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Jim French Stepstool

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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool

  1. Jim French Stepstool
    Of the three LHH mentioned, I like Frelick at the top of the order. But in a relatively short post-season I think managers can get caught up in the idea of getting your better hitters more PAs. I'd say Yelich has been swinging it OK. But yeah, you have to question how often he'll see baserunners when he comes to the plate if leading off.
  2. Jim French Stepstool
    In the eighth inning Murphy was thinking ahead to the ninth w/Monasterio & Perkins due up. I suspect that's where he was already slotting Vaughn (personally I would've used Vaughn for Perkins, not Monasterio). He liked the idea of Frelick vs Thielbar more than Mona & Perkins vs Keller. And I don't see him using Jansen as a PH in the 9th vs a RHP. I agree re the bunt. It's not necessarily giving up an out & you're pressuring the INF. But after strike one, I felt any chance of seeing it went out the window.
  3. Jim French Stepstool
    Good stuff. But as for Miz, game five or not I feel much better about him pitching at home, especially after his game two performance. You aren't going to second-guess either way? I'm sorry, I'm afraid we're going to have to revoke your message board license.
  4. Jim French Stepstool
    I agree Peralta should start, but I don't know where you're going with the second sentence. People who have followed the starting pitcher in this series have given up one run in three games & allowed one inherited runner to score.
  5. Jim French Stepstool
    I originally liked the idea of Peralta being held back for a possible 5th game, but I've wavered on that in favor of him starting on his regular day. I wouldn't hate starting out w/Ashby for an inning or two but man, I'd love going into the back half of the game w/a lead & both Ashby and Koenig available if needed. Then if you DO go five games you'd probably have at least one of them available, plus Quintana for an inning if needed and most likely all the one-inning RHPs after a day off (not that Uribe couldn't go more than one). And Misiorowski & Patrick most likely don't pitch tonite. They're covered Saturday if needed.
  6. Jim French Stepstool
    Very true. It's really about the LRLR thing & not wanting him next to Contreras when opponents go to the BP. Me, I'd be fine with Frelick, Chourio, Yelich & Contreras 1-4 & be done with it.
  7. Jim French Stepstool
    Lockridge was a headscratcher, for sure. But it's not like they've never moved Chourio up or down in the order due to the handedness of the pitcher. Hell, the guy in the other dugout benched Busch & his 30-whatever HRs the other day because Ashby was opening. Managers these days are big on matchups & going L-R-L-R as often as possible. One quibble I might make, is dropping Frelick to 5 with Yelich leading off vs RHP. It just smells to me of overplaying the 'get him as many ABs as possible' thing. Ohtani does it but he obviously has much more help surrounding him, and LA has folks other than Perkins & Ortiz in the bottom third of the order.
  8. Jim French Stepstool
    So if you fit anyone for goat horns today it obviously has to be Priester. 3-2 to Busch, then the HR really seemed to put him in nibble mode until the Kelly AB, which he couldn't afford with the zone that was tight both ways. You could say he didn't catch much of a break w/the bases-loaded hit, I guess. Got to 0-1 due to Crow-Armstrong chasing a pitch he chases all the time, then puts the next two in the same spot & he takes both. Then of course you don't want to go 3-1, so...... Most of the civilized world thought Lockridge might be bunting in the 1st & 3rd situation. Even so, I was OK with it in concept, he just needed to deaden the ball more than he did. They battled, and the BP was once again terrific. But we needed to be a little more woodpecker-ish in a few key spots. Turangs' AB after the Chourio double was pretty terrible. And that was nothing like the Isaac Collins I've seen all season, swinging at a clear ball four. Had they scored in the ninth, that would've been one damned interesting defensive alignment for the bottom half. I kinda expected Monasterio to hit for himself, then probably Vaughn for Perkins. Someone might have to nominate Counsell for the PJ Fleck 'Get Put on Camera Every Twelve Seconds' award.
  9. Jim French Stepstool
    As a 3B Durbins' arm could be described as adequate. No way is he ever penciled in as a SS. Barring something very surprising I think you'll see the same format next year at 2B-SS-3B while they bank on continued development from Pratt & Made and as always take a look at what might give you a short-term jolt at the deadline that isn't prospect-cost prohibitive. IMO the only way they consider a Turang at SS & Durbin at 2B scenario early in 2026 would have to involve a heckuva jump from Wilkin, and his bad luck with health has hindered that.
  10. Jim French Stepstool
    We know how they value run prevention, and I think they're SO much better defensively with Perkins in CF & Frelick in RF. With Yelich & Chourio both available that kinda aces out Collins. Collins had the horrible defensive game late in the season also, which still might be sticking in Murphys' craw. Just a guess, but had Chourio never landed on the IL Collins' PT might've shrunk at that time. As to Lockridge over Perkins today, I have no idea. But I do like the feel of two switch hitters on the bench, as well as Vaughn. And if it's a ground-ball day, Bauers is a nice call at 1B even though Vaughn has been solid.
  11. Jim French Stepstool
    I recall talking to a co-worker in '82. The team was coming back to Milwaukee after falling behind 0-2 to the Angels in the ALCS & she was pretty despondent. I mentioned that if you just win game 3, all of a sudden you're nine innings from tying the series up & of course that's what happened. So yeah, a great spot to be in but momentum can be a funny thing. I'm surprised no one until now has mentioned the Yelich LF/Chourio DH possibility. I think Yelich has been adequate when out there while Collins has struggled a bit w/the glove recently. But my gut says they're looking at Chourio as an all-or-nothing decision--play both ways or not at all.
