Pat Burrell comes through, but Rays still need more

July 8, 11:17 AMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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Was this moment the turnaround point for Pat? AP/Brian Blanco

Could this be the start of Pat Burrell’s turnaround? Last night’s walk-off home run was the first big hit Burrell came up with as a Tampa Bay Ray. Pat’s battled injuries while getting accustomed to a new league, facing new pitchers, playing a new position, and getting used to an all-around new environment in Tampa Bay. It’s been a very disappointing season so far for Burrell, but last night’s homer is a reason for both Pat and Rays’ fans to believe the veteran slugger is returning to form.

Let’s get one fact straight – the Rays need Burrell. The team’s current leadership group of Stu Sternberg, Matt Silverman, and Andrew Friedman took a big risk this past offseason when they made the decision to increase the team’s payroll by $20 million – up to $63 million from 2008’s $43 million figure. A big part of that increase was Burrell’s two-year $16 million contract – of which $7 million is on the books for this season. The Rays, like their AL East rivals Red Sox and Yankees, feel they are in position to win the World Series and recognize the need to go out and spend on a player that can put the team over the top. Unlike the Red Sox and Yankees, however, the Rays cannot afford to spend $7 million on a guy and not get $7 million worth of production out of him. The Rays can still have a great season even if they get a bad year from Burrell, but they won’t go to the World Series.

So far in 2009, Burrell has not been worth $7 million. In his nine seasons with the Phillies, Burrell averaged 28 homers and 92 RBI per season while batting .257 with an OBP of .367 and a slugging average of .485. Those numbers are unquestionably worth $7 million. Burrell, however, is on pace for 10 homers and 63 RBI in 2009. He’s hitting 30 points off his career average and slugging 160 points off his career number.

It’s been a tough year so far, and injuries have played a key role in limiting Burrell’s production. He missed 29 games with a strained neck and the injury greatly hindered him while he was in the lineup the first month of the season. This may be the only legitimate excuse for Burrell’s struggles.

In addition to the injury, Burrell’s had to make adjustments and sometimes those are not easy for veterans switching leagues. Some guys, like Burrell’s former teammate Bobby Abreu, have no trouble with the switch from NL to AL. Others, like current Oakland outfielder Matt Holliday, have struggled to duplicate their NL success. The Rays have faced a bunch of rookie pitchers this year, including last night’s starter Marc Rzepczynski, but we are now in the realm of excuses, and very flimsy ones at that.

Another problem for Burrell is the adjustment to playing designated hitter rather than being out in the field. This is a difficult issue and many people think it is a bogus argument, but in Burrell’s case it may hold some water. Thanks to interleague play, Burrell entered 2009 with 22 career games (out of 1306) at DH. There is a completely different flow to the game when you are playing the field. You have to be up on every pitch, as opposed to sitting in the dugout for extended periods of time waiting around for your turn to hit. This is another bad excuse. A veteran hitter like Burrell knows how to prepare for an at-bat. Being a DH has nothing to do with his lack of production.

The last change facing Burrell, the change of environment, may actually be a factor. It goes without saying that St. Petersburg is not Philly. If you strike out with the bases loaded at the 65% full Trop it is unlikely you’ll have fans waiting by your car with a urine-filled beer bottle like they would do at sold-out Citizen’s Bank Park in Philly. There is always pressure when you are playing major league baseball, but the pressure is far greater in a tough city like Philly and many players actually respond positively to it. After everything Burrell went through with Philly fans, we may be finding out he is a guy who really relishes the high-stress environment.

Any way you slice it, the Rays need more from Burrell. After hitting home plate and being mobbed by his young Rays’ teammates last night, he may now realize his own importance to the team’s success and a surge in production could be in the cards.

Enough about Burrell, though – make sure you vote 90 million times for Carlos Pena in the final vote for the 2009 All-Star game. Vote here RIGHT NOW!!

Will Burrell become a team leader and be at the forefront of the Rays’ playoff push? Or was last night’s homer a fluke? Let me know in a comment.

Jason Bartlett hits: 81

Jason Bartlett groundball singles between short and third: 14

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