TXBoy

Why would Fredi leadoff with EB and not with Maybin if that was the plan the whole year? Didnt Maybin train all year to leadoff? And why not put Coughlan at 3B where he's been training and move EB to the OF where he played this winter? Is that the manager or the front office pulling the strings? And isn't coughlan the 2B of the future? To me the mismatches and mishaps have killed the talent on this team. To have the record we have without nobody hitting speaks to the SP. Man if this team hits all cylinders we gonna have a funky good time.

I voted for JJ. We really needed a quality start.

Amezaga would be best deployed like the Cubbies used DeRosa and just sub for a player like Boni or Maybin two or three times a week to help the TEAM. He shouldn't start I think because that eliminates what he is and brings to the team. His versitalielity should be used to exploit mismatches with the pitchers and the TWO ROOKIES we have in the everyday lineup.

Vs. RHP 1.Ramirez 2.Baker 3. Hermida 4. Cantu 5. Uggla 6.Gload (Boni or Helms depending on pitcher) 7.Maybin (Amezaga getting 30% PT) 8.Ross 9.Pitcher Vs. LHP 1. Maybin 2. Hermida 3. Ramirez 4. Cantu 5. Uggla 6. Paulino 7. Ross 8. Helms

Vs. RHP 1.Ramirez 2.Baker 3. Hermida 4. Cantu 5. Uggla 6.Gload (Boni or Helms depending on pitcher) 7.Maybin (Amezaga getting 30% PT) 8.Ross 9.Pitcher Vs. LHP 1. Maybin 2. Hermida 3. Ramirez 4. Cantu 5. Uggla 6. Paulino 7. Ross 8. Helms

I'm not worried about anything except the pitching and it staying healthy. We got enough parts to mix and match like La Russa does with STL to generate enough offense to win ballgames. The X-factor is still the Defense and the bullpen finding roles for people with all the options available to us. Hermida's gonna have a good year its just that we're expecting too much from Maybin and Boni. We should use Amezaga and Helms more to ease those two guys burden and reduce their PA's.

The only move I would for sure is removing Bonifacio from the lineup. The logical next move then would be to bring someone off the bench to replace him. Helms? I would not mind seeing more Helms in the lineup. Honestly, with the various talents and flexibility we have, it would make sense to use different lineups for different teams/pitchers. We do have a lot of options. Without offering any concrete ideas, I will say that shaking things up sounds good to me.

It seems like its gonna take a while before the bullpen is settled and its determined who's in and who's out. It would come together alot quicker when the closer situation is solved.

I'm cool with this he was voted the best pitcher in the fish farm the last two years on performance so give him a shot. If he's successfull and gets sent back down or maybe Brandenhop or however aint getting it done. we gotta do what we gotta do to win. Manny lauched a rocket in Houston last night! :notworthy Maybe one year of him for Stanton aint such a bad idea.

I don't know much but I know that unless he tears up A-ball like Cabrera and then AA and we make it to the playoffs and in his first AB he homers off Johan Santana in the bottom of the hey why not go for it its the cycle.

Penn. Let him prove what he's worth. We have to keep him the entire year or release him right? So I'd say just let him pitch and lets see what he' got like we did with Boni just when he struggles or whatever Miller should be back.

I remember somebody saying that if all our key players stayed healthy then we'd have a pretty reasonable chance to contend so I'm not really surprised at anything except the record. I mean come on we would have been happy with 8-4!! Now the key to the season is how is the manager gonna adjust to the up's and down's of a season because it is clear that the FO will do what it can to improve here and there. SO now what we gonna do when Emilio and Maybin struggle to hit leadoff? The best reason for hope is that Sanchez and Miller seem to at least be serviceable at the 4&5 spots where they can get some easy matchups. We looking good though and I'm all smiles

Naw we got the best rotation because ours will most likely stay healthy all year. Its just the effectiveness of our 4 a And 5 starters that will determine how far we can go this year. Along with Boni and the defense at least being middle of the pack.

