An article from 3guysandasportspage.com

We all know who David Ortiz is and his "clutch hitting" but he is playing like the "white David Ortiz" in the New Era baseball cap commercial. The Oakland A’s have given the young Travis Buck the starting gig in rightfield due to his performance as a rookie last season and the fact that he is a breakout candidate. Well, he’s playing like a Milwaukee Buck right now.

Check out the stats Travis Buck has compiled through the first 3 games of the season as the A’s leadoff hitter: 0-14 with 7 strikeouts and no walks! He has also left 8 men on base. He is striking out in 50% of his plate appearances. Of those 14 at-bats, 10 have started out with an 0-1 count. That’s what getting ahead in the count does for a pitcher.

David Ortiz, the clutchiest man of them all, is off to an 0-11 start with 1 run scored, 2 walks, but only one strikeout. He’s putting the ball in play and seeing a lot of pitches but he has left 11 (that’s right 11!) men on base. He is 0-5 with men in scoring position.

This is only the first 3 games of the season and there has been a lot of traveling between these two teams so I wouldn’t worry too much about the numbers but one does have to wonder if these are trends. Maybe Ortiz’s knee is still ailing. Maybe a sophmore slump is on the way for the young Buck. Only time will tell.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell

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