk!

What most people didn't know, even those as close to Nate as his parents, was that he suffered a mysterious injury as early as the second game of the 2011 season. After first going on the disabled list with an oblique problem, McLouth incurred yet another setback when it was discovered that he had been playing nearly the entire season with a sports hernia, a problem that required surgery in early August.

"I'm getting better," McLouth said last winter. "I'm not totally 100 percent yet, but I'm working out hard at the University of Tennessee with a physical therapist. "I'll be ready to go shortly and be as healthy as I've been in a couple of years when I go to the Pirates spring training. I feel really good now and I'm just working to get myself back to full speed."

Another injury occurred shortly after June 5, 2010, when McLouth collected his 500th Major League hit. McLouth was placed on the disabled list on June 9 after a collision in right-center with right fielder Jason Heyward at Chase Field. While Heyward remained uninjured, McLouth experienced concussion-like symptoms for several weeks. After returning from the injury in July, McLouth faced a horrible slump that warranted him being demoted to the Gwinnett Braves, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

Remember, In 2008, he batted .276 with 26 homeruns and 94 RBI's with a fielding percentage of .997 which earned him not only a spot on the All-Star roster, but he also won him a Golden Glove that season as well.

From various souces.

[Dipper9]

I remember him as a Pirate. Good player on some bad teams Just got some injury problems. I don't think he's the answer long term as a starter but he would be a great fourth outfielder going forward.

Next year Reimold/McClouth platoon in left?

[Cakes2Kakes]

What most people didn't know, even those as close to Nate as his parents, was that he suffered a mysterious injury as early as the second game of the 2011 season. After first going on the disabled list with an oblique problem, McLouth incurred yet another setback when it was discovered that he had been playing nearly the entire season with a sports hernia, a problem that required surgery in early August.

"I'm getting better," McLouth said last winter. "I'm not totally 100 percent yet, but I'm working out hard at the University of Tennessee with a physical therapist. "I'll be ready to go shortly and be as healthy as I've been in a couple of years when I go to the Pirates spring training. I feel really good now and I'm just working to get myself back to full speed."

Another injury occurred shortly after June 5, 2010, when McLouth collected his 500th Major League hit. McLouth was placed on the disabled list on June 9 after a collision in right-center with right fielder Jason Heyward at Chase Field. While Heyward remained uninjured, McLouth experienced concussion-like symptoms for several weeks. After returning from the injury in July, McLouth faced a horrible slump that warranted him being demoted to the Gwinnett Braves, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

Remember, In 2008, he batted .276 with 26 homeruns and 94 RBI's with a fielding percentage of .997 which earned him not only a spot on the All-Star roster, but he also won him a Golden Glove that season as well.

From various sources.

Excellent research! Thanks!

Being a Braves fan I watched Nate's decline up close and it was painful. He is a great guy and, when on his game, a very good ball player. I attribute a lot of his struggles to return to MLB relevance to Bobby Cox. Cox always went with the hot hand, and it was easy to become a forgotten bench warmer when in a slump. I always believed that Nate's biggest problem was shattered confidence, and that he is one prolonged hitting streak away from getting back to the Nate of old. That may just be wishful thinking because he is so likable as a person, but the guy definitely has the tools to work with.

[Larry18]

Does anybody know why he simply fell apart?

[Cakes2Kakes]

Does anybody know why he simply fell apart?

My guess would be a combination of injuries, lost playing time, and lost confidence, but in the end no one knows why ANY once successful player suddenly loses it!

[vab]

Does anybody know why he simply fell apart?

That would be my question. And can we get him through the rest of the season before it happens again.

[smootharch]

I like him too, but he should not be our #3 hitter. He should definitely be playing over guys like Lew Ford, but should be batting further down in the lineup, or even #2 over JJ sometimes.

[McNulty]

Not enough to spell his name right, Slappy.

[clapdiddy]

I like him too, but he should not be our #3 hitter. He should definitely be playing over guys like Lew Ford, but should be batting further down in the lineup, or even #2 over JJ sometimes.

Or maybe even ALL the time!

[Mooreisbetter27]

Bump.

McLouth with a huge hit today to get our first run in.

I can't see him being our # 3 hitter for the rest of the year, but I like him too. And his hit today was big.

[Roll Tide]

Duquette was on tv earlier today ...he said McLouth was a guy they went hard after. The sent him to triple to correct a hitch in his swing that they noticed from film. They believe they have corrected the problem and are expecting big things from him.

[Rene88]

I love me some McLouth and was fretting when we were going to let him go possibly. My question is how much longer is Lew around? I would rather have a few different people up here over Lew. He isn't really hurting us, but his playing time is becoming less and less and for good reason. I think McLouth should have the job, he has earned it.

I cannot believe I am about to say this (gulp), but Endy Chavez provides more value off the beach assuming he is just that, off the bench.

[Brendan25]

Bump.

McLouth with a huge hit today to get our first run in.

I can't see him being our # 3 hitter for the rest of the year, but I like him too. And his hit today was big.

I could see him being our #3 hitter for awhile. There really isn't a better option right now. He is patient at the plate, he has speed, and sneaky power. I really like him hitting 3rd.