Airing of Grievances: Bruce Bochy Edition
by Grant Brisbee on Apr 21, 2009 1:15 PM PDT
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PrintThere will never be a manager with whom you fully agree. Give up the dream. Every manager is going to pull this guy at the wrong time, not pull that guy at the right time, and make hundreds of decisions over 162 games that make you want to pull your nose hairs out in frustration. That guy you’re thinking of right now in an attempt to prove me wrong? He’d drive you nuts too. He secretly thinks that mustaches add two miles per hour to every fastball, and he manages his bullpen accordingly. Though that would explain why Sergio Romo throws 90 MPH instead of the high-80s max fastball that we were expecting.
But Bruce Bochy is kind of driving everyone nuts right now. He’ll never win with the pitch count thing – the He Isn’t Made of Porcelain crowd and the Three Digits is Evil crowd are watching his every move – but taking Randy Johnson out before his 80th pitch seems more like an overreaction than prudence.
The gravest sin so far, though, has been the handling of Nate Scheirholtz. Sez Carney:
Even accounting for the lefty-heavy schedule, Schierholtz is rotting. I know that some folks are down on Schierholtz because he will never be a big on-base guy, but he’s a .308/.354/.518 hitter in 2,594 minor-league at-bats. A rebuilding team should take the time to find out if a guy like that can cut it as a fourth-outfielder, if not a starter. Sometimes, low-walk, high-contact guys go on to have pretty nice careers, and…
You know this already. I know you know this. I actually kind of think that Bochy knows this, and he’ll start mixing Schierholtz in more. But right now, it’s driving me nuts.
Also of note: Rich Aurilia can’t hit right-handed pitching. If you think that Travis Ishikawa will struggle against lefties, you might be right. But Aurilia is worse against righties. Someone needs to embroider that on a throw pillow and leave it around the clubhouse.
There isn’t a thesis for this post – it’s more a one-stop dumping ground for all Bochy frustrations. I don’t mention managers a whole lot in my writing, so here’s a place to let it all out.
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MOAR ANDRE TORREZ
But seriously get Nate a start in this 2 game series.
Proud adoptive parent of the set-up man.
This is Howry do it!
Don't let your pitchers hit...
…if they’re not going out to the mound the next inning.
MOST PITCHERS ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT HITTING. THOSE GUYS ON THE BENCH? THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD AT HITTING. AT LEAST BETTER THAN THE PITCHERS.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
Supposed to be. Send in Nate, not Uribe or Aurilia!
by paboperfecto on Apr 21, 2009 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions
But Aurilia hits into clutch DPs!
"The BB's are out. The BB's are being arseholes to me." - Brian Wilson.
"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club
My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!
This is the reason why I didn’t want Richie back. I’ve been a huge fan of his forever and now my last memories of him will not be positive ones.
This bread's got nuts in it!
by NuschlerFace on Apr 21, 2009 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Nah
What are your memories of Kirk Rueter? You’re probably aware that he was terrible in his last couple years, but if you’re like me you remember him being pretty awesome before that.
GROUGTHINK ALERT
Chatterbalks dot com: Still with jokes. Now with updates.
On the other hand
Do you remember Jose Cruz Jr. for the gold glove or for the one dropped catch?
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
If you’re saying Rich Aurilia is going to cost us anything in this year’s playoff picture, that’s an argument I’d be happy to hear.
GROUGTHINK ALERT
Chatterbalks dot com: Still with jokes. Now with updates.
Well, no.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I like to remember the gold Glove season – seriously one of the best defensive years I’ve seen. And then I remember the catch…
Hi, I am Johnny Disaster.
by Johnny Disaster on Apr 21, 2009 6:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Man, there was this dude sitting behind me at a game I went to a few years ago and every time the Giants pitcher threw a ball he would start screaming, “HEY. STOP DOING YOUR RUETER IMPRESSION. HEY LOOK GUYS IT’S KIRK RUETER”
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
What’s that supposed to mean? Maybe the guy was drunk
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions
maybe?
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
He’s had the pitcher bat and them not go out to start the next half inning? Or are you talking about the pitcher must pitch 2 more innings to justify them batting?
I’ve often wondered how long I’d need a pitcher to go after getting another at bat. It’s usually an inning for me.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Kevin Frandsen should be with the big team.
He hasn't yet this season.
But he did have Affeldt bat for himself then pull him after one more batter, something I remember him doing several times last year. There were at least a couple of Sanchez starts last year where Sanchez batted and then didn’t go back out for the next half inning. This game, for one.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
If it’s 2 out nobody on and a tough lefty leading off the next inning, I’m okay with it. I think that’s the only instance and that must be THE exact situation.
by AngelWillSaveUs on Apr 21, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Who’s not pictured?
His double-switching will make me punch a hole in the wall before the season is over.
Right now it’s just causing a ‘hmmm’.
By May it’ll be ‘huh’
June: “what the hell?”
July: “Motherf***er”
August: /throws remote across the room
September: /punches hole in the wall
El Presidente Larry Baer's epitaph
"Nothing important ever happened without me."
Seriously though...
Nate should see a start in this series. No questions, letting him rot is unacceptable.
My Opinions are just that...my own. They may not represent those of my employer, associates, friends, relatives, or even people sharing similar names, eye color, or shoe size.
http://nickengvall.wordpress.com
http://www.nicekicks.com
All the Giants managers in my lifetime have had faults, some of them obvious, but Bochy is without any redeeming value as far as I can tell.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I think this sums it up well
to reiterate: There is nothing about Bochy that makes him better than any other manager, or even appealing over another manager.
Alou – Tried to win every game
Baker – Players did their best for him and wanted to play for him
Craig – Good with pitchers, exciting on field strategy
Bochy – Has a big head
by positiveuphemism on Apr 21, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Bochy – Has a big head
You sir, have summed it up well.
"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club
My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!
Alou – Tried to win every game
Except on Sundays, when he ran the scrubs out.
No, really, I have updated my blog this year: http://skaldheim.livejournal.com/tag/baseball
and
isn’t this a negative, to the extent it means the entire bullpen pitches in every game? Cf. Brower, Herges, ad infinitum.
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 21, 2009 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Bochy takes care of pitchers’ arms better than any of the three managers you named:
Alou – would have a reliever warm up four times and not ever enter a game
Baker – ran pitchers into the ground
Craig – preached the splitter because he got a commission for each resulting Tommy John surgury
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
Dusty Baker loves the taste of a young Pitcher’s tendons.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
We need to hire more managers with last names toward the end of the alphabet. That’s our problem, right there
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions
The last one whose last name was in the second half of the alphabet was Danny Ozark, and that didn’t work out so well.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Didn't do so great under Robinson or Rigney, either.
