pacopete4

Well, must be something about being our leadoff that makes you run into outs.

Davies just doesn't look like he has the "stuff" to be a MLB pitcher. At times, when his location is on, he is very good but a lot of the times he looks like he's a meatballer. Maybe it is because he weighs about 100lbs when wet but its hard to watch him at times.

Take two down the middle, swing at the one that would hit your back foot. Good approach there.

Mid next seaso(July-ish) if Dubon hits the way he's been hitting and Arcia struggles the rest of this season and the beginning of next.

I'll take two guesses: 1. It wasn't a pitch out but Bandy was trying to get an early jump on the throw on what he though was going to be an outside fastball. 2. Torres missed that badly on a pitchout.

I'm just happy Torres didn't blow up out there in this one. Maybe he's passing that tourch to someone else tonight.

I am not just throwing it out there, this whole thing started because I put it out there that CC seems to be favoring Sogard's 3 hot games over Broxton's 3 hot weeks. This appears to be evidence that there are other things about Sogard he likes and thus does not need as long of a hot streak before he considers him leadoff worthy. He also has hit Franklin higher than our hot catchers and Broxton recently. He batted Franklin leadoff in his second start this year. He likes the L-R-L approach in his lineups too. He's mentioned that a bit so that could've also played into Franklin splitting Satana and the catchers. The comment is overused to me. That's all.

I think it closed early 2000's and then was re-opened either the help of Salomon Torres around 2010.

Offense has run dry. One dribbler after the next. Going to waste another good start by Garza. Oh and Torres is warming up so I'm sure Garza will get a guy on, CC to Torres and he will immediately give up a double.

Broxton come on man. Damnit.

I am not doing this. Dismissing something you don't like as "argumentative" is not a good argument. I could say the same thing to you about giving Councell credit for a player's success instead of their natural ability or extra experience. My point was that I don't think the manager has a lot to do with players getting better. I see their role more as evaluating the talent they have and then using it in such a way to maximize wins. When you can't make a mistake at catcher because whoever you pencil in puts up a 1.000 OPS I don't think the manager is doing anything particularly impressive or anything every single other MLB manager wouldn't do. Overall, I think CC is basically average as he seems to make all the standard moves every other average manager makes. He does seem to over value gritty players who remind him of himself which I think makes him a little weaker in the evaluating talent aspect of managing. Managers make decisions on matchups. Flip the catchers starts completely around and maybe you have different results. While some of the success is just natural player progression, it also goes along with how the player is used. To dismiss that part of managing is a big mistake IMO. Otherwise any idiot with a computer could manage a MLB team and I just do not believe that. I also think because the player that CC was he gets this bad wrap anytime we have a player over the age of 27 in the lineup it just has to be because CC was a scrapper. Saying he over values them is just throwing something out there because we really don't know how much he values them or if he just is playing the guys he believes can win some games.

It'd be great to get two more innings from Garza in this one.

Interesting how much a year changes things. I give Counsell a lot of credit for bringing guys along so far. Broxton and Santana sure have looked even better this season so far. He's played his cards right for the most part. Another good example has been the catching situation. He's done well in my book. To be fair then are you going to blame him for Villar's OBP being 90 points lower than last year? No manager is perfect. But you're trying to argue for arguing sake. If you can't see that CC has had more successes with the current players he's had then I don't know what to tell ya. Villar might be one of those guys he took a wrong approach with by letting him be so free in his play so being undisciplined has become apart of his game. Who knows but it's early.

Interesting how much a year changes things. I give Counsell a lot of credit for bringing guys along so far. Broxton and Santana sure have looked even better this season so far. He's played his cards right for the most part. Another good example has been the catching situation. He's done well in my book.

Overreacting much? Lineups can be fluid, especially when regulars are out. Sogard is extremely hot and has already paid dividends for CC and helped win ball games. Sometimes you ride that out. Baseball managing isn't always done by checking out the back of these guys baseball cards. Is Broxton not a hot hand? 1.000 OPS this month seems hot to me. His career OPS leading off is .919 and .899 when he hits 2nd so I think he's "comfortable" hitting in those spots. Not to Counsell or he would be in those spots already. If he continues to hit, he'll eventually be there.

Overreacting much? Lineups can be fluid, especially when regulars are out. Sogard is extremely hot and has already paid dividends for CC and helped win ball games. Sometimes you ride that out. Baseball managing isn't always done by checking out the back of these guys baseball cards.

Agree to disagree. Villar has been up there because of what he can produce in that role. Has he gotten off to a slow start, sure but it happens. People weren't calling for Broxton in the first 20 games because he stunk. If Broxton continues his pace he will eventually get his opportunity to hit in the top of the lineup. And the thing about pushing guys does play into it yes, but there's also plenty of times you don't do that. Have to know when to push guys and when to let them adjust and find success. I think what CC has done so far with all the moving pieces, a relatively young team, and lack of pitching that it is pretty hard to pick a part the guy so far.

It does matter, over the course of the season the #2 hitter will get about 70 more PAs that the #7 hitter. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/buying-generic-plate-appearances-by-lineup-spot/ This is one of the core roles of the manager, put your team in the best position to maximize wins. Last year Keon was just fine, in fact at his best, batting 1 and 2 in the order Villar/Thames are his 1-2 punch this year. The other guys he's had fill those spots has helped this team win games so far so I'm failing to see the complaint other than just some wanting him to be atop the lineup.

I think people are making way too big a deal where guys are batting in the lineup. CC has his way of thinking with the younger guys. Broxton is one that he's allowing a no pressure spot in the lineup and he's thriving. It's really not that big of a deal.

While true most of the time, it is not an always. Thames is a perfect example of why someone should never be written off if they are willing to continue to work extremely hard at their craft. Not saying Sogard is another guy that we'll catch lightning in a bottle, but you just never know.

With having Thames and Perez on the roster, I'm not sure having Franklin's versatility to play OF is that big of a deal. If Stearns feels that Sogard will bring this team a better bat to the lineup and bench, then he should be the one to stay up. Franklin hasn't done enough to warrant keeping him just because he can stand out in LF and catch routine fly balls.

I'm also a teacher. We go till June 2nd. teacher here as well, we go until June 6th. May 26th for me.

Teacher here too. Plus baseball coach. Cannot wait until next weeks over and summer vacation is upon me.

This will make it easier to get some shuteye tonight. If they lose after leading 5-0, I don't want to watch it anyways.

To make massive year-to-year profits, making the books look good to eventually sell the team for a head shaking return? Yeah there is definitely something to that too. Some owners more than others.