Game Day Thread (Ongoing)

[Lightningwill_420]

On the pitching.... to save your bullpen, you try to get your starter as deep as possible. No issue w/BB and his handling of our staff today.

I'm not saying what Bud Black did was wrong. Perhaps that's the best way to go, but it's not the way things were done when I really paid attention to the sport. When a pitcher got hit hard a lot in a game, he got replaced by a reliever before the game was lost. The new way of doing things is just boring to me. I don't want to see a guy having a bad day - get him out of there. Give somebody else the ball. But, yea, my way probably isn't the best way for winning a division title. Things are more advanced now, I'm assuming.

[TABF]

Baseball hasn't changed that much. Players abilities have advanced (bigger/faster/stronger) My 40+ years around the game has always seen a 2 hitter being a situational hitter. A guy w/speed who cant bunt or hit/run, he can take pitches and put the ball in play deep in counts. We have very few players that fill that need. Possibly Myers (hitting leadoff), Amarista, Gyorko, Spange. What we dont have is a stereotypical leadoff guy. But Myers is doing a good job in that roll!

[Lightningwill_420]

Baseball hasn't changed that much. Players abilities have advanced (bigger/faster/stronger) My 40+ years around the game has always seen a 2 hitter being a situational hitter. A guy w/speed who cant bunt or hit/run, he can take pitches and put the ball in play deep in counts. We have very few players that fill that need. Possibly Myers (hitting leadoff), Amarista, Gyorko, Spange. What we dont have is a stereotypical leadoff guy. But Myers is doing a good job in that roll!

The best way to do it is put the best hitters at the top of the lineup. The guys at the front get more at bats. Our first 4 or 5 hitters should be the best we got.

Another strategy I haven't seen us try is picking a lineup and sticking with it.

[6025]

Is baseball better with this inundation of saber metrics? These severe infield over shifts, changing of lineups daily, I miss good old Dick Ball, where Dick Williams would just will his team to kick ass.

[TABF]

The best way to do it is put the best hitters at the top of the lineup. The guys at the front get more at bats. Our first 4 or 5 hitters should be the best we got.

Another strategy I haven't seen us try is picking a lineup and sticking with it.

How much time do you have around baseball?

It would be great if we had 8 quality hitters, but that isnt realistic, so you play a numbers game and put situational baseball hitters in the 2 hole for reasons I mentioned in my previous post. Your 2 hitter should be a QAB guy that is not going to K to often, he will see pitches and can put the ball into play, move runners etc. You Don't want RBI guys (Norris, Kemp, Upton, Alonso) in there too often. Now in a perfect world, we have 8 hitters that can do it all, but as noted earlier, extremely unrealistic.

Remember baseball is all about pitching and TIMELY hitting. Batting average is such a bad stat and is an indication as to the ebb and flow of a hitter.

Our roster is full of free swinging RBI type players.

Two run double guys (we have a bunch) belong in the middle of the order. 1 & 2 are table setters IMO.

The real issue w/our team this far isn't hitting however. We quite simply have not made enough pitches at key times.

[TABF]

batting average a bad stat...

In baseball you can do everything correctly - (have great timing, stay inside the ball, square it up and drive the ball) & still fail and have a statically bad game/series/week etc.

I have seen many the player do everything right and go opher night after night.

It is such a game of failure. Dealing wuth that early is where success is found. This is why only the top 1% of 1% even get a cup o' coffee w/the big club.

[Lightningwill_420]

batting average a bad stat...

In baseball you can do everything correctly - (have great timing, stay inside the ball, square it up and drive the ball) & still fail and have a statically bad game/series/week etc.

I have seen many the player do everything right and go opher night after night.

It is such a game of failure. Dealing wuth that early is where success is found. This is why only the top 1% of 1% even get a cup o' coffee w/the big club.

The batting average last night was pretty bad. The bottom of the order was filled with guys who haven't hit yet this year. Why all these changes?

[TABF]

The batting average last night was pretty bad. The bottom of the order was filled with guys who haven't hit yet this year. Why all these changes?

Then tip your hat to Bamgardner. Dude was filthy last night. Just like I noted yesterday, baseball is all about Pitching and TIMELY HITTING. Giants got both yesterday and we only go one part of the equation and that is more a credit to Bamgardner then it is a knock on us.

As to the lineup. I see your frustration, however we don't have a SOLID 8 and very few teams do. We have a solid 6, but your going to see movement with 80% of MLB teams w/those remaining two. Nobody has established themselves as our starting 2B or SS. I bit of a weird one yesterday w/Alonso out of the lineup, probably nursing the HBP the previous day.

The buzz saw is Solarte. He is our UT guy and is getting in the lineup 5 days a week and the changes of position isn't affecting him. This lets our supposed starters the opportunity to run into something. Jedd was in the lineup because the previous day he hit a 2 run bomb. You kinda have to put him back in there and see if its streaky.

[Lightningwill_420]

Then tip your hat to Bamgardner. Dude was filthy last night. Just like I noted yesterday, baseball is all about Pitching and TIMELY HITTING. Giants got both yesterday and we only go one part of the equation and that is more a credit to Bamgardner then it is a knock on us.

As to the lineup. I see your frustration, however we don't have a SOLID 8 and very few teams do. We have a solid 6, but your going to see movement with 80% of MLB teams w/those remaining two. Nobody has established themselves as our starting 2B or SS. I bit of a weird one yesterday w/Alonso out of the lineup, probably nursing the HBP the previous day.

The buzz saw is Solarte. He is our UT guy and is getting in the lineup 5 days a week and the changes of position isn't affecting him. This lets our supposed starters the opportunity to run into something. Jedd was in the lineup because the previous day he hit a 2 run bomb. You kinda have to put him back in there and see if its streaky.

We'll just agree to disagree. I think the coach should set the line-up and stick with it. If somebody sucks over time, bench him and give somebody else a chance. But don't go changing the lineup every day. Definitely not because some dude batting .150 hit a pinch hit homer once. Sorry - no.

And there's no way I'll be congratulating a Giant. I hate that saying - "Tip your cap." Yea, that's cool in the Little League when it's all about sportsmanship. But, in the pros, the other team should be the villain. Otherwise, what's the point of playing?

[Lightningwill_420]

Jees, just checked out today's game. Line-up got messed with again.

6, 7, and 8 hitters are all below .200, and we have a new leadoff hitter tonight.

[TABF]

Jees, just checked out today's game. Line-up got messed with again.

6, 7, and 8 hitters are all below .200, and we have a new leadoff hitter tonight.

Hitting isn't our issue brother (long term)... minus the last 2 games of course becuase the giants shoved it against us.

If you have coached or played enough or been an active student of the game of baseball you realize that (1) baseball is not football and emotion often leads to failure. (2) the seasons are real long and (3) you tip your hat to a guy that stimies your lineup like Baumgardner did.

If you approach one-hundred sixty two like a bull dog it will wear on you real real quick. The most important trait for a big leaguer is a short memory!

[Lightningwill_420]

Hitting isn't our issue brother (long term)... minus the last 2 games of course becuase the giants shoved it against us.

If you have coached or played enough or been an active student of the game of baseball you realize that (1) baseball is not football and emotion often leads to failure. (2) the seasons are real long and (3) you tip your hat to a guy that stimies your lineup like Baumgardner did.

If you approach one-hundred sixty two like a bull dog it will wear on you real real quick. The most important trait for a big leaguer is a short memory!

I'm not the one being emotional. I think we should play the same guys every game and stop making changes every game. Decide who the best players are; play them; only bench them if either they suck over a long period of time or they get hurt. Every night can't be a new lineup.