In fact, the last time the Giants got to postseason play with a manager whose last name was in the second half of the alphabet was 1937 under Bill Terry.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
by EliminateMe on Apr 22, 2009 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Some should dig up a Stewart French in a goofy pose pic from 3rd Rock from the Sun ( or just an Orange on a tooth pick ala So I married an Axe Murder) for posting during Big Heads Lefty vs. Righty Madness fits.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions
My grievances, in no particular order
1) Handling of Nate
2) You only want lefties in against righties
3) You only want lefties pitching against righties
4) The extremes he goes to in pitch counts (leaves them in way too long or pulls them way too early)
5) My son not getting a chance to be the backup sub, despite coming through in a number of situations last year
6) The Ishi/Aurilia thing
7) Frandsen in AAA and Burriss in the bigs
8) Up until his release, Bochy’s infatuation with Dave Roberts
I’m sure there are more, those are just the ones that pop into my head. Also, even after all that, I still think I prefer him to Dusty or Alou.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
almost forgot to post this
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions
the sig says it all, friend.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions
You know Bochy,
you could always just, like, hang out with Aurilia in your spare time. You know, go over to his place to watch a football game or something. Stop subjecting us to so much stress just so you can have your pal around.
Right now Jon Miller is somewhere wearing a flamboyant tie and thinking about me.
But then Racquel might get in the way of their guy love!
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
Affeldt
Boch seems to think he’s a LOOGY, and not as good as Howry. Someone please tell him Affeldt should be the 8th inning man, and can get righties out almost as well as lefties
by Splash Down on Apr 21, 2009 1:25 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
This. Goddamn, but I’m sick of Howry as the 8th inning guy already. Affeldt is clearly a better pitcher.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
This can't be state enough.
For Lawds sake we are not even 20 games into teh season an the guy is demoted to Loogy.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions
when
your team has scored 37 and allowed 55… the freakin’ MANAGER is not the problem.
That is all.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
1) Sample size
2) Just because the Giants suck doesn’t mean that Bochy doesn’t.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I mean, if I had lung cancer, and then somebody came by and cut off my finger, I’d still be pretty pissed over the finger.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Not if the guy who bit the finger off swallowed it as well
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions
true
but he is responsible for wins that are within grasp, but ends up in a loss that could have been mitigated by good managerial moves.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions
ORLY(A)
How much responsibility does Bochy get for Lincecums’ 2-0 loss… I a game in which he was cruicified for both removing Lincecum to early, and NOT pinch hitting for him in the 7th!
I agree that this was probably some of the MAXIMUM effect a manager could have – but there’s no way that his moves (either way) were going to cost the Giants more than 1-2% of that particular game.
There are no guarantees.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
was that not the game that he left either Affelt or Howry in for too long? Unfortunately I’m grasping at the memories of game recaps since I don’t have the fortune of being able to watch the games :(
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Where in this post does Grant say that Bochy is the problem and if we didn’t have him we’d be in first place? He’s got some specific criticisms of Bochy (Schierholtz, Ishikawa/Aurilia) that are completely legitimate and maybe wouldn’t make a difference in terms of wins and losses this year but are very important for other reasons (I mean… come on. Nate has 4 AB. There’s something wrong there.)
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
yes
outcome on wins and losses might be negligible (in some cases) but his moves affect the development of our younger players
Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis
who? Shierholtz?
He ain’t starting anyhow.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
But you think a more competent manager wouldn’t be able to find ABs for Nate? Bochy said the plan going into the season was to use Nate regularly in right and have Randy man the other oufield spots when necessary. Well, the only OF to get a day off was Rowand and we got a plate of full of fail from Velez in his stead. It’s not that Nate should be starting, but that he should be playing.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
I think
that Bochy is trying to win games. For whatever reason, he does not feel that Nate is a useful contributor at the moment. Now, that may be a bad decision, and it may not be – but it’s not like Nate can play first, or second. Or third. Or short. He’s an OF, and the Giants outfield is what it is, and playing Nate 1/week is not going to actually win the Giants any more games.
Now, his secondary duty is to Develope Nate Shierholtz… and clearly that’s take then back burner.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
And Velez is a better player? And Aurilia should hit against righties? These don’t seem to me to be decisions that winning managers make. A) Velez is terrible defensively and doesn’t know how to use his speed on offense. B) Aurilia is one of the worst hitters in the majors against righties. These are things a competent manager knows. Also, you’ve talked about Rowand taking a beating (when you say lower down that he’ll probably get hurt soon). Wouldn’t giving him regular days off keep him healthy and make this team better in the long-run? Nate in right and Randy to center. Even Bochy has said that’s the best way to deal with that. Yet he hasn’t done this.
I don’t think Bochy wants to lose; I just think that he doesn’t know how to properly use his roster to win.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
was Dusty Baker a winning manager?
Cause he made dumbass decisions like this ALL THE TIME!
Does that make him a good manager? No, but it just goes to show you that the manager doesn’t really matter that fucking much!
What I see is a bunch of good Giants fans, pissed of and disgusted by a 6 game losing streak and a team that, basically, cannot hit it’s way out of a paper bag, taking out their frustrations on a poor megalocephalic.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Nice dropping of megalocephalic. I think you’re probably right about the attitudes of most people here. Unfortanuately for him, Bochy doesn’t have a BLB in the lineup to rescue him from the bad decisions.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
Isn’t is Nate Ortholtz?
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Is he a part of the solution?
El Presidente Larry Baer's epitaph
"Nothing important ever happened without me."
precipitate.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
The team is bad and the manager is bad. One of these problems is easily fixable right now.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Proud father of Juan Carlos Perez. Think Albert Pujols at second.
preposterous
Hell, look on the bright side – if we had a GOOD manager for this bunch of bums, he would probably get discouraged and quite to work for a real team before the Giants got good.
It’s 12 Plate appearances. 12. Those are the PAs that Velez and Torres got that Shierholtz didn’t. And Torres is slugging 1.333 It’s not Bochy’s fault that the Giants starting OFs are Lewis, Rowand, and Winn… that’s just not a lineup Shierholtz is going to crack this year.
Now, the Aurillia situation. OK, that’s Sabean’s fault. Everyone knows that Boch-head is going to play Aurillia. He likes Aurillia. He’s had him on his team for 75 years, including San Diego. He needs the Castilla DFA treatment – post haste.
But that’s 13 PAs. which would go to … Ishikawa, I guess? The Travis Ishikawa who is not hitting TIM LINCECUM’S weight? Hell, he’s not even slugging 1 Molina’s weight.
The team is hitting .239/.297/.349. It’s not getting better because…. they can’t hit! It’s not rocket surgery, people!
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
There’s no compelling reason for Velez to have any plate appearances, let alone 300% more than Schierholtz.
