I’m comfertable with Moyer in game 1 and will be interesting to see how Charlie manages the game but as most games now (and am sure you’ll say the same) am a little nervous our hitting is going to fold against Santana and it wont matter who we have pitching.

I really like Marson but I’d be more concerned with seeing him and Carrasco learn by watching and being around and even hungrier to go out show their major league ready in ST.

All that said the Iron Pigs fielded a poor team this year and developmens sake they need to be better, otherwise we’ll have to keep sending un-seasoned prospects straight from AA rather than risk spending time on one of the worst teams in AAA.

AAA is littered with journeyman but it’s increasingly hard for the older guys who haven’t been up in years with teams willingness to call-up underdeveloped prospects forcing more major league journey back into AAA and their the guys on the radar as well as the prospects, so that means there’s really only a couple of guys on the roster who are journeyman minor leaguers who aren’t having their roles heavily reduced to accomodate the development of a prospect or experimenting with a failing major leaguer. I’m not saying Tracey’s Orlando Palmiero but when Dobbs/Stairs/Iguchi/Taguchi aren’t available I like the guy who’s hitting in close games. Golson and Marson might get some ABs but their going to have to earn some ABs in already decided, maybe you throw Golson in to try and spark something if a pinch-hitter comes with the bases empty or man on first when a pinch hitters needed in the 4th or 5th but when it matters I like the experienced guy. It’s not fair to call on Tracey’s K rate when he was a part-time major league because he’s been down for years and is a better hitter for it.

If Tracey or even Golson or Marson comes in in a clutch AB in tight game believe me Stairs will have already been used.

Again I think relief pitching philosophy hasn’t gone way too techno. I believe Manuel has fallen into this thinking pattern also. Aren’t we sometimes out-thinking ourselves?

As for Tracey 13 years of minor league experience is a hell of an achievement, most older AAA guys that aren’t on the big league radar find it very hard to sustain their careers while almost everyone around them is being dropped for a prospect. Remember the AB he had a couple of weeks ago? If that was a inexperienced prospect that was probably an out and not what could have been an imporant walk. How many times this year has Charlie been caught short having to use the wrong guy off the bench in an crucial at-bat? I’m pretty happy with Tracey at the plate in a pressure situation than Ruiz or Golson as a guy who’s consisently hit the ball all year. Every pressure at this time of year is at a premuim and whether the guy is up for one at bat or a dozen he rightly comes off the bench before an inconsistent bat.

As for Eaton and Walrond they do have value, your wholy right when you say Eaton has value because every inning Condrey, Eyre, Seanez doesn’t have to pitch could pay divident in the final games when there the core guys have to pitch with their arm hurting.