Comments on: Fish Gut Phils With Easy 3-0 Win

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:01:25 +0000

Rob… i agreed like 15 times with a lineup change or two.. just not putting your regular leadoff hitter, and one of your most dangerous players in the 9-hole.

AND.. If the pitcher batting 8th, and all that crazy nonsense works.. why wouldn’t you use it in the World Series.. they are most important games. Seriously, if that was SUCH a great strategy you would definitely use it all the time… like i said before, I think its an example of LaRussa outsmarting himself.

If not wanting to bat Rollins 9th..behind players like Ruiz and your pitcher is too conservative.. then by all means, i’m way too conservative.

Doug.. how about ALL the players try to use the whole field.. Howard and Burrell seemed to be doing that early in the season, but they both have gotten away from it. Howards ground balls are pulled..and his fly balls go OPPO.. not sure why he can’t choke up and punch one through the hole when there is no 3b..

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:32:25 +0000

If third basemen were forced to play Howard honest, I guarantee his average would increase.

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:29:03 +0000

I originally brought up the idea of Rollins hitting 9th as a way to shake up the lineup in the short-term. …not a long-term solution. That way, he’d get the impetus to get his head and butt in gear yet you’d still have him essentially leading off the order each time through the lineup after the 1st.

It was a thought to shake things up. When it comes down to it, no “shaking up” the lineup will do any good if guys don’t start hitting consistently. The hope would be that a shakeup might get guys hitting.

…and if you thought this started a solid debate, how about the following idea, “Ryan Howard should occasionally lay down a hard bunt/slash bunt down the 3rd base line with no outs when they put that ridiculous shift on.” No way could the 3B get the whole way over to 3rd from the SS position to field a bunt and throw him out….even with Howard’s lack of speed. Debate!

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:08:46 +0000

and Don, like OBVIOUSLY you wouldn’t do such a thing in the WS of all places but I still see no reason why it would be so retarded to try something different. I’m not saying trade the guy or anything, I’m just saying move him around in the lineup.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:00:26 +0000

Don, like I said, I really don’t care anymore, you’ve taken all of the fun out of it.

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:00:07 +0000

ROb.. im usually debating Geoff on stuff… not sure where or why you think im going after you..

but im leaving work.. ask me whatever you want.. ill get back to you when i get home..

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:58:52 +0000

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200610270.shtml

… in the World Series games at home, with no DH… he had the pitcher batting 9th.. …where all pitchers should bat…

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:57:39 +0000

K Don I guess your right. I won’t make any more retarded posts because I know I’ll have you to put me in my place.

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:55:48 +0000

now im lost… who/what is being so conservative?

Rollins hits better RH than he does LH… maybe tonight he throws together 2-3 hits and scores a pair against the lefty Maholm!

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:54:21 +0000

And Tony La Russa won a world series being a big ol’ retard and hitting his pitcher 8th.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:53:08 +0000

I mean call me retarded Don, but being so conservative about the game isn’t going to ever get you a WS.

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:51:15 +0000

I was the one that threw out that Pinella-ism… I understand it completely… but my whole point is that he is not performing as well as last year… fine.. but he’s not THE problem when this team loses.. if anything.. he really helped them in this series, both by getting on base, and by playing solid defense.

Its become like uncool to still believe that Rollins is an asset to this team. The popular belief is that Rollins is an ass…. which is fine… but he is still one of the best shortstops in baseball.. he still helps your team win ballgames. No need for the daily BS about trying to trade him, or drop him below the freakin pitcher in the batting order!

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:50:33 +0000

The more I think about it, the more I think Jimmy actually wants to be traded and will come out after this season if/when they struggle to make the playoffs and get bounced first round. I’ll go out on a limb and make that prediction, though I’d hate to see it happen.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:47:39 +0000

in baseball you usually need to have one bad season and start off the next year really badly and then theyll get traded.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:44:55 +0000

of course im not actually serious that they should really waive him, although that would be hilarious. but i do want thtem to get huston street if he makes it to them.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:44:04 +0000

no don not trade, waive as in waive goodbye to philadelphia

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:43:19 +0000

we should trade him to the A’s for huston street. if they both clear waivers maybe we can get something done there.

By: Don M

Don M — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:42:33 +0000

yea Obviously Utley is the best hitter on the Phillies.. and if you had a chance with anyone at the plate, in any situation, you would want it to be Utley… he’s filthy!!

BUT… when we lose games, the fact that people jump on Rollins, Bruntlett, Carlos Ruiz, etc… instead of Utley, Howard, Burrell is a joke..

Utley plays hard, always… THAT is the one knock I have against Rollins this year, is that he still isn’t running balls out all the time. I’m all for sitting him for a game or two (as I’ve said before).. but to suggest they trade him or bat him 9th?? is retarded

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:42:06 +0000

I mean, I’ll repeat, I’m not calling for the guys head or anything nor have I said anything about his performance being exceptionally sucky. The idea I had is simply an idea and frankly, it’s really not a bad idea especially if you try it with a pitcher that has a handy bat. I want Jimmy to be on this team and I want him to succeed. His numbers aren’t terrible, but he just doesn’t seem the same. Statistics are like bikini’s they show a lot but not everything do I even need to use the Piniella-ism? And I think a lot of us would agree, a lot of things about Jimmy have changed and it ain’t just his stats. For all we know he’s probs just homesick and wants to get traded to back to the West Coast. Is that such a crazy thought?

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:36:55 +0000

yo Don, you know Utley has something like a 12 game hitting streak right?