That Ishikawa hasn’t hit so far is irrelevant – and he’s hit a lot of balls really hard that haven’t fallen (including one that Jon Miller called as a homer but that turned out to be caught at the fence, sigh). First, because Aurillia has been worse, and second, because Ishikawa emerged as a somewhat interesting possibility last year – since, as you point out, the Giants are bad, the purpose of this season SHOULD be to try out guys like Ishikawa and see if they will ever be part of a winning Giants team. We KNOW Aurillia won’t be, so giving him any plate appearances over Ishikawa is dumb.
For the same reason, Schierholtz should be playing SOME. Yeah, we have Lewis, Rowand, and Winn, but it’s really not that hard to come up with a day or two a week when one of those three guys takes the day off and Schierholtz starts. There’s really no reason NOT to do this, and there’s plenty of reason to do it. And yet Bruce Bochy continues to prove that he’s just as much of a jackass now as he was when he refused to bench Vinny Castilla in San Diego.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Actually, I think we’d be the prosecution.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I was thinking we were the persecuted. But then what do I know?
/ shrugs
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions
I am just sayin'
1) if we were 8-4 instead of 4-8, this thread woudn’t exist.
2) I would like to see more Shierholtz too. But it’s not like he’s going to start unless there’s an injury
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
It’s hard to say if we would be criticizing Bochy if the Giants had a winning record, because that’s never happened. But I think it’s fair to say that most everyone around here has pretty much consistently thought Bochy is a crappy manager, and had many good reasons for said opinion.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Of course, Baker and Alou both got plenty of criticism while managing very, very good teams.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
which leads to the obvious conclusion
MANAGERS ACTUALLY DON’T DO SHIT AT ALL. They are just empty suits. A LOLercat could their jobs.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
right
It was Russ Ortiz’s fault he was taken out early.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
alternate universe 2002
Baker leaves in Ortiz. Ortiz gives up lead himself.
Flash forward to 2009
UnleashTheGore:
right
it was Russ Ortiz’s fault he was left in too long.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
I do agree with you here. I thought pulling Ortiz was absolutely the right thing to do. His pitch count was high and he was showing signs of falling apart.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I have no idea what specific game you’re discussing. Certainly not an actual game that ever got played.
"Are we bad? No. But right now, we are." Boulderskull, 4.16.09
There was a World Series in 2002 ? Are you sure ? I don’t recall that.
"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club
My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!
I remember that day well
I got a root canal, my dog died, I failed a math test, I got beat up, my computer broke, and I had my spleen removed.
But certainly no baseball was played on that day.
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
A scab I can't stop picking at (OT)...
Ortiz’ pitch count was not high. Ortiz had thrown 98 pitches when Dusty took him out. For Ortiz that season, 98 pitches was not a high pitch count at all. In his final eleven 2002 regular season outings, Ortiz averaged 117 pitches and never threw fewer than 111.
Aug 1 @ PHI L,1-2 8.0 IP 115 pitches
Aug 7 CHC W,4-3 7.0 IP 115 pitches
Aug 13 @ ATL W,7-2 7.0 IP 113 pitches
Aug 18 @ FLA L,0-3 7.0 IP 121 pitches
Aug 23 MON L,2-7 7.2 IP 124 pitches
Aug 28 @ COL W,9-1 8.0 IP 119 pitches
Sep 3 COL W,4-2 6.0 IP 115 pitches
Sep 8 ARI W,3-1 8.0 IP 124 pitches
Sep 13 @ SDP W,10-3 7.2 IP 119 pitches
Sep 18 @ LAD W,7-4 6.0 IP 116 pitches
Sep 24 SDP W,12-3 6.2 IP 111 pitches
And don’t forget—the fact that this was Game 6 of the World Series meant that this was Ortiz’s last appearance of the season. Ortiz was looking at about 100 days to rest up before his next start. If anything, Russ could’ve thrown 120-130 pitches, as long as he was still effective.
Let’s also not forget that when Dusty came out to the mound, he didn’t signal to the bullpen right away. He waited until after he’d gotten to the mound and had spoken to Russ for a few moments. This was definitely a departure from Dusty’s normal M.O. I don’t think it’s at all unreasonable to think that Dusty was giving Ortiz an opportunity to talk him out of the hook.
A few more facts:
- Nen’s shoulder was shredded and his velocity was down. Dusty knew this.
- Worrell had pitched in four of the first five games. In fact, Dusty used Worrell in the seventh inning of Game 5, with the Giants leading 8-4 then left him in to pitch the eighth inning with the Giants up 12-4.
- FRod had pitched in all five of the first five games, including the seventh inning of Game 3, with the Giants trailing 9-4.
In my opinion, Dusty’s overuse of FRod and Worrell had two negative Game 6 repercussions:
- Worrell and FRod weren’t as strong as they would normally have been.
- The Angels had seen a good deal of FRod and Worrell and were due to solve them—which, of course, they did.
I think Dusty’s approach (as well as Ortiz’s) to Game 6 should’ve been, “Get as much out of Russ as humanly possible (provided he’s on).” But Dusty’s M.O. had always been, “Get into the seventh, then ride the ’pen home.” It usually worked like a charm, but it wasn’t going to work in a seven game series against a hot-hitting team. Unfortunately, one of Dusty’s limitations as a manager was a tendency to always handle his pitchers the exact same way, no matter the situation. I think it often proved to be a strength in the regular season—relief pitchers like knowing their roles and all that. But it blew up in his face in the 2002 World Series.
The other thing I’d say is, I think Ortiz did have a chance to stay in the game, and it bugs me to this day that he didn’t battle to stay in. Most other pitchers would’ve had to be dragged off kicking and screaming. But Ortiz was never a “kicking and screaming” type of guy.
On the other hand, I think that had Dusty approached Russ the night before Game 6, or the day of, and said, “Russell, the bullpen’s on fumes, and Robby’s hurting—I need nine from you.”, Ortiz would’ve gone out and given the Giants nine solid, heroic, Series-clinching innings.
And the San Francisco Giants would’ve been 2002 World Champions.
At least, that’s how I see it.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
by tobias on Apr 21, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
98 is a high pitch count when you’re the end of October and have allowed 4 of the last 8 base runners to reach, including two straight hits. That Ortiz was overused during the regular season doesn’t really justify further overuse. And if you look at the box score, it’s pretty obvious Ortiz was starting to struggle. Through the first five innings, he allowed one hit and one walk. In the next inning and a third, he allowed a walk and three hits. It’s not exactly a stretch to conclude he was tiring.
Nen’s velocity may well have been shredded – obviously he never pitched again – but he still managed to pitch pretty well that offseason. He gave up one run in the postseason and was striking out a batter per inning. Rodriguez and Eyre had also pitched quite well that offseason until game 6.
