Looking at lineups made me curious about comparing the man who used to be the face of the Diamondbacks . . . and the one who supposedly is now.
Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
Byrnes 51 205 28 42 12 1 6 23 74 16 36 4 3 .269 .361 .205
Gonzo 78 222 20 60 13 1 5 29 90 29 29 1 2 .350 .405 .270
In almost the same number of at-bats, Gonzo has one more double and Byrnes has one more HR. K/BB -- Gonzo has more walks and less strikeouts.
Avg/Slug%/OBP.....Gonzo .270, .405, .350
.........................Byrnes .205, .361, .269
And most of all, Byrnes, by example, is teaching our young players to uppercut like crazy, hitting popups as high as they can.
Gonzo, by example, would be teaching them to hit liners to the gaps for extra base hits.
Not to mention, Byrnes adolescent behavior in front of a TV camera vs. Gonzo's professional approach.
I miss Gonzo. As a pinch-hitter and backup left fielder, his presence would have made the D'backs a better team. Not just his performance. But all of our underachieving young players.