Phillies Nation

Here are my predictions, said it last week too: So Taguchi should not make the roster. Lou Marson should be put in his place which would allow Coste to be DH or pinch hit if needed. I like So, but this is the World Series – if you can’t bunt a runner over, you haven’t earned a spot on this team. They’ve given him plenty of opportunities and he hasn’t given anything back.

You could do this when a righty starts for Tampa

Rollins SS

Utley 2B

Werth RF

Howard 1B

Burrell LF

Victorino CF

Dobbs 3B

Stairs DH

Ruiz C

Lefty should be:

Rollins SS

Utley 2B

Werth RF

Howard 1B

Burrell LF

Victorino CF

Feliz 3B

Coste DH

Ruiz C

MP,

I can understand that people think that So Taguchi should NOT make the roster… but how can anyone think that Lou Marson should make it??

A guy with pretty much NO experience at the big league level should not be added to the World Series roster.. Taguchi failed to get a bunt down in one at-bat… and then was ROBBED on a great catch by Ethier in another at-bat.. neither of those things should get him bumped for what I would consider a very risky player in Marson.

If we had another option, I’d like Coste DH-ing against LHP too, but I really think that Burrell as the DH, and Bruntlett as the LF is the way to go.. otherwise, they’d be replacing Burrell in LF late in the game anyway… so you keep him getting at-bats, and Bruntlett hits from either the 8 or the 9 hole, and its still a better lineup than you’ll have with a pitcher hitting, which is the whole point of the DH

the only issue i have with coste being the dh is that if something happens with ruiz and coste has to catch you lose the dh spot and the pitcher has to bat (correct me if that is not right).

no reason to not to have dobbs as your dh for the fact that you probably wont be needing a pinch hitter in the AL park.

Taguchi might have experience but he has not hit or shown he can do anything this year. If Marson is on the roster give him 4 abs can’t be any worse than taguchi or bruntlett for 4 abs in the 9 hole

When hamels pitches feliz is at third because of the glove and ground balls.

I agree stick with Dobbs and Stairs even when we face Kazmir and i think Kazmir will start game 1 because Shields just pitched on saturday and would only be on 3 days rest while Kazmir hasn’t pitched since last Thursday.

Kazmir eats up lefties and neither Dobbs, Stairs or Jenkins have a history of hitting lefties well let alone an ace arm.

I think Dobbs will be in there as DH against righties, and bruntlett will start in the field with Burrell as the DH against lefties. It makes the most sense, as Don pointed out. Maybe Bruntlett won’t do much, but he can slap a single, he’s got some speed and he runs the bases well, kind of what you want from the 9 spot. He’s also a guy who has played innings in a world series.

Odd thing though, Bruntlett is 2-17 with 5 walks from the 9 spot. But he has scored 7 runs from that same spot, meaning, he’s scored every time he’s been on base. Obviously, 2 hits isn’t good… but 5 walks and 7 runs scored in 17 at bats? could make a difference in this series.

I could see Coste getting a PH spot or 2 for a guy like bruntlett late in the game where a power threat might be necessary.

why would we put coste at first and howard dh?

just keep Geoff Jenkins far away from the plate, please…

Dobbs only played 1st-base like twice, and I think Coste only once…. again, the World Series isn’t the time to be changing things up.. Howard has gotten much better at fielding his position.. his throws are still an adventure, but that usually doesn’t even come into play

Matt Stairs showed us all his power in that one game, why not let him do it again. But I do like the idea of Greg in Left becuase burrells fielding drives me mad sometimes, and i would love pat to DH

I wouldn’t say he’s a free agent BUST.. he was signed to be a part-time player with Jayson Werth in RF.. so the fact that he averaged 20-25 HR a year in his career was when he was playing full-time… so right there you have to expect only 10-15 HRs from him.. and with less playing time, you would have to expect his average to drop, just because he isn’t seeing LIVE pitching as often.

Werth was playing so well that it became a non-issue that Jenkins should even see any playing time at all, but he had a few big hits, and a few nice catches out in RF… salary aside, I’d rather have him coming off my bench than what other teams have.

It just seems like when he comes up to bat, you can expect either a strikeout or a weak ground ball right to the 2nd baseman. I’m not basing this on any statistical evidence, just my observation. I’ll stop being a negative Nancy, though. Go Phils!

