Jim French Stepstool
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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool
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Vaughn definitely could use some down time. Like you said, there weren't any alternatives for the longest time w/both Hoskins & Bauers down. In the meantime, when he's at the plate he needs to remember what helped get him the hot streak in the first place. He's been chasing, and he wasn't before. Not going to anoint Bauers or anything, but he was mostly fine yesterday. Worked an 0-2 count full, then chased ball four. Other than that he hit two balls hard & saved a run (at the time) with a play at 1B that Vaughn would've been iffy on, and Hoskins probably doesn't make. I wouldn't be surprised if he's here in October, given the makeup of post-season rosters.
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That's those individual posters' problem, really. The FO is going about it in the absolutely correct way. Scouting & drafting, development, choosing the right people to roll the dice on & sign long-term---it's a different world from the teams that can throw money at their problems to cover their mistakes. And all teams to an extent have to get lucky to win it all in a sport with the randomness of baseball. Do we have to maybe get a little luckier, with the soft base hits, the loud outs? With health? And yeah, with a checked-swing call in the 9th inning? I think that's a fair assessment. Like I pointed out earlier, you battle a team like this, try to hold down the top 3-4 hitters----and then Stott, Marsh, & Bader combine for nine hits? Really? It's a tough game, for the players that have to deal with playing almost every day for 6-7 months, and for fans who live & die with each game. It's toughest for the ones who have what I call the 'NFL mentality'---where you can do a complete 180 degree turn attitude-wise after 2 or 3 losses, despite the fact that it's a marathon of a season, not an 18 game thing (or whatever the NFL plays these days). Maybe it's a little easier for me. I enjoy the big picture, the FO decisions & maneuvering. I appreciate the hard work & dedication that goes into accomplishing what they have & putting themselves in the position they're in despite having one hand tied behind their back. It's damned impressive.
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That happened one year under Counsell in the regular season & things just felt a little 'off' when the playoffs started. But it gives you the opportunity to set your rotation & pen so I wouldn't turn it down. Sitting for awhile after the playoffs start sucks. But the $$$$$$ that results in expanded playoffs will always trump that. Baseball got it right when they had the one-gamer (maybe expand to best of three) between two WCs, then that team joins the division champs. Couldn't leave well enough alone.
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Henderson has been very good before going on the shelf. But we're talking about someone who throws over 100MPH, and who has a slider in the mid 90s along with a curveball. And a change that he actually locates well most of the time. Unless it's a Steve Dalkowski or a Bruce Williams who makes you scared to stand in the on-deck circle for fear of being hit, that's always going to garner a lot of attention. I think Henderson has a heck of a future if he can stay healthy.
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If you emphasize the '6 innings' aspect I'd have to roll the dice with Patrick. But Misiorowski could go five & give up one or zero. Also, Patrick has gone 6 innings once in his last 8 starts for Milwaukee (I don't know what the game logs are in his Nashville starts but he's averaging less than 6 down there). It's a good debate, & if you're looking for a replacement starter Patrick would probably be the guy. Right now they have someone who is dominant when he's on, and they're giving him room to grow within his parameters. In his last nine-and-a-third innings he's walked two. If it was six or seven you'd probably be getting your way.
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Great post. I'm not even thinking about Hall but if he makes it back, great. From what I understand Megill has a BP scheduled. It'll be interesting to hear the aftermath of that. I keep hearing from some about Chicago needing to lose, and I keep running to the standings to see just how far out of 1st place we are. WE need to WIN our share of games; period. Nothing has been clinched, which is fine with 23 games left. But you'd think we're being chased by the '27 Yankees.
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No, it wasn't. You can disagree with prospect ratings if you'd like; that's your prerogative. But he would be coveted by every single team in MLB. He has all the tools & talent to be dominant. That's where the hype comes from, He certainly isn't a finished product. He's run hot & cold. The ability, the potential, the tools haven't changed one iota. Don't confuse 'hype' with a proclamation that the guy is at the top of his game at the MLB level from day one. If you think he could be a reliable pitcher down the road, then the hype isn't 'nonsense'. His going into the 5th inning & no longer, no, that doesn't help. But right now he's no different in that regard than anyone save for Peralta at times. If he could be replaced by an innings eater guaranteed to go 6-7 & give you 3 runs or less, let Chris Hook know. He'd appreciate knowing who it is.
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If you need help making it easier, there's some folks on here who would be happy to give you a tutorial.😛
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I briefly looked at one of the earlier pages & one of the first things I read was that the Miz hype is nonsense. So I think it's best not to waste my time. As to the elephant in the room, to be honest I've seen further go-arounds than the Realmuto checked swing. But did he go? I think so, yeah. If this was 25 years ago & Mariano Rivera was in Yankee Stadium in the same situation would he have gotten the call? Of course. But Uribe had a bad start to the inning. Falling behind Schwarber 3-0 is almost always going to be a problem, and after the K you had your only RHH in the first four (albeit a good stick) in Realmuto, followed by a LHH who only had to close his eyes & swing to find a hole the entire day. That was a get-ahead, stay-ahead AB, and at 2-2 he missed pretty badly to run it full. Didn't seem horrible at the time, but the leadoff walk by Misiorowski to Kepler in the 5th, things kinda hinged on that. I honestly think if he gets that first out there's a great chance he goes five w/one run allowed & you still have two lefties to go to in the BP, three if you add Zastryzny. Another no-no was Mears going 0-2 on Realmuto, then eventually hitting him. Can't do that vs a potent team; the Brewers have proven that by taking advantage of mistakes all year long. Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott, & Harrison Bader combined for nine base hits. And they weren't all on bad pitches. If they do even a hint of that for the rest of the year Philly will probably be world champs.
