Bravo Blog: Can't Stand Constanza?

I'm seeing a lot of tweets from Braves fans upset about Jose Constanza starting in place of Jason Heyward. Are these fans watching the games?

I get where they're coming from: Jason Heyward is (hopefully) a future face of the franchise. He came into the league last year and set the NL on fire and made the All-Star team. Constanza is a minor league journeyman without any power. By reputation, it seems ridiculous to bench a future phenom in favor of a guy who's been in AAA for a long time.

However, look at the results. The numbers alone should tell the story.

Constanza (in a small sample of 13 games):
.408 avg, .431 on-base percentage, 1.023 OPS
Heyward (90 games):
.218 average, .313 on-base percentage, .709 OPS

Maybe it's luck. Maybe it's skill. Maybe it's because he
licks his bats. Whatever it is, Constanza is playing well.

But the stats don't do it justice. Constanza's detractors say he's getting lucky, just getting bloop hits and hitting balls that are misplayed by the defense. There are two things they're missing. First, there's nothing wrong with just slapping the ball the other way and getting on base. It's better than striking out, popping up, and hitting into double plays, three things Heyward tends to do. What would you rather have: a guy who consistently gets "cheap" hits or a guy who is still trying to figure out how to make good contact?

Going the other way with two strikes is an art form. It's called being a professional hitter, as is just making contact and seeing what happens. That's the other thing people are missing: speed never slumps. Constanza's blazing speed causes problems for the defense. Routine grounders are challenging. Infielders have to hurry to get "Georgie," as his teammates call him, at first.

Face it: Constanza is making things happen one way or another. He's even popped two home runs in his two weeks of playing time. That's only one less than the powerful Heyward has since the All-Star break.

Heyward is still a future face of the franchise,
but he's not hitting, and Gonzalez has to adjust.

I don't dislike Heyward. I'm just resigned to the fact he's in a sophomore slump that isn't going to be fixed this year. The book is out on how to pitch him, and every team in the NL has read the book, maybe even seen the movie.

Although he is slumping, I'm still not giving up on Heyward. Nobody should. And trust me, Fredi Gonzalez and Frank Wren definitely haven't quit on Heyward. He's not Jeff Francoeur, who never got it in Atlanta and was horribly impatient at the plate. Heyward is working hard with the coaches to fix the holes in his swing, and he'll get straightened out. He just might not get it this season. They won't send Heyward to AAA, either. When Constanza inevitably cools, they'll want Heyward back in there because of his upside. Whether it's off the bench or eventually getting his starting job back, Heyward will be a part of the Braves' pennant chase.

The calls to fire Fredi Gonzalez for starting Constanza over Heyward are ludicrous. The Braves are winning, aren't they? Fredi is simply playing the hot hand. If/when Constanza cools down, he'll go the bench and Heyward will be back in there. Constanza was in AAA all these years for a reason. He's not perfect. He's bound to cool off, but it's smart for Fredi to keep playing him until he does.

Some people have pointed out that Gonzalez stuck with Dan Uggla when he was struggling horribly, and he should do the same with Heyward. Believe me, if Diory Hernandez or someone was coming off the bench hitting .400 like Constanza is, Gonzalez would have found a way to get that guy in the lineup every day, and Fredi did give Uggla one or two games off a week to give guys like Hernandez and Brooks Conrad a chance to provide a spark. Unfortunately, no one really stepped up to make Fredi have to choose him over Uggla. So, Fredi just stuck with the slugger and hoped he'd get it going. (And wow, he has in a big way, but that's a topic for another blog.)

With Heyward, there is a better option: ride the pesky Constanza until his luck runs out. Enjoy it, Braves fans. Constanza is helping the team win. The sooner you acknowledge that, the happier you'll be.

If Heyward heats up, he'll see more playing time. Next spring, he'll still be the Braves starting right fielder. Right now, though, the Braves are in a pennant chase, and they have to go with the lineup that's going to help them win. Right now, that lineup is one with Jose Constanza in it.