SB Nation Los Angeles Editor's Pick
Time to Play the Kids
by RallyMonkey5 on Sep 8, 2010 11:38 AM PDT
Email
PrintI'm glad I went to bed last night before Marson hit the grand slam. If I had seen that I would have been angry all night instead of just this morning. The Angels played the best offensive lineup they could muster last night: Napoli catching, no Mathis, Rivera at first, and Willits instead of Bourjos. They still could only manage a single run.
The season is lost, there is almost no chance of even finishing .500, and worst of all, we've got a bunch of veteran players who are worn out, frustrated, and listless from the futile struggle that 2010 has been. We have an opportunity to see 20 games of major league experience for some young players who might never amount to anything, but might be able to help the 2011 team. It's time we take the opportunity to see what we have. I suggest playing time be distributed as follows:
Catcher: Conger gets the majority of starts. Mix in a few for Wilson. Keep Mathis on the bench, I'd be happy if I never saw Brian Downing's number soiled by his person again.
1B: Mark Trumbo
2B: Kevin Frandsen - Howie Kendrick has not played well, and he's not going to be cheap anymore. He's not playing much better than what you expect from a generic 2B pulled from the waiver wire. Play Frandsen for now, and consider letting him start next year, even if just as a placeholder for Amarista or Segura.
3B/SS: Brandon Wood plays everyday at one of the spots, Callaspo and Aybar play whichever spot he doesn't. He's been working with Hatcher everyday and they talk about progress. One last chance to see that progress on the field before we are probably forced to let him go.
DH: Napoli, every day
CF: Bourjos
RF: Hunter is the one vet who hasn't gone to sleep, and the leader of the team. He gets to keep playing. Stop the dumb baserunning though.
LF: Willits/Abreu/Matsui/Rivera - don't really care who plays there right now, none of them are going to be there if we sign Crawford.
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
77 comments
|
3 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Let's hope we get to see Conger play
because we may not get to see him play again until September, 2011, given Scioscia’s opinion of his defensive ability:
Unlike Trumbo, the Angels have resisted a position change for fellow prospect Hank Conger that might have shortened his road to the major leagues. Conger remains a work in progress at catcher, according to Scioscia who demands a great deal from his catchers.
"Probably the biggest step forward he made this year was understanding the defensive part of it," Scioscia said of Conger. "He’s still a kid who hasn’t caught 200 games yet (actually 259) so he’s a little green.
"He’s got a ways to go. He’s starting to figure some things out on the defensive side. It takes a lot of playing time for a catcher to understand the nuances and what you have to bring back there. He’s still very young in that learning curve because of injuries."
Conger, 22, was limited to 108 games this season by a shoulder injury. It is only the second time in his five professional seasons he has played over 100 games. He is also expected to play winter ball.
"I got off to a slow start this year and the thing I focused on was trying to finish strong," said Conger who hit .333 in the second half of the season including .365 after the end of July with a nine-game hitting streak to end the season. "There’s still a lot of things I want to improve on.
"I’m just glad to be up here. I’m going to try to work hard every day and get better in this next month. I’m very fortunate just to be able to play an extra month."
http://www.ocregister.com/sports/angels-265457-going-trumbo.html
It just seems to me, Scioscia demands so much from his catchers that no one understands and no results justify.
Is it something the rest of us don’t see? Maybe. I played catcher for 10 years, I’m no expert, but to me it just seems like while Mathis is “toolsy” he’s had 4 years to figure it out, still hasn’t. There’s not a great deal of difference between Napoli and Mathis behind the plate, if Mathis caught Trevor Bell and Scott Kazmir his CERA would be awful too.
I think Scioscia is using all this to hide his personal bias. It seems very improbable that as young, injury prone and inexperienced Scisocia thinks Conger is, that Hank would not outperform Jeff Mathis. Among Angel fans it’s common knowledge that Mathis is among the worst players in the league.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
MAthis obviously figured something out
What does Mathis do on the defensive side to justify anything Sosh says about Congers bad D?
Kohnfed.
by angelskid2210 on Sep 8, 2010 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nail on the head.
It seems like its always different rules for different fools with Scioscia. He keeps explaining Mathis’ worth in terms of immeasurable quantities to justify his personal love for him. Mathis is the laughingstock of the league and Scioscia looks worse and worse every game he plays.
