Among the Phillies' flaws: They don't walk much

ATLANTA - The 1921 Phillies, by most accounts, were not a jovial bunch. They lost 103 games, were managed by a man named Kaiser Wilhelm, and once fought two fans outside the Baker Bowl following a defeat. They were a team that did not believe in taking a walk, a trait they share 92 years later with their current successors.

The 2013 Phillies, hurtling toward an unceremonious conclusion to their disappointing season, are averaging 2.4 walks per game. That is the franchise's lowest rate since 1921.

"Actually," Charlie Manuel said, "that's amazing."

It is but one reason the manager's team has failed. The Phillies hit two home runs - one each from Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf - and walked once in a 6-3 loss Wednesday to Atlanta. They are 19-47 when they draw two or fewer walks and 34-20 when they walk three or more times.

The most disturbing figure: They walked two or fewer times in 66 of their first 120 games - or more than half of the time. It has only worsened with the team's moribund play; the Phillies have walked two times per game since the all-star break.

The Phillies ranked 17th in baseball in batting average but 25th in runs per game. More walks would mean more men on base, which provides more opportunities to score. They have not embraced that tactic.

"Getting on base is a critical component of a good offense," said Michael Young, who led the team in walks with 39 entering Wednesday's game. "Preferably, you do it with a hit. A walk is not as good as a hit. But it's important to control the strike zone. It's OK to be an aggressive hitter as long as you are aggressive in the zone."

Manuel disagreed. "A walk can be just as good as a hit," he said. An aggressive approach can be problematic for a team that does not often walk. Pitchers read the scouting reports. They alter their approaches.

"A good pitcher will stretch the strike zone on you," Manuel said. "Without a doubt. When they are ahead, they won't throw strikes. They will try to have more patience than the hitter does. And usually they do. That hitter has told you in so many at-bats that he is not going to walk."

Young is on pace for 53 walks. The last Phillies player to lead his team with as few walks was Tony Gonzalez in 1963.

The Phillies coaching staff has preached aggressive patience. In other words, the Phillies want their hitters to act when they see a good ball to hit. That will happen by achieving a favorable count, which, of course, requires patience.

A team on-base percentage of .305 presents other issues. The Phillies have hit 75 of their 113 home runs with no one on base. That rate (66.3 percent) is above the major-league average of 60.5 percent.

"That's because we're not getting people on base," Manuel said. "Exactly."

Brown's walk rate has declined with an uptick in power. He hit his 27th homer Wednesday. The Phillies will accept that trade, but Brown said reaching base at a higher clip is among his goals.

"It's important," Brown said. "It's very important."

As a steady rain pelted Turner Field, Manuel considered basic baseball logic. Told his team was 8-30 when walking one or fewer times in a game, he shook his head.

"The more runners you have on," he said, "of course, the more chance you have of scoring runs."

at mgelb@phillynews.com.