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Jim French Stepstool

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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool

  1. Jim French Stepstool
    MTrebs made a point that I've seen play out a million times before when a team can't buy a win. You have a weakness--in this case the offense--that costs you games, then if/when THAT picks up, then one of the reliable elements of the team fails, at just the right time to cost you a win. It really makes no difference how weak the division is, if they're in the race they aren't selling, unless what comes back can be of immediate benefit. Sort of like the Hader trade (not in the results but in theory). Adames just astounds me. You put up 3 good ABs in a row vs the bullpen, have a couple runners on & he puts up arguably the worst AB of the entire game. This isn't slowpitch, you fail the majority of the time, but to look that ugly in that situation........ I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they do with the roster moving forward. It's so disjointed right now. You have 3 true OFs (I consider Anderson a 3B) & two combination linebacker-first basemen who can't play anywhere else & are both LHH.
  2. Jim French Stepstool
    He improves the roster. I'd feel considerably better if he happened to hit right-handed, though.
  3. Jim French Stepstool
    Yes. That, and NOT taking a hack at pitches-----in ANY count-----that aren't strikes.
  4. Jim French Stepstool
    I'm as far from being an analytics guy as you can get. So maybe I'll be allowed to point out that using Bruisedcrew's criteria, against teams that aren't terrible they're 30-24. Which isn't a "better" point, other than it illustrates the same thing--that this team doesn't play good baseball on a consistent basis. Personally, I didn't have any more--or less--confidence going into this series than I did when they played Houston, Baltimore, NY, or Kansas City for that matter. The inconsistencies demand that sort of attitude. I've always said it isn't who you're playing, as much as how you're playing. Colorado played very, very well against us. The Mets, and to an extent Houston, played like crap. We've been lousy the last 2 days + 2 innings. I've seen nothing to verify this is a "bad" team. Or a good one. The weirdest thing to me is that the jury is still out as you approach mid-June. As for today, I see Joey Wiemer in his 4th different spot in the order in as many games. After he finally started heating up, that doesn't thrill me.
  5. Jim French Stepstool
    I'm truly sorry, I'm not following you. Not even thinking about a comparison to last season. Simply making a reference to reliance on the home run, which I believe has been a problem for a long time. Certainly, a lot of them have gone to the off field or to CF. The problem is when we need to find other ways to score. The A's put up a few quality ABs at a crucial time. We did next to none of that. I saw two hit-and-run attempts, one from each team. Ours was grounded to the pull side. Not good. Without looking at the numbers yeah, it's obvious to me we're going oppo much more than before.
  6. Jim French Stepstool
    I'm insinuating that's an obsession in a lot of our ABs. Not claiming we're successful at it.
  7. Jim French Stepstool
    I would've been fine with Haines getting fired in-season, and I'd be fine with doing the same tomorrow. It's not about these guys being incompetent, or whether hitting coaches "matter". As frivolous as it sounds, it's about change for the sake of change. In the world of sports, that often works. Just a different voice, a different way of presenting the same message, even just the message that the status quo isn't acceptable. Having said that, I've always had the suspicion----it's impossible to prove----that the minor-league hitting instruction is done on the cheap, that other organizations spend more in that area than we do. But even if true, that doesn't explain the struggles by guys from other teams.
  8. Jim French Stepstool
    This game was sort of a microcosm. The 2-strike opposite field single by Peterson. The following hit-and-run dribbler by Diaz. In the 10th, Diaz keeps the bat back long enough to hit an off-speed pitch up the middle, that even if it didn't get through gets the ghost to 3rd with the first out of the inning. Three softly hit balls, but very brainy ABs. That was more than enough to beat the launch-angle, exit velocity celebration in the eighth. Then throw in Monasterio pulling a grounder to SS with the ghost on 2nd & no one out.
  9. Jim French Stepstool
    I agree, it isn't embarrassing to lose to the A's----or any other team in MLB. It's baseball. It's not like Duke taking the floor to play The Citadel. What IS embarrassing is how they played. Some of the pitches our hitters chased, for a neutral fan it would've been laughable. But for all the appropriate wailing on here about the offense, the starting pitching still sets the tone, and Houser was horrible. The offense needs to perform better, but with this team it's still about run prevention.
  10. Jim French Stepstool
    In the aftermath of the Freitag commitment, just a quick note on Kon Knueppel. He's having an absolutely monster summer. Wouldn't be surprised if he winds up ranked among the top 10 players in the class of '24.