There seems to be no reason to let the youngsters have a chance. The only thing blocking them is Scioscia’s refusal to sit some of the slumping, half-hearted-effort-giving, under performing veterans and managers pets.
King Conger!
"personal bias"?........
Among Angel fans it’s common knowledge that Mathis is among the worst players in the league…?
Halowood, and all similarly-minded Jose Guillen types…….guys,
WHAT CAN YOU BE THINKING? You’re totally throwing Scioscia under the bus!
What is it that you all know that Scioscia does not? Why is Scioscia so highly respected among his peers? How can someone so highly regarded for his prowess at the catching position know so much less than what is “common knowledge among Angel fans”?
I respect you for the fact that you played catcher for 10 years, and that you generally seem very knowledgeable and passionate about baseball. But, something here does not compute. I DON"T GET IT.
Now, I can accept the fact that Scioscia may make statements intended to be heard, directly or indirectly, by the player in question, as a means of motivation for improvement although I don’t recall that being his style. (Example: Lou Holtz or Steve Spurrier ragging on their QB’s to play better). However, there is absolutely no thought in my mind that Scioscia would purposely do anything to “throw a game” or “bias it’s outcome” by not managing the team in a manner consistent with his idea of the best chance to win. (This isn’t Crash Davis tipping the batter that Nuke is about to throw a fastball).
These assertions regarding Scioscia are basically calling him a fraud, a liar, or a idiot. I’m really uncomfortable with that.
I can even accept the possibility that Scioscia is protecting his reputation as Chancellor of Mike Scioscia U, and showcasing (selling) Mathis for a potential trade in the offseason. Napoli can be traded for his bat; Mathis needs the reputation of being a superior (premium) defender for any bounty in return. Let’s face it, we’ve got three MLB catchers waiting in the wings: Wilson, Conger, and Budde.
Is it something the rest of us don’t see?
My opinion: Yes, I think it is.
There's a really serious blind spot in Scioscia with regard to Mathis.
I can understand his insistence on having full-inning bullpen “roles”, as it has worked in the past (7th-Shields, 8th-K-Rod, 9th-Percy, etc.) even though it isn’t working today.
I can understand sticking with veterans (Steve Finley calling) when they demonstrate over and over that their best days are behind them. I appreciate loyalty too.
Acknowledging that Scioscia has forgotten more about the catching position than I will EVER know, I truly do not understand the attachment to Mathis, especially this season. He has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt he is not a MLB catcher. It defies logic. When something is as illogical as Mathis STILL starting games (not entering the game as a late inning defensive replacement), people speculate.
Your speculation that Scioscia is showcasing Mathis for a potential trade in the off-season presumes that there’s another team that might have an interest. If there is such a team, one look at his stats should send the running for the doors…once their hysterical laughter subsides. He really is that bad. Is there anything he does better than Josh Paul?Jose Molina looked like an all-star compared to Mathis.
If there is something the rest of us don’t see, what is it?
"Really Serious Blind Spot in Scioscia..."
These assertions regarding Scioscia are basically calling him a fraud, a liar, or a idiot. I’m really uncomfortable with that.
Facts are Facts
Mathis is one of the worst hitters of all time. This is an objective, documented fact. Therefore, to justify playing someone who is that bad (far worse as a hitter than lots of pitchers), he must really excel at something else. That something else would have to be defense, yet there are all sorts of objective, statistical measures which show that Mathis is nothing better than average there. And there are lots of guys who are average catchers (from a defensive standpoint), who hit better than he does. Mike Napoli’s offense is so far superior that it makes up for his acknowledged defensive shortcomings.
Mathis may be good at some things that the Soth believes make him good defensively, but that belief is not supported by anything that can be measured. The only thing that Mathis appears to do well is stop pitches in the dirt from turning into wild pitches, but this doesn’t happen often enough to make the tradeoff worthwhile. The Soth is a smart manager, and does his job admirably well, but he’s not perfect. And on this particular issue, he’s just wrong.
by jjackflash on Sep 8, 2010 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
This ^^^^
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Look, I respect the heck out of who Scioscia is and what he has accomplished. But he’s human, and he’s making a fool of himself with the Jeff Mathis Project.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." - Woody Hayes
by johnnyangel101 on Sep 8, 2010 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions
That's not really the point
We can use stats and graphs and try to devise all sorts of data to show that Mathis is the only slightly better than Napoli, or even the same as Napoli. That doesn’t really account for the total role of the catcher.