  12. Jim French Stepstool
    I love (and am not surprised by) the move of Adamczewski to LF. Not AFL related, but also looking forward to seeing how they sort out assignments for Boeve, Burke & Adams in '26. I'm assuming Wilkin is ticketed for AAA.
  13. Jim French Stepstool
    For my money, the three run first was more the fault of Ashby dropping the ball in the Tucker AB, than a failed strategy by Murphy. Walking the LHH caused Ashby to have little to no margin in the Suzuki AB. So now, it appears that we come out of that game not only with Priester (and Quintana if needed) still in the holster, but a more solid & resolute Misiorowski moving forward. Great stuff.
  14. Jim French Stepstool
    Let's not forget the crowd reaction from medium-to-deep fly ball outs, too. Although it's much easier to mitigate those.
  15. Jim French Stepstool
    Probably. But I'm guessing there are a lot of BP options they'd rather go to if looking for one inning. If a typical outing for him in the post season is what we saw Monday, then I don't see him working in either game in Chicago.
  16. Jim French Stepstool
    I know top of the 1st inning didn't go well, but I thought the decision to go with Ashby was master class, and I didn't see it coming. What uglied it up was the walk to Tucker L on L, that can't happen. Ashby throws strikes there & gets to two outs w/a man on, I'm not so sure Suzuki gets anything he can hit out of the park. As it was, the team seems to be sitting pretty w/Priester & Quintana yet to be used & you can assume the pen fully loaded going into Wednesday save for Misiorowski.
  17. Jim French Stepstool
    From what I heard, not until Saturday morning.
  18. Jim French Stepstool
    After grabbing the 1-0 lead in game one, SD had runner on 3rd w/no one out & didn't score. An inning or two later they had runners at the corners w/one out & didn't score. If they convert on those two opportunities I suspect SD would be in Milwaukee this weekend.
  19. Jim French Stepstool
    Not to mention an imposing handshake line. Juwan Howard got canned just in time.
  20. Jim French Stepstool
    I meant on this board, a few people have brought up JL. And the only chance of it going anywhere beyond that is if Mac was jettisoned. Yeah, some well-heeled people---many of them---would have to have a lot of disdain for Fickell for him to be in his last year. I also don't see that happening. And in that case, it would be futile to put together any kind of serious candidate list at this time. But if the unlikely occurred, Kotelnicki & Campbell would currently be my favorites. I've been a Leipold fan for awhile now, but he'll be 62 next spring.
  21. Jim French Stepstool
    It IS a big loss. He & the missus have four kids & I believe they're all relatively young. I also recall reading that he has business interests in NZ, so perhaps coaching in the US was never in the cards for him long-term. Along with what he contributed as a coach, I'm sure he was a catalyst in opening up the NZ-Aussie area leading to them signing Hayden Jones, Jackson Ball & Austin Rapp. Hopefully that trio has success here, which could lead to a pipeline. Davison has been playing in Europe. Given his makeup & some prior comments it's not surprising that he'd jump at a chance to coach, especially at his alma mater.
  22. Jim French Stepstool
    As I mentioned, Chryst appears to be one of those guys who should've just stayed an OC---and while I'm sure he didn't know it at the time, would've been happier had he done so. NIL makes this almost a necessity, but you've wound up with a number of what are supposed to be key players being from elsewhere. Bad football is bad football no matter where the kids are from, but the new coach & staff and the early Longo-driven hype COMBINED with the makeup of the roster gives (I think) a mercenary-type feel to the whole thing & contributes to the propensity to boo if unsuccessful. Barry took the high road. Knowing his willingness to straight shoot, it probably wasn't easy for him. Leonhard is once again on a few peoples' lips. I don't know if that'll ever be revisited, but there would need to be a different AD for it to happen.
  23. Jim French Stepstool
    So be it. With the off days, I think they'd be fine with eleven. I guess that means Lockridge OR Hoskins, as that minimizes the 3rd catcher theory.
  24. Jim French Stepstool
    He's been really far off everyones' radar since being added. But yeah, he mostly throws strikes & has been through the wars and that's the sort of stuff Murphy appreciates. Ya never know.
  25. Jim French Stepstool
    Just a few random thoughts: I was among those who considered Hoskins a lock but that obviously has appeared to have changed. If they're looking at Jansen as a possible PH bat then you'd need a 3rd guy who can catch if need be. I question whether that would be Seigler. It might be Quero---I know that would be a real reach, the guy has never appeared in a big league game much less a post-season one. But I think in a potential 5 game series w/off days baked in you can go with eleven pitchers. That means you would have a six-man bench. Adding Quero would definitely be a huge surprise but if needed I'd much rather see him behind the plate than Seigler. Plus, Seigler might make it anyway. Black has been.....let's say better, in his final weeks in Nashville. And I believe he's drawn five walks to one K in his short time here. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it as a bench bat. Again, one of these candidates gets aced out if they DO decide on 12 pitchers. I agree with those who believe Brandon is a Lock(ridge). Whoever is on the staff, I feel a key to this series might be the guys who are earmarked to work the 5th-6th type innings---Myers, Patrick, maybe Hall. Also, whatever workouts/scrimmage situations they set up this week, IMO Rodriguez & McGee are just here to absorb innings they don't want others covering & aren't viable roster options.
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