I’d take So over Jenkins pinch hitting in this series… call me crazy.

The AAA-Washington Nationals were using their backup players in that final game of the season… Marson hit a homerun off a dude that probably started the season working at the snack bar in the minors.

So Taguchi had a pretty big hit in that win at Shea Stadium back in like August… that one win meant that the Phillies clinched earlier.. that Cole Hamels didn’t have to pitch the final day, and allowed us to jump out to a 1-0 series lead over the Brewers!

Even if that is the ONLY time he contributed.. it helped this team directly

Obviously i know that is a mostly-ridiculous statement… but I’m baffled that people think Marson should be on the World Series roster.. it blows my mind

My preference would be for Marson to take Taguchi’s spot allowing Coste to DH. He’s their best right handed, non starting bat and even in a so-so year hit around .300 against left handed pitching.

Manuel has said Howard will be playing first and I agree with that move (he and Burrell both have terrible numbers when DHing as opposed to playing the field). You don’t want to play around with everyday players in the DH role too much at this point…

The combo of DH games in TB and the Rays having a number of lefties will really work against Charlie’s attempts to get Dobbs and Stairs up in favorable matchups…

Don I see your point. I really do. I think we have to go on that word “intangible” here. Maybe, hopefully, Taguchi will do something along those lines that will help. I hope so. I really don’t like Taguchi and don’t really want him on the roster. But if that’s really the best option then we have to roll the dice and go with it.

Home field advantage would have been huge for us. Just think about it. Hamels and Myers starting (and batting!) the first 2 games. Moyer who’s good on the road (and slow running the bases) and Blanton (who can’t bat at all coming from Oakland) in Games 3 and 4 –and we could use DHs in Tropicana Field…

Oh well.

Bottomline: It just really sucks that BLANTON, an AL pitcher, will be the one batting in our lineup on our second home game. We clearly have no advantage for that game. Hopefully he’ll catch some of Myers magic…

People thinking Marson is only so that Coste can be used as a DH and he can be around as a backup. Nobody expects him to contribute, but honestly do you think he can do worse the Taguchi’s 0 for 4 in the playoffs, bloop one to the outfield and bunt to the pitcher

Marson will probably not have to be used. But having him on the roster allows Charlie to use Coste – we are lacking a GOOD right handed bat, which is Coste. I don’t care if a remarkable play stopped him from getting a hit – the guy couldn’t bunt a runner over. I’m calling it like I see it, I don’t think Taguichi makes the cut. I think we need Coste to be the righty DH.

MVP Marson…with his HR off of some guy that is probably pitching in a beer league next season instead of the big leagues (7.82 ERA, .304 Batting Average Against).. had 2 hits that game.. his other two at-bats were both STRIKEOUTS..

so while its great that he hit a HR, and we all think he’s going to contribute next year, or the year after…he’s simply NOT READY to play in the WORLD SERIES…

For the same reasons I though Taguchi over Golson was a smart move (he at least gives you SOME chance to get a hit instead of a K).. and if you pinch-run with him.. he’s not as fast as Golson, but still faster than Burrell, or whoever it would be.. Marson can’t possibly give you any bit of confidence because he has ZERO experience.. I’d rather have Taguchi (career .279 hitter)

Taguchi.. in his 0-4 hasn’t struck out in any of those plate appearances either…

And since we were all so fired up at Ryan Howard for saying that a strikeout was the same as any other kind of out… and we all know it isn’t… people need to be a little more patient, and understand that most pinch hitters DON’T get hits.. But an experienced guy that makes contact, at least gives you a chance to make something happen.

Again, I’m not a big fan of Taguchi, but people get carried away with pretending he’s the worst player in all of baseball..

Yea, the whole point of having Marson is IF Ruiz gets injured in away games only with LHP. Marson wouldn’t be expected to have a single AB unless it’s the 11th inning or something like that. We need to make the most out of our RH bench players, and Coste is one of them who just happens to be a catcher.

When do they need to announce the roster by?

10am on the day of the first game?

It will be really interesting to see what they do.. because there are about 10 different ways they could go with a DH, if they want to go with defense instead of just stacking the lineups with bats