The catcher and pitcher need to feel a connection for the pitcher to have confidence. So many pitchers today throw hard breaking balls which land in the dirt by the plate, and the pitcher needs confidence that the catcher will block that pitch to prevent a passed ball or dropped third strike. They want some reassurance that a runner on base might be thrown out in a steal attempt (never mind it is more about the pitcher holding the runner than the catcher throwing him out). There has been, for years, insinuation that the pitchers prefer to work with Mathis because they have a higher degree of confidence in his ability to work with them. They apparently trust the pitch calls and feel more in synch with Mathis than with Napoli.
Guys around here sport massive chubbies over Napoli’s power hitting (nobody really can say much about his hitting overall this season), and since even a mediocre average for Napoli is better than sub-Mendoza efforts from Mathis, the idea is that Mathis sucks and Napoli should be catching 100% of the time.
My guess is that the pitchers feel differently, and Scioscia is going to defer to their needs as well. Just as Wakefield had Mirabelli, pitchers do often favor one catcher over another. It seems that the Angel pitchers who have a preference do prefer Mathis. I suspect it is for that reason, and not for the bizarre psychobabble reasons offered on these pages, that Scioscia gives most of the starts behind the plate to Mathis.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 8, 2010 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
2 things
1) Napoli is better than Mathis at throwing out runners. 27% for Naps, 24% for Mathis.
2) Napoli and Mathis have the same amount of passed balls, except Mathis has played fewer innings. 5 in 525 for Napoli, 5 in 462 for Mathis.
Also, here’s a thought. If Weaver wants better run support (which he deserves), why does he always choose the lousy hitting catcher?
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 8, 2010 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Just a guess
Because the catcher is just one bat in the lineup.
But he’s the only defensive player paired with the pitcher for the game. The catcher might get 4 AB in the course of the game, but he’s involved with every pitch thrown.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 8, 2010 7:35 PM PDT up reply actions
so in your opinion
you think that Sosh gets his pitchers together and asks them who they want to pitch to, and he assigns the catchers accordingly? and if they all want Mathis, Sosh just says to them “sorry Kaz, I don’t care what you want, Mathis is going to get the day off when you pitch, you’re stuck with Napoli.” I don’t buy that at all.
and using an instance of a catcher catching a knuckleballer makes no sense since none of the Angels pitchers are knuckleballers. its pretty common for certain catchers to be better than others at catching knuckleballers. this argument is weak.
also, wouldn’t it seem like after a while Weaver would want to give Nap a try since he never gets any run support and Mathis is awful offensively?
there are many holes to this argument me thinks
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 8, 2010 3:34 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
You're completely missing the point
…not to mention misrepresenting what I wrote.
Some pitchers and catchers feel as if they’re on the same wavelength. While I didn’t intend for the example of Wakefield and Mirabelli to be taken so literally (it had nothing to do with being a knuckleballer), we know of other examples of pitchers who had favorite catchers; Steve Carlton had Tim McCarver decades ago, and just this past season AJ Burnette supposedly told Skeletor he wanted Jose Molina over Posada.
In addition, we’re discussing a game in which there aren’t many intellectuals. The majority goes with gut and superstition. This is a game where a hitter will have a chicken dinner before every game, and a hitter might take the exact same number of swings in BP no matter what. Impressions come often not from hard data but from intuition. As Jim Murray so famously wrote, any player who graduated from community college received the nickname, “Doc”.
If a catcher blew a ball in the dirt and cost the pitcher a W, that pitcher might be less likely to want to have that same catcher the next time. It doesn’t matter what the stats say on BR, the pitcher is going to go with his gut and his memory of that lost opportunity for a win.
All I’m saying is that the use of Mathis has been painted ad nauseum as Scioscia blindly going with his pet player instead of another who could (as the theory goes) make the difference between winning and losing. In fact, it is highly possible that the pitchers prefer to have Mathis catch them instead of Napoli, and the comfort level of the pitcher is going to be a priority for any manager. No pitcher in the Angel roster is going to say to the media, “I prefer to have ________ as my catcher” because he will respect the player and the clubhouse chemistry. But that same pitcher wouldn’t have a problem going to the manager or a coach and telling him that there is a genuine preference for A over B; the coaching staff may have noticed that chemistry in the game. Mathis caught a few of the pitchers on the roster when they came up through the minors (though some of those are now gone).
