twinsfan
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That's a really long post I missed while I was on vacation.
quote:
ORIGINAL: SoMnFan
quote:
ORIGINAL: David Levine
quote:
ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed
As much as Hicks has struggled, MN hasn't missed Span/Revere thatmuch.
Rev is just over .300, with a .325 SLG
Span at .222, OBP .281 and SLG .284
Revere with a .326 OB% to go with that .312 AVG.
Its amazing how a kid with absolutely no power can't walk to save his life.
This year he has 2 walks in 96 PAs. TWO!
His career high is 29 in 553 PAs.
You have to go back to A+ ball to find the one season in his career that he walked more than he struck out.
My guess is teams are so unafraid of him, that they just groove him pitches - because what's the worst that's going to happen? 1/3 of the time he'll get on 1st?
This comes very close to cracking the code as to why SMF has hated the Gardy regime so much.
Everyones amazed by all our walks this year and why its happened.
they just groove him pitches - because what's the worst that's going to happen? 1/3 of the time he'll get on 1st?
DL nails it.
Gardy's so OK with slappies, and for years, it has KILLED us to not have power sources in our lineup.
We aren't asking for knuckle-dragging behemoths. We are asking for legit, dangerous ML hitters who can occasionally DRIVE a ball.
You can look at a bunch of players and see very little difference in them, or at least, that's what Gardy does.
But the truth is ... there are HUGE differences in guys like Florimon, Esky, Dozier, Butera, Plouffe, Pinto, Suzuki, Punto, Tyner, Fuld.
Stop playing them based on pickin and grinning, and more on their ability to DRIVE A BASEBALL.
Can the guy get a ball to the outfield when you need him to?
Because there are many times in a game, every game ... where you have to.
Playing a guy who CANNOT do that handcuffs you. It handcuffs your pitchers. It handcuffs your bullpen. It handcuffs your entire team. And it drives your fans crazy.
I overuse the "this is not 1960" statement, but I won't quit using it until HE is gone.
We are getting walked this year because we are finally putting lineups out there that have some POP in them.
Florimon at this point is the one spot that we still refuse to upgrade in that regard, and it will continue to haunt us until we do.
When I was a kid, the 7-8-9 spots were reserved for
the puny OF who could run
the firehydrant-shaped catcher who couldn't run
and the pitcher, who couldn't hit (but could hit better than Florimon)
Every little tweak to our lineup has helped, inch by inch
Suzuki is a pro who makes solid contact more often than not. Pinto is a talented hitter who is strong as an ox, and attacks each at-bat like he's pissed off about it.
My two boys, Plouffe and Dozier, are the two biggest keys, because they have learned and adapted, and didn't allow years of abuse to stop them from improving their plans of attack at the plate. Good players who can DRIVE the ball.
Fuld is not Jason Tyner, his bat has always been decently lively, and he's fit in well and helped.
Even Hicks with his struggling, is more dangerous than most we have tried.
He's at least athletic and scary-looking. And when he contacts it square, the ball flies off his bat.
Our plodders like Cowbell and Kubel have learned to get their pitch and drive it around the yard. By golly, they kinda remind me of Tom Brunansky. Or even Terry Steinbach. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Wonder if sliding a guy like a Paul Molitor in to the lead seat , who drove the ball around EVERY ballyard he ever played in ... would help? Nah, prolly not.
I'll say it one more time .. this is 2014. No holes in your lineup allowed.
Every one you allow, drags you down, by 10-15 losses.
Trot out a lineup with three holes? theres your extra 40 losses. Duh.
Pitching? of course its huge. And we still suck at it. But even this year ... when we've even sucked at pitching MORE than usual, we've stayed competitive, BECAUSE WE HAVE PATCHED OUR OFFENSIVE HOLES somewhat.
Its still not a great-looking lineup, but its one that's much more effective and dangerous.
Baby steps.
Leave Bruno, Steiny, and Molly alone. Let them work on these boys, and with the young ones coming up. Keep Gardy and Vavra and Ulger the hell away from them.
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