July 17, 200422 yr Two reasons for this: 1- To showcase him in case they are (and they should be) shopping him around 2- See if he can kickstart some offense.
July 17, 200422 yr it is true that nunez didnt really get a chance... but to be honest id rather us see willingham get time at C before nunez plays the OF even though one position has nothing to do with the other
July 17, 200422 yr I think Abraham should start a few games, but the problem is finding him a place to play. Conine? 2 for 4 today, grand slam before... Cabrera? He plays because of his bat. Pierre? Probably the most likely. He has played every inning of every game, and although you do lose a little bit of speed, Abraham has enough to cover the outfield well.
July 17, 200422 yr I think Abraham should start a few games, but the problem is finding him a place to play. Conine? 2 for 4 today, grand slam before... Cabrera? He plays because of his bat. Pierre? Probably the most likely. He has played every inning of every game, and although you do lose a little bit of speed, Abraham has enough to cover the outfield well. 461330[/snapback] thats exactly the problem there isnt really anyone thats doing terrible right now on our team....its all about timely hitting and bad luck for us catcher is actually the weakest position, even though it was thought that catcher was average
July 17, 200422 yr Was I blind, or was Willy back there playing catcher in the later stages of today's game?
July 17, 200422 yr Was I blind, or was Willy back there playing catcher in the later stages of today's game? 461342[/snapback] I don't know if that's sarcastic but yeah he got in there.
July 17, 200422 yr I think you should give Nunez some PT. But only with the understanding that he is the 4th OF - play him to give rest to Conine, Cabs, or even Pierre. He can play all 3 positions out there. Willingham is being wasted at the MLB level right now. If you arent going to use him at catcher, send him back down. His value is behind the plate - we got plenty of talent coming up to roam the outfield for this club. I dont think Nunez has been given a fair shot and that is due mostly to McKeon who is being very Dusty Baker like with him.
July 17, 200422 yr Willingham isn't being wasted at the MLB level in the slightest. He is here for a variety of reasons, to get a taste of MLB, to be the backup catcher if Redmond's injury got worse instead of better, to be showcased. And if he contributes in the OF all the better. A few weeks at the MLB level may give him a taste and hasten his return to the bigs at a later date. Ask him if he's learning more about what he needs to do to be MLer by being with the team or by riding a bus to West NoWhere, I suspect he likes it just fine here. Clearly he's not ready, this is no Miggy, but he's gaining a wealth of experience. Not to worry by the end of the month he'll be back in the minors. As for Nunez I agree 100%. I've opined before that Jack looks to all the world like a Dusty Baker clone the way he's handled this guy. I'm not here to say that Nunez is the next big thing but he's been mishandled and the Marlins (as a team) are worse off for it. It's one of the reasons I have mixed feelings about bringing up Dillon because I believe the same plight would be his, taking a guy who's hot as a pistol and relegating him to the bench.
July 17, 200422 yr The Nunez debacle reminds me of the Ramon Castro sitiuation in that we it may have to wait a long time to find out the facts. Jack and the FO have to be feeling some pressure (and guilt they won't admit) for the incredibly sloppy way they have used call-ups, sent-downs, call-ups, etc, ad nauseum. We have really abused some hard-working want-to-be's. No excuse for that. This takes a toll we pay for. There a good decisions being made that we are not aware of. And maybe some lousy decisions and we don't know who is responsible or in control. I know the responsibility is with the FO. But, don't tell me Jack is not a player in this fiasco. FO provides the tools. Jack uses, or abuses, them.
July 17, 200422 yr I would actually like to see Willingham get some starts soon. As much as I like Redmond, he's more suited to be a backup. With a good offense he's okay, but with a weak offense his lack of power stands out. I'd like to see if Willingham might be able to handle the job, & at least split time with Red. I've heard that the coaches like what they've seen from him, & he seems to have a decent idea at the plate. I know the middle of the season's not the ideal time for a tryout, but unfortunately this offense is poor right now and Redmond's not exactly a big bat out there. I'm not sure how "ready" he is, but it may be worth a shot.
July 17, 200422 yr Willingham isn't being wasted at the MLB level in the slightest. He is here for a variety of reasons, to get a taste of MLB, to be the backup catcher if Redmond's injury got worse instead of better, to be showcased. And if he contributes in the OF all the better. A few weeks at the MLB level may give him a taste and hasten his return to the bigs at a later date. Ask him if he's learning more about what he needs to do to be MLer by being with the team or by riding a bus to West NoWhere, I suspect he likes it just fine here. Clearly he's not ready, this is no Miggy, but he's gaining a wealth of experience. Not to worry by the end of the month he'll be back in the minors. As for Nunez I agree 100%. I've opined before that Jack looks to all the world like a Dusty Baker clone the way he's handled this guy. I'm not here to say that Nunez is the next big thing but he's been mishandled and the Marlins (as a team) are worse off for it. It's one of the reasons I have mixed feelings about bringing up Dillon because I believe the same plight would be his, taking a guy who's hot as a pistol and relegating him to the bench. 461732[/snapback] so you can tell how "ready" he is by 3 starts and one PH ab?.... And to say he isnt being wasted right now is laughable. He needs to be playng everyday, whether its here, Carolina or Albuquerque. And if we were showcasing him I would think he would be playing a bit more
July 17, 200422 yr We can respectfully disagree as to whether Willingham is ready or not for the bigs but I don't think a few weeks in the bigs is going to set his career back in the slightest. Assuming he's back playing in the minors by August 1st that leaves almost two months of playing time (plus winter ball if he goes that route) so I stand by my comment.
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