When the Braves traded a few prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates for All-Star Nate McLouth back in June of 2009, I imagine they were feeling pretty good about their new, young center fielder.
gimmysports.com
Fast forward 1 year: As of June 2, 2010, McLouth had a .179 batting average as a Brave.
Simply put, McLouth wasn’t living up to his high expectations. He wasn’t even putting up numbers that would be expected of an average center fielder in the bigs today. If you thought it was bad at that point, don’t worry, it gets worse.
Fast forward about a week: June 9, 2010 – McLouth collides with Braves rookie Jason Heyward and leaves the game with a concussion. Things weren’t looking good for Nate.
Only playing in 85 games during 2010, Mclouth hit .190 with 6 homeruns and 24 RBIs. With his speed and power combination, McLouth is a rare breed that can be utilized as a great leadoff man and a run producer at the same time. With his recent numbers, he has performed neither one of these roles successfully.
So we see the stage set for one of two things in 2011: a comeback player of the year type season, or more of the same that will probably end McLouth’s days in Atlanta as young players, such as Jordan Schafer, are more capable of playing center.
I am rooting for him because, like many others, I can easily see his potential as a dangerous threat at the top of the lineup. In addition to that, McLouth is a fierce competitor and a great clubhouse guy. There really isn’t much dislike about McLouth (except for his numbers, of course!) and I think Atlanta fans are really hoping to see him succeed this year.