Look, it’s a damn shame we don’t have Joe Mauer as our #1 and Carlos Santana as the backup. As it is, we’re limited to a good D/no-hit catcher and a middling D/power hitter with declining offensive numbers. It seriously would not surprise me to see the team trade both of them in the offseason.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 8, 2010 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm not commenting that Napoli is preferred over Mathis...
My question is, why can’t this organization – having one of the better catchers of his generation as their manager – field a catcher that’s merely decent on both offense and defense?
After the Molina’s, we have had Mathis (can’t hit, average defense) Napoli (good power, decent hitter, decent defense, isn’t loved by pitchers???), Paul (at best a reserve), Budde (at best a sub for Paul), and Wilson (average to below average)?
Really, this should be one of our strongest positions. Instead, it is – at best – a position that needs improvement. The future doesn’t look that promising…I’m not yet buying the Conger hype.
I think that is a great question
The team with a highly-respected catcher as manager hasn’t produced a quality catcher within its system since the Molinas. How did that happen?
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 8, 2010 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions
True
Benches and Mauers are few and far between.
Where I was going with that was the fact both Molinas were (A) home grown and (B) recipients of free agent deals after their time with the Angels: They were desirable players outside our organization.
Doubtful that Wilson or Budde will see career arcs similar to the Molinas, but both were drafted and developed during the Scioscia era. Conger has long been said to have DH written all over him. The pipeline was so thin in the middle of the decade that there was a role for Josh Paul.
I’m just wondering why no better catching talent has been developed in the system in the last decade. We have been hip deep in middle infielders, but it is surprising that the organization headed by a very good catcher hasn’t drafted and developed better catchers.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 9, 2010 3:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Maybe
we should have converted a middle infielder or two?
I laughed out loud
(and not some wimpy little LOL, either), at the thought of Macier burdened with the catcher’s gear.
His season would last about 3 games before he got into the barcalounger he has on the DL.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 9, 2010 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions
Beautiful
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 8, 2010 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I would call him an idiot
in regards to Mathis. I have no problem with that. the guy is human and contrary to what many Angels fans want to think, he can make bad decisions sometimes. this is obviously one of them. to act like he can’t be an idiot and claim how “uncomfortable” one is with that notion is ridiculous.
and what is even more ridiculous is what Sosh claims are the reasons Mathis is the primary starter.
I love Sosh and will cry the day he leaves, but giving him an infinite get out of jail free card would be insane, especially when EVERYONE who is watching thinks he should be doing the opposite of what he currently is doing in regards to the catching position.
for me the benefit of the doubt only lasts so long, and the Sosh/Mathis benefit died many moons ago.
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 8, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Something has to give here
1. Either having Mathis catching does not make that much a difference to the pitchers. He saves a few runs here and there but not nearly as many as his bat costs us.
or
2. Mathis saves so many runs for the pitching staff that he is PREMIUM. Since out pitchers are 11th in the league in ERA, then without Mathis they are nothing more than a giant pile of suck. This is unfortunate, since we have over 50 million invested in the staff.
I hope it’s #1, because getting rid of Mathis will be a lot easier than getting rid of the whole pitching staff and finding guys who can actually pitch to an average catcher. We have to act as if #1 is correct, because we cannot win with Mathis’ bat. If we find out that #2 is actually correct, then we aren’t going to win anyway – might as well let the pitching staff collapse and then rebuild the team.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
by RallyMonkey5 on Sep 8, 2010 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
I agree, Supporting a manager doesnt mean we blindly agree with every decision he makes
Scioscia is a great manager, but his decision to play a guy who who is approaching the brandon wood level of failure at the plate is (or should be) beyond acceptability for any fan of the game.
Aside from his offensive ineptitude, Jeff Mathis is a defensive liability; he commits an extrordinary number of errors for his limited amount of playing time and has shown he is entirely inadequate when it comes to throwing out runners. Pitchers may “like” him, but he is in no way an acceptable major league player.