Obviously, it didn’t work out so well, but the notion that it’s an unforgivable sin and an inexplicable deicison to pull your starter in the seventh inning with a big lead and a solid bullpen after he’s suddenly started giving up hits is just silly in my opinion.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Well, I guess we just disagree on this…
First of all, I don’t appreciate your characterizing my opinion about Dusty’s decision to pull Ortiz as “an unforgivable sin” and “an inexplicable decision”. Misrepresenting a differing viewpoint is usually what people resort to when they are unable to refute the actual opinion being rendered. The opinion I gave is that Dusty was wrong to do what he did, not that it was “unforgivable” or “inexplicable”. I think I get why Dusty did what he did (and I do forgive him).
By the way, my point was not to hate on Dusty. I just disagree with what Dusty did in Game 6, and I gave evidence that shows where his mistakes lay (overusing Worrell and FRod in Games 1-5, not preparing Ortiz to go deeper into Game 6, and then taking Ortiz out in the 7th of Game 6).
If you read carefully what I wrote, jcb9, you’ll see that at no point do I vent or rant at Dusty. In fact, I give what I think was some of Dusty’s logic behind what he did (in other words, I do try to explain it from his point of view). By the way, I actually think it’s a fair argument to make that Dusty thought Ortiz was tiring, and I don’t think it was unreasonable for him to have thought so (if, in fact, he did). I simply disagree with the idea that Ortiz was tiring to the degree that Dusty had to take him out right then, after only 98 pitches, and that bringing in FRod, Worrell and Nen was the right thing to do at that point of the game.
In 2002 Russ Ortiz was a classic “horse”. Again, if you look at Ortiz’s stats for 2002, you’ll see that he pitched very effectively throughout August and September (topping 110 pitches every time out), and he also pitched well in the NLDS. He had a bad outing against the Cardinals in the NLCS and was horrible in Game 2 of the World Series, but he then pitched effectively in Game 6. I’ve demonstrated that 98 pitches was not a high pitch count at all for him, end of October or no, and I think you’re wrong in saying that he was overused. There’s simply no evidence that Ortiz was overused, and I think it’s conjecture to say that he was.
Ortiz was also notable for an ability to right himself in the midst of rough innings and get himself out of trouble. In 2002, whenever Ortiz allowed a second opposing hitter to reach base safely, he was able to get the next batter out 72% of the time. In August and September, that percentage rose to 85%. In the postseason, it was 70%.
Finally, I think you’re completely missing my point about the bullpen, once again by offering up comments that don’t actually speak to the point I made. I never said that FRod and Eyre hadn’t pitched well prior to Game 6. And yes, despite his ruined shoulder, Nen did manage to pitch well that off-season. All of these things are completely outside the realm of the point I was making.
I was actually at Game 4 of the NLCS, where Nen delivered what I think was perhaps the most heroic pitching performance of his career. Again, Nen’s shoulder was shredded, but he still managed to pitch effectively, right up to Game 6. I think if given a 1-run or 2-run lead in the ninth, Nen probably could’ve gutted it out one last time and brought the Series home. But hoping that Nen was going to be able to deliver a 2-inning save in that situation, given the condition of his arm, I think was not reasonable at all. Of course, by the time Nen got into the game, it was desperation time. Things had already unraveled to the point that I’m not sure that Dusty had many other choices.
Again, the bigger problem with the Giants bullpen was that they had been overused. You offer the opinion that Ortiz was tired after just 98 pitches, but you don’t think there’s a problem with having Worrell pitch in five of the first six games, and FRod in all six? FRod was pitching for the sixth time in eight days. That’s a lot under any circumstances, but against the same team it’s overuse and overexposure. Scott Spiezio was seeing FRod for the third time in Game 6. That’s too many times for a pitcher like FRod, who basically had one pitch that he used over and over again, mostly with good results, except for the bad ones.
So…yeah. Like I said, we just disagree. And congrats if you managed to read all of that.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
First of all, I don’t appreciate your characterizing my opinion about Dusty’s decision to pull Ortiz as "an unforgivable sin" and "an inexplicable decision". Misrepresenting a differing viewpoint is usually what people resort to when they are unable to refute the actual opinion being rendered.
You’re right, that’s not really what you were saying – but it’s an opinion I’ve seen expressed on any number of occasions. Sorry to lump you in.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
You are an excellent fiction writer!
Charlie Hayes ate my homework
by glenallen hill's waterpipe on Apr 22, 2009 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions
quick, someone injure velez
Now look at me. I'm wet nurse to a last-place, dead-to-the-neck-up ball club, and I'm choking to death!
by zodiac_chiller on Apr 21, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe not
But we’d all still be calling for Bochy’s head.
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
This site seems to be enamored with our manager’s head
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Obsessed, maybe.
Enamored…not so much.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
by EliminateMe on Apr 22, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions
On #1: Like there were no voiced criticisms last August and September when the Giants were winning?
On #2: The Big Head as make it perfectly clear that Nate is Ort the Second but with more upside. When the manager chooses Velez to start over Nate their realy is no other logical decudtion to make .
On #2: The Big Head as make it perfectly clear that Nate is Ort the Second but with more upside. When the manager choose Velez to start over Nate their realy is no other logical decudtion to make .
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
I thought i had fixed that. Now I seemed to have gone #2 twice here. I am sure that will not be well recieved.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions
Go Jcb! Go JCB!!!!
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
how do we know Nate isn’t as good or better than Lewis? He hasn’t had enough steady playing time to justify whether or not he belongs in the lineup. Considering how bad this team is offensively, and how they won’t be winning anything in the short-term, shouldn’t he at least start Nate in there two or three times a week, if nothing more than to give Rowand/Winn rest?
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Lewis is faster...
that’s one difference.
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
Who needs speed when you can “truck-stick” Chinese catchers?!?
Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!
by PacBellBoozer on Apr 21, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Just searching for reasons to defend my boy
I do actually think FLEW is better, but I don’t know for sure because NATE NEVER GETS TO FUCKING SHOW ME
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
I hope you aren’t suggesting that we bench the guy hitting .400?
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
not at the moment, no
I’m just saying for the near future, when he eventually cools down, it may not be safe to simply assume Lewis is better because of his success in the majors, since Nate hasn’t even had a chance to succeed.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
/crosses UnleashTheGore off of list of potentially crazy commentors.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
phew, that was a close one
my diabolical plan continues
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I have to admit, you’re completely demolishing the argument that the team would be winning if not for Bochy. Which literally no one is making. Well done!