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Probably wishful thinking with the LH bats Philly can roll out there, but I'd really like to see Ashby not used today & get three days w/the off day tomorrow. Other than that the BP sets up nicely for this series. Hoskins being slow-played tells me they're really deliberating re the Seigler/Bauers thing. Also giving themselves a chance to take a look at Urias in Nashville. Not only the players, but this manager & staff deserves a heck of a lot of credit for navigating through the last 18 games.
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Maybe @BruisedCrewwill consider this. Just don't call him boy.
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Just saw the replay. A ball hit down the RF line scoring the winner from 1B, and they never really had a play. Damn, that's a huge OF in Coors.
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An ironic type of joy in their road trip, seeing Adames & now Arcia step up. If only Vinny Capra was playing SS for the Angels last weekend..............
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That IS a bit surprising. Sounds like Ortiz is doing all the baseball stuff in pregames lately. It sounds like both he & Hoskins are set to return; Hoskins has played a handful of games in N'Ville already. Perhaps you give Hoskins another day or two just so Bauers can start a game vs Philly because Murphy wants to see how many different shades of smoke can come out of the ears of Brewerfan denizens.
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Almost certainly one of them. With the roster expansion I don't see both of them going unless they want to add Black or Haase or something like that.
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The reaction to his first months' success was overblown, but I think going totally negative on him is, too. Ask anyone who's seen him with the White Sox, his at bats from the neck up are so, so much better & it's paid off. Yeah, he's cooled off big time. But he's been out there almost every day & that might be wearing him down. I don't remember when it was but he recently had a day off & hit three balls really hard the next game. Hoskins coming back will get Vaughn some rest, and if Hoskins is on one of his streaks & gets the majority of the time at 1B all the better.
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Quite possibly, yeah. Yet another gripe I have with announcers, Just about all of them do it. "If not for (blah blah blah), so-and-so is standing at 3rd base", or "he would've circled the bases", or "he had nothing but green grass in front of him, it would've been an easy pick six". Usually someone is backing up the play, or some WR has an angle & keeps the DB from going all the way. Frustrating thing about the Frelick AB, even if it's a DP it scores a run. Plus Brendon Little makes a terrific stop, when in the previous two ABs he was fielding his position like Stuart Little. A carom-off-the-glove, everyone safe play waiting to happen. Baseball.
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This kinda backs up my adage about not so much who you're playing, but how. Overall an excellent series, they would've beaten just about anyone Friday & Saturday. Today it would've been hard to beat most teams. I thought a big key was the back-to-back hits in the bottom of the 1st. You got the K from Bichette & you're on the cusp of stranding a pair in scoring position despite the error. Maybe get them in a little bit of a 'here we go again' mindset. Little does a Bingo Long act in the fifth helping to load the bases, then makes a great play on the comebacker. Baseball. That followed by the strikeout really settled things down for the 'Jays. Hard for me to critique Woodruff today. Definitely didn't get the best performance from his teammates, some lousy batted-ball luck, but never really looked in command, seldom if ever seemed to have an upper hand location-wise, missed badly with the changeup too often. Looked frustrated, understandably.
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That's fair. Runs were tough to come by, and w/a runner on 2nd & no outs you needed your 3 & 4 hitters to turn in something better than they did there. Fortunately the pitching & 9th inning bats overcame it (along with both of them coming through effectively for the run that tied the game).
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Wow. Didn't realize that. "But.....but......he's such a bigger name than Monasterio!!!!!"
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Lots of things to like about the last two days. But perhaps my favorite is that we played a very good team in their place, they got 5 excellent innings from their starter yesterday & 6+ terrific innings today-----and Peralta & Preister matched it, and then some. Very rare tough day for Turang. I wanted to see Durbin bunt after Collins reached when it was still a 1-1 game, but that's where thinking 2-3 moves ahead comes in. If there was a RISP w/two outs they had the lefty all warmed & ready to face Turang, who just wasn't seeing the ball today. That might've played in. Wow, adding a potent bat in the top third of the order really fleshes the lineup out. Looks like 2nd wind time for Koenig. Very impressive inning.
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I was one lobbying for IKF, but in my world he would've replaced Seigler, with Monasterio still here. I can see why the team may have balked at that & rather had a LH bat to share 3B with Durbin. But to me the experience/INF versatility from IKF would've trumped that. Bottom line, Monasterio has been an absolute revelation.
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It was walk-o-rama for Priester recently. That needs to end.
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No one has to be removed from the roster to make room for Hoskins assuming he's added after 9/1. The way things look now it'll be Seigler OR Bauers in jeopardy. Judging by how some people have been taking ground balls in unfamiliar spots it appears they're considering either option.
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100% agree. In the absence of Ortiz he's been a true hero (just don't know about the 'cult' part lol). Goes to show you how things evolve in the ebb & flow of a season. To think Vinny Capra & Ollie Dunn were in Yankee Stadium to open the year while Monasterio was in AAA........
