Thursday, September 02, 2004
MVP in both leagues but in the dugout...
Something has been bothering me about the Expos but I didn't want to voice it until I had a good example. Well last night provided me one.
Basically I'm not sure F-Rob is a good coach. I don't think he's a bad one, but I just can't tell if he is the type that will elevate a team. Most people would say he deserves a shot with the team once it moves, just for sticking it out in such a bad situation, as it is for the Expos right now. I would say that a new owner should be more concerned with getting out a winning team ASAP, then giving a former baseball player, who I'm sure is fine in terms of status of living, a reward for what? Not quitting? Taking a bullet for MLB? I'm not saying I wouldn't keep him on. F-Rob brings a lot to the table on the non-managerial side. I'm just saying if Lou Pinella suddenly remembers he makes his home off Hudson and not Tampa Bay, I wouldn't dismiss him. (Too many hurricanes down there anyway Lou)
Oh? You want to know the play that made me bring this up? Ok last night (great game for the 'Spos pitching and when Kerry Wood is on - there is not much you can do hitting wise) it's tied 0-0 in the bottom of the 8th. With one out, super rookie SS Macier Izturis triples down the right field line. The next batter is the pitcher and all you need is a good groundball or flyball (i.e. contact) to drive in the speedy Izturis. Who do you pinch hit to face Righthanded Fireballer Kerry Wood?
Player AB K
1 23 10
2 163 14
3 105 8
4 17 6
I would rank them 2/3, 1/4. Looks like both 1 and 4 are overmatched rookies. While either 2 or 3 would be part-timers with pretty good contact. No real idea on how to rank the individual groups of two. Now what if I gave you the info that only #4 was a lefty and #3 was your only back-up catcher? You'd probably do as I did and rank them 2, 3, 4, 1 (or mayber 2,4,3,1 if you really value your back-up catcher). You can probably guess where I'm going with this.
Robinson bats #4 (Val Pascucci) who promptly strikes out. The rest sit on the bench. It is quite likely that F-Rob REALLY values his back-up C (#3 Einar Diaz), and that he though new call-up Pascucci may have a better shot than #4 Ryan Church, who has been struggling recently and ahs been sick. But why not bat #2, fan favorite Jamey Carroll? To punctuate the error he even comes in, in the 11th and doubles and scores.
So let's recap given a scoreless game in the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout righthander on the mound and all you need is good contact to score the go ahead run from third, F-Rob puts in a newly called up righthanded rookie batter who strikes out at a greater rate than anyone on the team that doesn't pitch for a living (but not all of them) . I call that questionable.
B-Har should be up on the 6th once the Trappers season is over, but we'll see. A lot of people are coming off the DL and the Expos need arms more than bats.
Basically I'm not sure F-Rob is a good coach. I don't think he's a bad one, but I just can't tell if he is the type that will elevate a team. Most people would say he deserves a shot with the team once it moves, just for sticking it out in such a bad situation, as it is for the Expos right now. I would say that a new owner should be more concerned with getting out a winning team ASAP, then giving a former baseball player, who I'm sure is fine in terms of status of living, a reward for what? Not quitting? Taking a bullet for MLB? I'm not saying I wouldn't keep him on. F-Rob brings a lot to the table on the non-managerial side. I'm just saying if Lou Pinella suddenly remembers he makes his home off Hudson and not Tampa Bay, I wouldn't dismiss him. (Too many hurricanes down there anyway Lou)
Oh? You want to know the play that made me bring this up? Ok last night (great game for the 'Spos pitching and when Kerry Wood is on - there is not much you can do hitting wise) it's tied 0-0 in the bottom of the 8th. With one out, super rookie SS Macier Izturis triples down the right field line. The next batter is the pitcher and all you need is a good groundball or flyball (i.e. contact) to drive in the speedy Izturis. Who do you pinch hit to face Righthanded Fireballer Kerry Wood?
Player AB K
1 23 10
2 163 14
3 105 8
4 17 6
I would rank them 2/3, 1/4. Looks like both 1 and 4 are overmatched rookies. While either 2 or 3 would be part-timers with pretty good contact. No real idea on how to rank the individual groups of two. Now what if I gave you the info that only #4 was a lefty and #3 was your only back-up catcher? You'd probably do as I did and rank them 2, 3, 4, 1 (or mayber 2,4,3,1 if you really value your back-up catcher). You can probably guess where I'm going with this.
Robinson bats #4 (Val Pascucci) who promptly strikes out. The rest sit on the bench. It is quite likely that F-Rob REALLY values his back-up C (#3 Einar Diaz), and that he though new call-up Pascucci may have a better shot than #4 Ryan Church, who has been struggling recently and ahs been sick. But why not bat #2, fan favorite Jamey Carroll? To punctuate the error he even comes in, in the 11th and doubles and scores.
So let's recap given a scoreless game in the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout righthander on the mound and all you need is good contact to score the go ahead run from third, F-Rob puts in a newly called up righthanded rookie batter who strikes out at a greater rate than anyone on the team that doesn't pitch for a living (but not all of them) . I call that questionable.
B-Har should be up on the 6th once the Trappers season is over, but we'll see. A lot of people are coming off the DL and the Expos need arms more than bats.