The number of plate appearances is immaterial. The precise damage that Bochy’s bad decisions do to the team’s win probability is immaterial. The point is that he’s making bad decisions. Decisions that are clearly terrible, both from a short-term tactical standpoint and a long-term player-development standpoint.
nate should be locked inside that guy like the cop in wickerman
Now look at me. I'm wet nurse to a last-place, dead-to-the-neck-up ball club, and I'm choking to death!
by zodiac_chiller on Apr 21, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
photoshopped in that pic, I mean
Now look at me. I'm wet nurse to a last-place, dead-to-the-neck-up ball club, and I'm choking to death!
by zodiac_chiller on Apr 21, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
HOW’D IT GET BURNEDHOW’D IT GET BURNEDHOW’D IT GET BURNED
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
if they don't affect the w/l
how does that make them bad? Because you disagree with him.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
This is soooo unbeliveably inaccurate
you really don’t see how playing Rich Aurilia over TI or letting Schierholtz rot on the bench is bad for the long-term development of this team? We’re not just talking about the first week of a season here, we’re talking about making your baseball team better in the next few years, and if you keep playing over-the-hill veterans rather than letting your young players show you if they’re capable or not, then you’re drastically affecting your ability to compete in the future
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
1) Ishikawa is playing, and miraculously, playing worse than Aurillia.
Yes, everyone (CARNEY FREAKIN’ LANSFORD INCLUDED) thinks Shierholtz should get more PT. But I don’t have any idea how that will effect his development, and frankly, neither do you, sir.
So I say good day.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
huh?
how else do you develop except by playing?
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
osmosis?
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
watching?
Look, I will second guess a GM every day of the week and twice on Sunday (…and then Rich Aurillia promptly hit into a double play). But I have no idea what effect a couple of weeks or months sitting on the bench will have on ol’ Nate. Maybe he’s a cocksure sunuvabitch that needs a lesson in humilty, and that lesson is named “Eugenio”.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Of all the explanations I’ve heard for why Velez is on the team, this makes the most sense.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
None of your points in this thread have made much sense. A couple of weeks or months? He’s gotten ridiculously small patches of playing time in the past few seasons and he’s done well in each showing. It’s time to see how he plays as a starter
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
What are you talking about?
How is PLAYING THE GAME going to affect his development? Are you kidding me?
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
maybe it will make him worse
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Could you please
cite me an example of someone practicing something and then getting worse at it? I’m hoping I fell into the sarchasm here. Malcolm Gladwell wasn’t saying you needed 10000 hours of sitting on a bench, I think he was talking about doing something.
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
MLB is not the place to "practice"
if he needs to practice, he needs to be in AAA.
But I am not really disagreeing with you… I want him to play more too he probably will as soon as Rowand runs into a wall.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
He can’t go to AAA, he’s out of options.
In any case, I don’t think anyone said he needed to “practice.” The point is that his current status is Guy Who Did Pretty Well In The Minors And Now Needs To Show He Can Hit In The Majors. Kind of impossible to do so with Bochy running things.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Look
If he’s out of options, then he’s pretty much screwed unless Lewis or Winn (or concievably Rowand) gets hurt.
It’s very, very hard to argue that Shierholtz is better than the top 3 OFs we have. He’s probably (but not certainly) better than Torres and Velez… but those guys have only played CF anyway, right? Surely you are not suggesting that Nate run out to CF?
Sure, we say Winn can slide over into center. And yet Bochy doesn’t like to play him there…
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
I’m pretty sure Schierholtz could handle CF better than Velez.
In any case, there’s really no reason why he can’t get a start or two a week. It’s not like we have an outfield of Bonds, Ruth, and Williams.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
This is exactly what I'm saying
I’m not sure Nate’s better than the top three, but why would you not rest 2 OFs who are in their 30s? WTF
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
playing FTW!
every game counts!
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 21, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions
you forgot the wild card
Nate can play 3rd.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
It’s very, very hard to argue that Shierholtz is better than the top 3 OFs we have.
I think the evidence is strong that Schierholtz is just as good as our top 3 outfielders. Zips says he is. Pecota says he is. Chone says he is.
He’s unlikely to be a superstar, but for a franchise that has terrible trouble developing position players, he’s a valuable commodity. Not getting him 450 plate appearances this year is massively stupid.
It’s also very very hard to argue that he isn’t better than the outfielders we have. He clearly has talent, but hasn’t gotten enough opportunity
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions
One Example...
Uhh…Velez
"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club
My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!
Sources do not look good for a Nate start at least today. MLB preview of the game talks that Bochy will probably have the same lineup from Sunday in, cause it worked so well then.
You can hope for tomorrow. /shakes 8 ball.
My grievances:
1) Show some emotion stone face.
2) Nate who? If he is not even going to make an appearance, why is he there, and why is
3)Eugenio Velez appearing 1000s of times before better players. Signs are pointing to him starting in Center field tomorrow. Its a day game after a night, and hes 4-7 against Young which leads to
4)Smart managers play the matchups, stupid managers use that as an excuse for not playing your hot hitters because last year when they had broken ribs they were terrible against him. He is in a streak, don’t pull him and risk ruining it.
5)Pitcher bullpen management you don’t need to adhere to strict pitching situations to dictate who comes in when or pulling out a pitcher. Eyeing the use of Affeldt. Wilson has some specific tendancies, he can be lights out when brought in at the beginning of an inning with no runners on, but do not bring him in with bases loaded. He can also pitch in the 8th, he even said he likes it. Its still a save.
6) A backup catcher would be fan-fucking-tastic. Like it or not, Bengie is usually one of our best hitters, and anything that prolongs him from falling apart that does not involve Sandoval or ANDRES TORRES is a good idea.
7)Richie was and probably still is a great Giant. But his time is over. Let someone else hit into Double Plays.
8) Juan Uribe.
There are more and these are in no particular order, but I am on a court ordered word limit.
This. This, This.
Given how little he’s played Torres and Schierholtz in the first two weeks of the season, can someone explain why they’re on the roster and a backup catcher is not? Bochy completely managed himself into a corner this weekend when he pulled Pablito in the late innings for one of the games. That meant if the game had gone into extra innings, we were looking at not being able to pinch hit or pinch run for Molina if the situation arose.
We shouldn’t be forced to watch station-to-station baseball with this roster, and yet somehow we are.
"Are we bad? No. But right now, we are." Boulderskull, 4.16.09
Given how little he’s played Torres and Schierholtz in the first two weeks of the season, can someone explain why they’re on the roster and a backup catcher is not?
This is an excellent point.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Schierholtz, at least, is out of options.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Apparently, one of the options he is out of is the option to play baseball.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions
nice
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 21, 2009 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions
That meant if the game had gone into extra innings, we were looking at not being able to pinch hit or pinch run for Molina if the situation arose.
