Texiera is looking bad??

[tmoney]

He started slow last year, I would not worry about it. Last year in April he batted .276 with 2 HR and 7 RBI, and in May he batted .212 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. He will get his eventually.

You're right, he did start slow...but wasn't that due to injury? I can't remember for sure, but I think it was an injury he was battling.

Regardless, he's not really playing that poorly so far, he's just swung at a few bad pitches and seems to be pushing to hit HRs rather than just taking what the pitchers give him. I think this is something that he'll correct in the near future....he's too good of a player to slump like this for long. He's one of the best young power hitters in the game, he'll produce.

Good memory, forgot about that. He only had 29 AB in April last year. I think he was out last year for a while with a strained side muscle or something like that. But the bottom line is he will produce and have a good year.

[Pokeyouindaeye]

The more people freak out over Teixeira, the more times I get to trade Braden Looper for him.

It's all good to me!

[TheRawDAWG]

Don't forget the ballpark doesn't really get jumping till the weather gets HOT HOT HOT...Tex will be fine.

[slomo007]

Don't forget the ballpark doesn't really get jumping till the weather gets HOT HOT HOT...Tex will be fine.

True, and he hasn't even had a home game yet....he's had 2 road series in Anaheim and Seattle...not exactly hitters' havens.

[thehat]

Gotta love the newbies.

Relax if you own Teixeira. At the end of the year, you'll have about 40 more HR than you have now.

[Steve-o]

I think this subject is being too easily dismissed. I play in a roto league, with weekly lineup adjustments, and sitting a slumping player can really help your average and other cats for the course of a season (ie Aubrey Huff early last year). There comes a point when you say "Look, I don't care if I miss his break out game and he hits two bombs, I cannot stand the .125 avg for the other 4 days!" If a player has a history of starting slow, or going into prolonged slumps or hot streaks, you have to take advantage of that.

So then the question becomes is Tex in one of those slumps?

Some evidence:
2004:
April avg - 276 (only 29 ab)
May avg - 212 (85 abs)
at Safeco - 407 (27)

2003: (rookie)
April - 188 (64 ab)
May - 282 (71)
at Safeco - 132 (38)

With only two season, it is tough to tell. If he was making good contact, and just getting unlucky, that would be one matter, but I don't have his contact rate for this season available to me (anyone know where I can find that without paying?). He has Ked 5 times and only walked once. Also 1 for 19 in the last 4 games (with the one hit coming today - overall 4 for 29).

I think that is enough to be considered at least a minor slump. If I had a good backup, like Shawn Green, I would seriously consider benching him for a week. Unfortunately, I have Geoff Jenkins, so I will likely ride out his cold streak. Talk to me in a week though.

[Secret Avatar]

Check Tex's home/road splits last year. He was awful on the road and a monster at home. That trend should continue this year. He hasn't played at home yet.