WHy don't the Marlins just hire you NNY?

HanRam is the least of our worries. By far the thing that is worring me is the injuries to the bullpen. However that is just allowing for some of the guys is MILB to get a chance.

He's surprising us to be sure but we knew that he was gonna get a chance at 3rd and to bal leadoff, we just didnt agree with it based on his minor league numbers. Now the games are actually being played and once again we realize that we have probably other than the Red Sox the best damn scouts and front office in the league. Now the true test is can he keep this up and for how long. And Beinfest also said it would end up beinng Boni, Maybin and Hanley to start the game and I personally would love to see that! That would speed up Maybin's development if Boni can consistently get on base and thus speed up the teams development because lets face it we traded the dude for MIGUEL a HOF type guy.

Can't wait to you boys come to the T so I can see the look on Pudge's face. :banghead

I'm sorry but am I the only one who thinks that Pudge takes this team from "scary good" to pl;ayoff contender and maybe more? He did it once and like Rudy T said "Never underestimate the heart of a champion". Plus he probably could finish his career there with a team waiting to put him in their ring of honor. He's the missing piece to this almost complete puzzle

[i wouldn't be totally against starting Gaby in AAA. That would give us two right-handed bats on the bench assuming our bench consisted of Helms, Amezaga, Rabelo, Gibbons, and Andino. It would also be interesting to see what McPherson could do with regular playing time. Ofcourse it does nothing to help the defense to have Dallas and Cantu manning the corners. Still, I suppose its an upgrade over Cantu/Jacobs. Cantu rated as a very good 1B last year. That wouldn't be a bad move, and it's one I hope comes to fruition in 2009. Helms was also well above average at 3B. If McPherson could simply be "close to below average" at 3B, coupled with Helms taking over vs LHP and in the 8th inning in close games, that's a marked upgrade. Gibbons has been out of it for a bit, but I'm sure he's not a Jacobs embarrassment at 1B or Willingham horrible n LF/RF. This is the way to go as long as Gibbons proves he can hit RHP a little bit, and Andino proves he can be a .650 OPS kind of guy. Neither of those are huge things to ask for. And really, it delays Gaby's arbitration clock, and Bonifacio's to a lesser extent, which only helps payroll issues down the road. A lot of reasons to send those two down and keep Andino and Gibbons as the 12th and 13th hitters on the team. Okay I'm convinced this is the way to go when you started talking about arby clocks and player development. Some of my questions have been answered by this board. You boy's know what ya'll talking about. I come here for the info and analysis more than the website. I think this is the most overhype issue on the team. Helms has proven he can hit leftys (a team weakness kinda) and McDallas hopefully at least can hit RHP so really the Gaby talk was just to motivate McDallas? Besides if he rakes then we can trade him for something at the deadline and promote Gaby right?

what is failing? not being an all star? not being a solid player? not making the team ever? Not winning the whole sabang baby!

Stuff like this gets me excited about the future almost as much more than this season! An outfield of Maybin-Morrison-Stanton with an infield of HanRam,Sanchez,Skipworth,Coughlan and Dominguez. Man that sounds like World Series in about what 2012 when we move into the new stadium? What are the chances of any of these guys failing what 50/50?

If pudge knows like I do he wont sign for the Stro's. The only good thing about that is he can boost his numbers in that crazy ass park we got and inflate his value more than it really will be but then again thats what Tejada thought too.

So what happens if HanRam proves to be a better leadoff hitter than a run producer where do we go then? Didnt Ross or Amezaga try to leadoff to little or no success? That leaves either Baker or Maybin to leadoff? Is that a good option or does that lead to a Raynor-type coming into play? And I just figured that DeAza is the lefty hitting OF that everyone says we need?

Aiight I finally agree then, that trade with the nationals sucked. How much is Olsen and Hammer making this year anyway? If their combined salary doesn't add up to a Pudge or some surprise starter we haven't thought about then why did we trade 200 INNINGS for?

Dan Uggla didnt have this kind of track record either