What do you mean? Nate was on the bench, and he’s Pedro Feliz.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions
There Is No Need For A Backup Catcher
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
win(n)
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
Official Sponsor of the 1997 San Francisco Giants
by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 21, 2009 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Never gets old
Extremely proud adoptive parent of Paul E. Stanley, hacker extraordinaire
Thanks to roger
Go directly to the hall of fail fame please.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
What do you guys want?!?
He made it to the on deck circle twice in the last series!
Buncha whiners!
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 1:38 PM PDT reply actions
This was another thing that just depresses me. Imagine from Nate’s perspective.
BSkull: “Ok kid, grab a bat and get on deck”
Nate: “Awesome, I don’t really remember, that’s the long wood thing in those cubbys I help unpack and repack each game right? Now I can prove how useful I can be to the team and maybe get some time out in the field!”
/Nate on deck watching 3rd out K’s right before his eyes
BSkull “Better luck next time, kid. Now get in here and get me a gatorade.”
Nate: Aw, nuts. So close this time."
Such a tease.
Pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Play my effing kid you shit for brains manager!
Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!
Festivus in April? Well in that case, here's your Christmas gift Grant.
El Presidente Larry Baer's epitaph
"Nothing important ever happened without me."
well done
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 21, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I find tinsil destracting.
This bread's got nuts in it!
by NuschlerFace on Apr 21, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions
The only logical conclusion we can draw from Nate not playing is...
…he must’ve failed at the Feats of Strength at Bochy’s house last year.
Noonan. Nooooonan!
by Giant Fan in Singapore on Apr 21, 2009 2:32 PM PDT reply actions
You know it's bad when the national media picks up on this
I’m beginning to wonder if Nate Schierholtz has done something to personally offend Bruce Bochy, because there’s no other reason he shouldn’t be getting at least an occasional start in the offensive wasteland that is the Giant outfield. Come on, humor me and give him 10 at-bats this week.
From CBSSports power rankings.
Insanity is just a state of mind.
What a maroon.
It’s our infield that’s an offensive wasteland. Get it right!
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
That guy
Seemingly has his lips hermetically sealed to the Dodgers’ collective cawk.
Anagram of "knowing how to win" = WOW, I KNOW NOTHING
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Apr 21, 2009 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I love this comment
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Turns out, the catcher that juggerNate steamrolled in the Olympics was Bochy’s nephew.
"You ask for game winning hits, I give you Eugenio Velez"
by The Gene Hackman on Apr 21, 2009 2:48 PM PDT reply actions
Is it possible that Bochy is a Communist spy who has been ordered by his overlords to humiliate Nate in response to the “American Steamroller Incident” of ’08?
Any type of mongering is A-OK in my book.
It is suspicious.
He was born in France, you know.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
This explains everything!
Bochy is actually surrendering with his managerial moves!
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions
A Frenchie eh? All the more reason to suspect treason. Bring me his head on the largest silver platter the world has ever seen!
Any type of mongering is A-OK in my book.
I called Nelson Bunker Hunt and his brother, but even they don’t have enough silver for that job.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
Pitching, fundamentals, and 3-run HRs
win ballgames. The best a manager can do is not screw-up all the excellent work done in the off-season to acquire the right talent. (Paraphrasing Earl Weaver, of course.)
Bochy is a perfectly average manager, he probably doesn’t hurt us more than a couple of wins a season, which is about par for the MLB. Our team weaknesses are not Bochy’s doing. Boch and Baker seem to have a similar fondness for the grizzled vets, that’s enough for me to try a new guy at the helm. But the real issue is Nuke & Sabes. Build us a fookin’ team, guys, then we’ll see if the manager is screwing it up.
Todos somos Gigantes
Well thats good then.
Because I think I can count at least 2 managerial decisions that probably cost us games this season. So with your statistic crunching Bochy will not cost us anymore games this year. Strange, using up his quota in only 2 weeks.
I note
that we both use the word “probably.”
The positive and negative effects of managing are, over the long haul, probably impossible—at least beyond the scope of current metrics— to quantify. I am not a fan of Ol’ Boch, but I’m pretty sure he’s not the problem (or at least not the most pressing problem).
Managing is getting paid for home runs someone else hits. —Casey Stengel
Todos somos Gigantes
We’ve got a team and they’re riding the fuckin pine because the manager refuses to play them!!
I think that’s the problem lot of us Boulderskull haters have with the man.
Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!
by PacBellBoozer on Apr 21, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
NEWSFLASH
Starting 4 outfielders not a great guide to baseball success!
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Wasn’t The Gamer supposed to take more days off this year?
Perhaps it is time to let Nate play and move Winn over to CF at least once in a while.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
My bar for coach’s and managers is a little bit higher.
It use to be said about Don Shula, "He could take his own and beat your own then take your own and beat his own." In other words he would change his system to the most method most likely way to match his talents skill base. I don’t see that kind of adaptability much from the Big Head.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
3-run HRs
That’s what we’re missing! And all along, it was right under our noses…
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
McCC = McClain Chronicles
by Useful_Idiot on Apr 22, 2009 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I still like Bochy better than Felipe.
I thought Dusty was a good manager overall but nobody in the history of the game caused me to go WTF as much as he did.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
I miss Felipe and Moises too. Ain’t nothing like a Das Manos de Pee Pee joke here or there.
Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!
by PacBellBoozer on Apr 21, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Moises was quite good with us. Too bad he played about three games in the same lineup with Bonds.
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
Moises was quite good with everyone he played for. I was always a fan.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
“…and then Moises Alou promptly pulled his hamstring.”
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions
fixed
Too bad he played about three games in the same lineup with Bonds where he was actually healthy.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
Anyone remember who the Giants’ first target on the FA outfield market was that offseason?
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Ding ding ding.
I’m much happier to have had Alou.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
I remember hoping that we’d get Finley. I’m ashamed.
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
I was also hopeful, he killed the Giants
Proud adoptive parent of the set-up man.
This is Howry do it!
wasn't that the year he hit the homer to end the season?
Note Ginats bras signed him following season to great effect
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 21, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Actually....
Didn’t they trade Edgardo Alfonzo for him? WIN.
No, really, I have updated my blog this year: http://skaldheim.livejournal.com/tag/baseball
i keep hoping that velez is an experiment. he gets a few weeks of regular playing time, and if he doesn’t show he can cut it, he’s gone pretty much for good (unless he starts hitting .750 at Triple-A and even then I’d be careful).
Torres seems good, and Schierholtz IS good, so once the season progresses hopefully those who have established themselves in previous years will get playing time.
The Howry/Affledt thing is pissing me off; Howry is clearly a barely-mediocre pitcher, while Affeldt has shown signs of brilliance. An 8th and 9th inning with Affeldt as the setup man and Wilson closing could be dominant. And yet Howry gets a ton of appearances.