Scioscia’s decision to “stick with him” is entirely unacceptable and shows that he is too close to this subject to make any type of objective decision. Either he is lying to himself or he is ignoring the situation altogether. Simply citing “defensive prowess” means nothing. Particularly when the catcher commits as many errors as Mathis does.
by Balls and Strikes on Sep 9, 2010 7:52 AM PDT up reply actions
Mike Scioscia come from an age...
Where catchers were not considered hitters. Bottom line. Bob Boone is good example, since he’s so beloved by so many old Angels fans. He never hit for power, had plenty of seasons under or around .250 BA, even as low as .202 one year. Catcher has historically been a defensive position primarily, the thinking being that the position is too hard on the knees for a player to be effective offensively. Catchers are team leaders.
That being said, I don’t see too much difference watching Naps and Mathis every night defensively, but I would give the slight edge to Mathis. But I reject outright the notion that Scioscia is stupid, blind or doesn’t like Napoli. There are legitimate reasons for him playing Mathis over Napoli that we as fans don’t see. I don’t really understand all the whining, since Napoli is playing almost every game anyway this year.
That's all good and well
but Mathis is NOT Boone. He is NOT Scioscia. He is NOT Charlie O’Brien. It’s all great that he plays nice with the pitchers and makes them more comfortable than Napoli but I think it’s time they find a catcher that can do at least two things well.
If Mathis could
1. Hit .250 in his good years
and 2. Throw out baserunners
He’d be Boboone, and have value. He does neither. Boone hit .200 in his bad years. Mathis hits .200 every year.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
by RallyMonkey5 on Sep 9, 2010 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Shorter wumbug in pseudocode.
while ( scioscia is being criticized )
{
print $AppealToAuthorityFallacy
}
#I KID. I KID THE WUMBUG.
I'd make a small wager
that all these respondants think they should have a raise in salary, and that they’re being screwed over by their boss(es).
Well, I tend to agree with them re: Scioscia and Mathis
And I’m happy with my current compensation package, and have a very hands-off boss.
I don't think that
but keep trying to pigeon hole people because they don’t agree with you or Sosh on this matter.
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 8, 2010 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Someone needs to find a way to email this article to Soth.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
Hey, don't bang on Reggie
He was on base four times last night. Not his fault the team sucks. Callaspo hit into two DPs once Willits had reached leading off.
I agree with you. The lineup last night confused me. You’re clearly out of the playoff chase. Why is Juan Rivera still in the lineup? Why? Last night’s lineup should have been all Bees. If it was, were we going to fare any worse than we did?
This team has given up. It’s an embarrassment right now.
NA, #34 SP, LAA
Light up the Halo for Nick!
More Howie please...
I'm embarrassed to be an Angels fan with the effort this team is giving
NA, #34 SP, LAA
Light up the Halo for Nick!
More Howie please...
It's true. these guys are toast.
as the game ended, and they showed faces in the dugout, Sosh, Abroo, Hunter, etc. it looked bad…. like a battered woman’s shelter or something. They looked like they were hurt and had no where to go and just wanted to hide. Play the Bees, other than Hunter and Soth, i didn’t even see a face that looked frustrated, just beaten.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Sep 8, 2010 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I noticed that too.
Of course, the networks are told to look for downtrodden faces at this point in the season, but that’s not hard to do right now in the Angel’s dugout.
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 8, 2010 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions
A few facts about Willits.
1. He has a career OBP of .369.
2. Across his career, he’s averaged 4.4 pitches per plate appearance, higher than even Bobby Abreu.
3. Over 795 ABs, he’s scored 142 runs. That translates to ~100 runs for a typical 550 AB season.
4. UZR likes him in leftfield. +4.5 UZR, 6.0 UZR/150 over his time there.
5. He costs $16-17M a year less than what Crawford will next year.
Those who dismiss Willits as a full-time leadoff option are rushing to judgment. There would be worse things than passing on Crawford in the offseason, giving LF to Willits for a year or two until Trout arrives, and allocating the funds for Crawford to improving our infield options.
by Turks Teeth on Sep 8, 2010 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
me too
but with no power in the infield except for at 1st base, they’d have to keep Nap and play him daily. Torii, Kendry and Nap would be the only power this team has.
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 8, 2010 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions
and Abroo
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 8, 2010 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Look at this.......