  11. Jim French Stepstool
    The tone was set right away. I watched Houser & Contreras the first couple innings & assumed they weren't aware there was a game tonight, or that it started at 7:10. Then in the bottom of the 1st all three Ks were chases. Medina settled down just enough put us in "swing at balls, take strikes" mode, which always seems to happen to this team when there's a tight zone. Adames hit the screamer to third in his last AB. Hard hit ball, terrible luck, but Erceg just threw six balls in a row, one runner on & you're down by three runs. I don't care how hard he hit it, IMO swinging there is horrible baseball IQ. Then I have to listen to BA say that watching Wiemer swing the bat is worth the cost of admission, whether he makes contact or not. Perfect asinine comment to top off a horrible performance.
  12. Jim French Stepstool
    Yes. Bama comes to Madison in '24. My dad took me to a UW-LSU game a little over 50 years ago. I believe that was the last time an SEC team came to Camp Randall.
  13. Jim French Stepstool
    Devanney at 1B. I realize they need to make room for Brosseau & Turang on the left side, but still interesting.
  14. Jim French Stepstool
    Good points. AFA the last one is concerned though, I hear what you're saying w/regards to him getting another one or two hundred ABs down there. But defensively, if he was in Nashville all this time his glove being absent might've cost us a couple games. Tough call.
  15. Jim French Stepstool
    Looking at his overall minor league offensive #s, yeah. Average. But he also had his best individual year last season, in his first year in AAA. At age 22. I wouldn't pin a label on him just yet. Either way, if he turns out to be an average hitter, it certainly WOULD be a win, given what he does with the glove & on the bases.
  16. Jim French Stepstool
    Maybe give him more than 2 months into his career? Agree to disagree.
  17. Jim French Stepstool
    He'll be back, I just don't know if it'll be a few days. I think he kinda forgot "who he was" as a hitter & got out of his element. Every other aspect of his game is much more than good enough to carry a mediocre-to-average bat, which I think is his floor. He'll be a part of this moving forward.
  18. Jim French Stepstool
    I'd certainly explore Laureano. Hard to say what the interest in him from others would be, though. Lane Thomas should be a cheaper option. Always liked him.
  19. Jim French Stepstool
    A greatly overlooked part of the game today. after Contreras' leadoff double, Miller gets him to 3rd. Then Singleton doesn't touch the ball. Get that run in, and you're more likely tied than trailing after 8 & Williams pitches the 9th. I actually give the offense somewhat of a mulligan from the 2nd inning to when Bradish left. His stuff & movement was outstanding once he settled in.
  20. Jim French Stepstool
    Then don't watch any baseball news on deadline day, you'll get depressed. Us trading for relievers ranks right up there with the sun setting in the west. I just don't like overpaying.
  21. Jim French Stepstool
    He wasn't good today. Still..........a swinging bunt w/one out. Santander was really overdue & swinging the bat well all day, he finally got redemption. Then the lefty goes oppo on the first pitch. A bad day but IMO nothing to jump off a bridge over. An interesting thought would be, do they PH if Milner comes in to face Henderson?
  22. Jim French Stepstool
    I think they'd love to go to a six-man if possible, maybe not for the duration but at least for a stretch. I also think a Rea or a Teheran would eventually fit well as a 13th man on the staff. You certainly don't want a younger arm in that role getting sporadic work as opposed to being on a regular sked on the farm. Who knows, if Lauer doesn't figure it out he may even fill that role. I think the biggest threat to us in the division is in the mirror---our own inconsistencies scoring runs. Getting healthier & Wiemer & Turang (yeah, I know he's not here right now) continuing to evolve should be keys. If picking another squad that could challenge, I guess I'd go with St Louis. But they miss Molina big, big time.
  23. Jim French Stepstool
    I think he's 28. Perhaps a promotion to AAA is forthcoming, if the brain trust feels he's legit.
  24. Jim French Stepstool
    It's a tough call. We all know how they value versatility (with the 4-man bench you HAVE to) & Toro has a bit more than Big Jon, so I'll say Singleton goes. Playing these guys in a tie game late, you sort of hope you can get past Cano & Bautista & still be breathing to have a chance. Youth served tonight. And Yelich quietly had a very nice game.
  25. Jim French Stepstool
    Agreed. His ABs have looked great lately. Just a "Murphys' law" deal that the one AB last nite that wasn't a double was when he had a couple runners on. Like I said, one of those nights.
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