Holm WILL be brought up soon; the only reason we’re not carrying a second catcher now is because of the off days. If Bengie has to play that entire 17 games in a row in May or whenever he won’t be able to make it to first on a homer, the outfielder will just hop into the stands, find the guy with the ball, wrestle it away from him, and throw Bengie out.
And I hated Felipe Alou. Baker seemed like a good manager, but that might be due to our kickass teams in the earlier part of this decade. I always felt like Alou made the wrong decision every time. Even Bochy isn’t THAT bad compared to Felipe. Now the Giants have potential, if not performance, and we couldn’t find a bright spot (Zito on Opening Day?) anywhere. Although again, that might be because of good drafting and a well-stocked farm system.
what zenbitz said . . . but without the bull in china shop quality.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
Wait, what does that leave?
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
I endorse the notion that most managers make the wrong call most of the time and that does little to affect a team’s chance of winning, and the observation that our best bench players are outfielders and our best players are also outfielders.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
You’re so anti-inflammatory they should call you Ibuprofen.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
I really don't like this situation.
It’s tough for Nate. He never gets to play, and if/when he gets to, he might be in a slump, struggle for a while, and management will dump him. He really almost needs to start exclusively after the All-Star break when we’re out of the race, and an older veteran, who hopefully has value to teams, is traded, and let Nate play the rest of the way. Then we know if our outfield is set for next year, hopefully with Nate and Lewis on the corners. I’m not sure I’d like having Nate start next year without establishing himself this year.
I’d rather see Winn traded to a contender at the break, unless he’s struggling. But I still think I’d trade him anyway, rather than keeping him here on a bad team, and open up time for Nate.
Insanity is just a state of mind.
Firefox ate my rant.
So to sum up 5 paragraphs of complaints and examples:
Bochy makes me mad cuz Bochy isn’t a situational thinker.
fixed
Bochy isn’t a situational thinker.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
I would like a manager for the Giants who understands platoon splits (I mean, not just L/R crap, but actually understands that you really have to look at each player) and leveraging relievers. Is that too much to ask?
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
Understanding individual players’ platoon splits. Some lefty batters are better against lefties. Some lefty pitchers are better against righties. Etc etc
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
i think...
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Apr 22, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually, no, I wasn’t been sarcastic. I thought he was talking about day/night splits or something weird like that.
I don’t think it’s true that some lefty batters are better against lefty pitchers. There are no doubt a few exceptions scattered throughout baseball history, sure, but basically any hitter who hits better against a pitcher who throw from the same size is a small-sample fluke.
I interpreted that as...
…some lefty batters are better than other lefty batters against lefties. Or in other words, some players have extreme platoon splits and some have small ones.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
by EliminateMe on Apr 22, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions
RUSS ORTIZ FAIL AGAINST THE LOLDGERS!
4 pitch walk to Clayton Kershaw.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 5:48 PM PDT reply actions
Speaking of . . . Kershaw doesn’t look nearly as good against a team that works the count.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
The Astros have no veterans willing to tell the youngsters to swing at the first pitch.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Believe we will see this stud pitch against LinCYcum in Heaven for 10 years.
/wilriv
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
CLOLayton LershawLOL
Astros lead 4-3.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 21, 2009 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions
I hope we will be seeing Kershaw v Lincecum face off in San Francisco for the next 10 years too.
Jesse Foppert: I Still Believe
"I've come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen." ~Bob Lemon,
by AndYourBirdCanSing on Apr 21, 2009 6:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Schierholtz is a symbol of SabeanFail, not BochyFail
How many ABs should Nate have had by now? Who would he have taken those AB’s from? FLew and Rowand have hit reasonably well thus far. Winn has slumped lately. But none of the Giants’ outfielders have been the black hole of offense that the infield has been. Furthermore, I just don’t see Schierholtz producing anything significantly better offensively than anyone else the Giants have on their roster. He doesn’t get on base, his defense is subpar, and he hasn’t hit for any kind of power at all at the big league level. In 202 Major League plate appearances, Nate has but one home run.
I’m no fan of Bochy, but not playing Nate isn’t really one of the problems I have with him. The truth is, Schierholtz should either be playing every day, or he shouldn’t be on the team at all. The fact that Nate is on the team, with three outfielders who each are better than he is, and at least one backup outfielder who has more to offer as a bench player than does, is Sabean’s fault, not Bochy’s. Sabean should’ve either traded one of the Giants’ three starting outfielders this past offseason, or he should’ve traded Nate. Schierholtz will never contribute anything being used the way he is now.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
It’d be difficult for anyone to contribute when they sit the whole game.
Insanity is just a state of mind.
now, now
Velez has made fabulous contributions by sitting in the dugout instead of hitting people in the stands with his throws or getting picked off while in the on-deck circle.
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 21, 2009 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions
and at least one backup outfielder who has more to offer as a bench player than does
You really think Velez or Torres are better than Schierholtz?
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
OK, I just got finished with a way-too-long reply to your comment about Game 6 of the ’02 Series (if, in fact, it actually exists). And here, once again, you are misrepresenting what I say.
Anyway, no, I don’t think Velez or Torres are better than Schierholtz. I do think Torres has more to offer as a bench player than Nate does. I think Nate, at this stage of his career, needs to be playing every day, not rotting on the bench. I don’t think he will be effective getting rare starts and occasional pinch-hit opportunities. I think Torres has more to offer off the bench than Nate, because he can pinch-hit better than Nate, pinch run better than Nate, and play all three outfield positions well (which Nate cannot do).
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
I'll grant you PR and OF versatility...
…but how do you conclude Torres can pinch-hit better than Schierholtz? Neither of them has much PH experience, but Schierholtz has been a better overall hitter than Torres in their minor league careers.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
by EliminateMe on Apr 22, 2009 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, like I said, I think Nate, at this stage of his career, needs to be playing every day, not rotting on the bench. I don’t think he will be effective getting rare starts and occasional pinch-hit opportunities. I just see Schierholtz as a guy who needs to be playing every day—or at least frequently—in order to really develop his potential and any consistency as a major league hitter. His double last night notwithstanding, I think that generally, a young player like Schierholtz will suffer from not playing a great deal. In other words, I don’t think Schierholtz’ minor league numbers will translate to success as a sometime major league pinch-hitter.
The other thing I was thinking about was the fact that while Schierholtz has hit well in the minors, he really hasn’t yet shown the same type of hitting at the major league level. This has been particularly true in his inability to hit for power so far. So the one area where I think Schierholtz could be much better than Torres, hasn’t shown itself at all at the big league level. The other area I think is important to success as a pinch-hitter is the ability to get on base. Here, I think Torres is likely to be more effective as a pinch-hitter than Schierholtz. Add to that the greater ability to steal a base once he gets on, and I think that sums up why I think Torres would be more effective than Nate as a pinch-hitter.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
That’s all reasonable, but it doesn’t add up to Torres being able to pinch-hit better than Schierholtz. Torres hasn’t shown any more at the MLB level than Schierholtz has. If you’re saying that PH is a more appropriate use for Torres than for Schierholtz, given his lower ceiling, that’s a little different.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
by EliminateMe on Apr 22, 2009 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I plead poor wording in both cases.