I can dig that
I think we’d have to find a way to improve elsewhere if we want to contend for the division, but Reggie’s OBP certainly does have value. I would have preferred to keep playing him in 2008 and made Anderson a bench player.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
I said this before 2009.
I think Willits is worth a lot more than this team gives him credit for.
He is the lead-off solution and the LF solution. But without more power hitters in the lineup at traditional power positions (3B), it’s hard to put him in the lineup.
I’d still do it, though.
RIP Nick...
Jim Scully
Jim Scully Home
Makes me nervous
Don’t get me wrong, when many HHers were saying Willits shouldn’t even be a major leaguer (as recently as the beginning of this season), I held my tongue. I’ve always liked the guy. I just worry that pitchers would figure him out again if he had regular playing time. That’s what seemed to happen in his sophomore year. And I worry that he would only help perpetuate the anemia that we see this season.
I worry about not really having any big impact players. Torii is good, but not completely intimidating. Morales was intimidating, but who knows how long it will take him to put it all back together? I’m not going to assume he will come out of the gates mashing. We already did too much assuming this season, and look where it’s gotten us. Just compare our lineup to TB or even TX. There are a number of hitters in the lineup who you just plain wish you didn’t have to face. Reggie Willits is not that. Crawford is. I’m not totally sure about spending the money on Crawford, but if we don’t get him, we’ve got to get someone else who is equally or even more threatening. And I’m not necessarily talking about power. I mean a “spark plug” kind of player.
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 8, 2010 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree with this, except...
play Trumbo in left to see if he has any sort of future there, Napoli at first just in case Morales has any setbacks next season, and anyone can DH (but preferable Willits since he’s been a good soldier).
Awesome. Willits deserves some playing time!
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
I wish we were discussing our playoff rotation instead of thinking of nice ways to escape this urinal cake of a season.
sad panda.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
Ive said it before, so I'll say it again. I want our young bullpen arms in tight games, especially when we are ahead 3-2 and such.
C’mon Sosh, give Chopper a chance to be a 7th/8th inning guy. Same with Kohn. Let Walden close a few.
How else can we know if these guys are ready?
he always puts chopper in games like last night. time to give him a set-up roll,
though as you say, we need to actually have leads
by Wally's World on Sep 8, 2010 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah, might as well...
This month is Spring Fall training. Let’s see what he/they can do. Not necessarily every game but at least a few times.
Now stuck in Colorado Springs
by stuck in Romania on Sep 8, 2010 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions
The young bullpens guys need
to continue gaining experience if we are to rely on them next year. I say play them now, play them a lot, and let them learn now.
im waiting for hauldog to jump in on all this willits love
by AlohaHalofan on Sep 8, 2010 3:54 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Willits deserves some love – he went 3-3 last night. No one else did that. He didn’t get caught stealing – he got out because the guy behind him hit into a double play. Willits did an awesome job last night. Ok so Hunter hit a HR – but he got caught stealing 3rd.
I think last nights game was one of the most depressing regular season games I’ve been to in a REALLY long time. The team didn’t care – and they looked like it too.
If the big league guys don’t care – let the new guys play and the others can sit and rest.
Worst part of all this...
The stRangers suck air right now and are losing left and right. With 7 head-to-head games remaining a simple 8-2 in our last 10 would have made those games meaningful. Texass is handing the division away and no one is there to take the handout! At this point, I would root for the A’s to take it from them just to watch them fold.
That’s what really stinks to me.
no trumbo or conger tonight
skinny quinlan gets a start at 2nd though
Somewhere, right now, Mickey Hatcher is ruining a swing.
by Quinlan's Goofy Swing on Sep 8, 2010 3:59 PM PDT reply actions
Youngsters are not going to play until this team is mathematically eliminated...
Just deal with it. The 7 head-to-head games with Texass will continue to be the carrot for Scioscia and the veterans until eliminated.
I would love to see the Bees offense come play with the Angels starting pitching…probably score more runs!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Ask Alex: Will Julio Teheran or Matt Moore win rookie of the year?
- Ku Klux Klan, umpires and bowling: Why the minor leagues tossed out Jim Evans academy
- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
- Will Bryce Harper start the season with the Nationals?
- Mitch Mustain puts football behind him, signs reported rookie deal with White Sox
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