In any case, what I think I was ultimately trying to get to (the last week has been a bit of a stress-and-lack-of-sleep fest for me, so I’m a bit shaky on what I was trying to say less than 24 hours ago, which isn’t a good sign) was that I don’t really see Torres as having very much value at all, especially on this team. His main value is that he can play center field, but that’s not really very useful for the Giants since Randy Winn can just move over from right. I’m not convinced that Torres is or would be a better pinch hitter than Schierholtz, and being a pinch runner is helpful, but not really earth-shattering enough to make up for Schierholtz’s track record of being a much better hitter.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
OK, fair enough. I do think Torres would be better as a bench player than Nate, based on what I said to E-Me (above). I think he can have value (Torres, I mean; E-me also has value), and hopefully he will. Schierholtz, I just think is miscast as a bench player. As long as the Giants are going to keep him on the roster, I wish they would play him much more frequently so he’d have a chance to become the hitter he looked like in the minors.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
I do provide a veteran presence in the clubhouse.
Meet my new son: Sundrendy Windster, coming soon to a minor league near you.
I’d like to see him play more, too, which is where this all started, I think.
My final thought on the World Series portion of the thread is that, even if Baker made the wrong call, for me it’s Livan Hernandez who deserves 99.9999999% of the hate for the whole debacle. I was just looking up the box scores for the two games he pitched – my god was he awful. 15.88 ERA and just 5 2/3 innings in two starts. If he’d been semi-decent just once, none of us would even be talking about game 6.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Subpar defense?
I’d like to see your evidence please.
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
Have you seen him play? I mean, sure, I’ve seen worse, but it’s…well, it’s subpar. See for yourself…
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
LOL
Nice use of metrics that either are dead (RF and Fielding %) or are not as good as current PBP metrics (TotalZone; even its creator, Sean Smith, would admit that while it correlates well to metrics like UZR, it takes a back seat to those metrics when there’s data available for them).
But we shouldn’t even be reading too much into his limited MLB performance in the field. The sample size is way too small. Even his minor league fielding numbers should be taken with a grain of salt because of the difficulty in translating those statistics to the major league level.
And yes, I’ve seen him play. He looks fine out there. Not Winn-like or anything, but fine.
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
Well, I don’t really appreciate being laughed at, or your sarcastic mocking and superior tone. It feels pretty demeaning, and I don’t think I deserve that.
Look, baetown415, if you want to show me your superior statistical evidence that, up to this point, Nate Schierholtz has played average to above average defense, I’d love to see that. I certainly wasn’t providing the baseball-reference link for Nate’s fielding percentage or range factor. But I do think the fielding runs above average stats are generally useful. If you don’t care for them, that’s fine. Just show me your UZR stats on Nate, or whatever metrics you have that indicate Nate has played par or better outfield defense to this point. I mean, you’re the one who is asking for evidence. I gave you some. Yes, it’s a small sample size. And I actually agree that it would be premature to write off Nate as someone who’ll always, forever and ever be a poor defensive outfielder. But I’m only talking about right now, and right now—to this point—the stats I’ve seen of Nate and what I’ve observed on multiple occasions with my own two eyes indicate a subpar defensive outfielder.
I do agree that we shouldn’t be reading too much into Nate’s limited MLB performance. Again, my point isn’t that Schierholtz can never be a good defensive outfielder. Just that he hasn’t been thus far. I mean, Emmanuel Burriss right now has an OPS+ of 14 for the year. Am I concluding that he will never be a good hitter this season or beyond? No—just that right now, to this point, he’s not hitting well. That’s what the limited stats he’s compiled thus far indicate. Right now, if I’m looking for someone on the Giants to deliver a late-inning hit, I’m probably not looking to Manny. By the same token, if I’m looking for someone to put in the outfield for late inning defense, I’m looking to Torres or one of the three starting outfielders, not Nate.
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
I apologize for coming off like a dick.
You can find Nate’s UZR here. UZR methodology is here and here. It’s a heavy read, but you can see how meticulous the methodology is. Although UZR is not perfect, it’s pretty much the best publicly-available defensive metric out there.
John Dewan’s Plus/Minus system is similar to UZR, though it doesn’t have as many parameters (more in-depth info about the differences between the two here). You can find this exclusively at BillJamesOnline.net (subscription required). Nate has a +8 and +12 rating in this system for 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Also, you can find Nate’s minor league TotalZone ratings at minorleaguesplits.com under the “Defensive” link on his page. Because his TZ’s are all over the place, I find it hard to really get much of a handle on how good/bad he is in the field based on this data.
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
Thanks… Fangraphs is a site I should’ve bookmarked. I think it’s fair to say that UZR indicates Nate playing good defense in his limited time in RF—better even than Randy. So at least I see your point. But you’re right, the numbers are all over the place. Hard to draw conclusions. Weird, too, that there’s such a discrepancy between TZR and UZR, but I guess you can chalk that up to the small sample sizes and just the essential differences in the methodology. Do you know why baseball-reference doesn’t use UZR?
Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher??
I’m not really sure on that one. Maybe because UZR has only been around since 2002 so I don’t think Sean Forman thinks it would be worthwhile to put some more fielding information on players’ pages just from 2002 onward. Also, I think it would be pretty expensive to purchase the data from Baseball Info Solutions (who keep track of the data for UZR, among other things).
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
the beef that I (and i think most people) have is that he’s playing velez like crazy, and velez sucks ass. actually, he probably sucks at that too. i dont think there’s any question that schierholtz>velez in every category except speed, and speed doesn’t really matter when you never get on base and can’t catch the ball. yet bochy plays velez ALL THE TIME.
schierholtz COULD be great. no one’s given him the chance, and that’s not fair. meanwhile, velez ISN’T great, we all know that (except for bochy apparently) and yet he continues to play…
Velez for Holm may not be smart...
…but it feels so right. I see no strong reason for Nate to be so far down the depth chart. Holm’s .000 average isn’t helping his cause, though. Still, concede his offense for the sake of playing ball correctly. Molina clogging the bases late Sunday is sitting poorly with me. Get him a backup and Nate bumped up the list a bit, even if only a bit.
The over all talent level on ’94-96 squads Baker had were pretty brutal as well. However, for example ‘96, Baker did allow players like Benard more play time over a Veteran like Stan Javier, Aurlia more playing over , Scarscone more play time over Thompson. I have not seen a willingness to do that from Big Head in any of his 2 years here.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 22, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
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