April 2, 200521 yr How is playing every day against AAA junkballers and non-prospects helpful to either's development? Sitting on a major league bench, learning from major league players and coaches and refining their games is more helpful. By sending them to the Pacific Coast League to play every day, you're just telling them to keep doing what they're doing and hope there's a spot for them sometime during the year. Which is fine if there was a more worthy player on the roster. But since there isn't, this is just a wasted year. Dillon's 29 and is in his prime. Willingham's 26, this year it's his defense, next year it will be his patience, the year after that a hitch in his swing, the year after that he's Joe Dillon and on his way out of the game. 726359[/snapback] I'd rather have those two players playing hard everyday in AAA then have their asses on a bench laying once a week. It wouldn't be fair to the organization or to the players. Atleast in AAA their value could go up and help the team come July.
April 2, 200521 yr But it's playing every day against unchallenging competition, without the insight of the organization's best and no immediate risk/reward for not for progressing their games. Essentially a waste. And why would any team want to give up anything for Willingham or Dillon now or July? No one is going to slot Willingham into a starting catcher spot without a long internship. Most teams don't feel back-up catcher is that much of a priority and those that do are picking up the antithesis of Willingham, good field no hit veterans, Mike DiFelices if you will. The A's and Dodgers are loaded with catching prospects. The Blue Jays gave up on Josh Phelps. So there goes the Moneyball teams. Every team has a corner infielder and outfielder in AA/AAA that they feel is as good as Willingham and Dillon. What's there to trade for? Nunez + Castro + prospects for Magglio Ordonez and a reliever didn't happen last year. Willingham + Dillon for anything better than a mop-up reliever ain't happening this year.
April 2, 200521 yr So his 193 career pinch hits are meaningless??? 725822[/snapback] YES. Why that is so hard to understand boggles many of us. 726124[/snapback] The past is history and the present tells me Lenny can't hit.
April 2, 200521 yr Eric Gagne and I disagree with your analysis. :thumbup 726671[/snapback] Great argument. :plain
April 2, 200521 yr It's not an argument...it's called an opinion. One I happen to share with Admin Beinfest and Jack McKeon.
April 2, 200521 yr But it's playing every day against unchallenging competition, without the insight of the organization's best and no immediate risk/reward for not for progressing their games. Essentially a waste. And why would any team want to give up anything for Willingham or Dillon now or July? No one is going to slot Willingham into a starting catcher spot without a long internship. Most teams don't feel back-up catcher is that much of a priority and those that do are picking up the antithesis of Willingham, good field no hit veterans, Mike DiFelices if you will. The A's and Dodgers are loaded with catching prospects. The Blue Jays gave up on Josh Phelps. So there goes the Moneyball teams. Every team has a corner infielder and outfielder in AA/AAA that they feel is as good as Willingham and Dillon. What's there to trade for? Nunez + Castro + prospects for Magglio Ordonez and a reliever didn't happen last year. Willingham + Dillon for anything better than a mop-up reliever ain't happening this year. 726649[/snapback] You are telling me a desperate organization like the Royals, Pirates, Rockies, etc. looking to cut payroll won't trade a piece of their team to us for them? Please there are idiots all over the league.
April 2, 200521 yr Eric Gagne and I disagree with your analysis. :thumbup 726671[/snapback] Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile. :thumbdown
April 2, 200521 yr 162 game season and we can only think of 1 thing that Lenny Harris did last season that was worthwhile. Yet the sole argument for keeping him around is that 1 hit. Nobody should make a professional baseball team, just because they're a nice guy. From what I'm seeing that is basically what has happened, because they have to be seeing what I've been seeing. Lenny has not been able to hit the ball with any type of force all spring. I bet you 95% of his hits this spring have been weak grounders. It just doesn't make sense.
April 2, 200521 yr I've got 192 more reasons... All Time Pinch Hit Leaders 100 Or More Updated September 23, 2004 1 Lenny Harris 193 2 Manny Mota 150 3 Smokey Burgess 145 4 Greg Gross 143 5 Dave Hansen 135 6 John Vander Wal 126 7 Jose Morales 123 8 Jerry Lynch 116 9 Charles Red Lucas 114 10 Terry Crowely 108 11 Gates Brown 107 12 Mike Lum 103 13 Jim Dwyer 102 Steve Braun 102 15 Rusty Staub 100 :notworthy
April 2, 200521 yr I've got 192 more reasons... All Time Pinch Hit Leaders 100 Or More Updated September 23, 2004 1 Lenny Harris 193 2 Manny Mota 150 3 Smokey Burgess 145 4 Greg Gross 143 5 Dave Hansen 135 6 John Vander Wal 126 7 Jose Morales 123 8 Jerry Lynch 116 9 Charles Red Lucas 114 10 Terry Crowely 108 11 Gates Brown 107 12 Mike Lum 103 13 Jim Dwyer 102 Steve Braun 102 15 Rusty Staub 100 :notworthy 726686[/snapback] :plain Who cares....at some point a player get too old. Lenny is too old. It's time for him to retire.
April 2, 200521 yr The only reason Lenny has the pinch hit record is because he's been riding the pine for so long. It's not like he was ever that good in the first place, and like others have said his skills have diminished greatly over the past couple of years.
April 2, 200521 yr I've got 192 more reasons... All Time Pinch Hit Leaders 100 Or More Updated September 23, 2004 1 Lenny Harris 193 2 Manny Mota 150 3 Smokey Burgess 145 4 Greg Gross 143 5 Dave Hansen 135 6 John Vander Wal 126 7 Jose Morales 123 8 Jerry Lynch 116 9 Charles Red Lucas 114 10 Terry Crowely 108 11 Gates Brown 107 12 Mike Lum 103 13 Jim Dwyer 102 Steve Braun 102 15 Rusty Staub 100 :notworthy 726686[/snapback] Why not sign Manny Mota to a multi year contract
April 2, 200521 yr But it's playing every day against unchallenging competition, without the insight of the organization's best and no immediate risk/reward for not for progressing their games. Essentially a waste. And why would any team want to give up anything for Willingham or Dillon now or July? No one is going to slot Willingham into a starting catcher spot without a long internship. Most teams don't feel back-up catcher is that much of a priority and those that do are picking up the antithesis of Willingham, good field no hit veterans, Mike DiFelices if you will. The A's and Dodgers are loaded with catching prospects. The Blue Jays gave up on Josh Phelps. So there goes the Moneyball teams. Every team has a corner infielder and outfielder in AA/AAA that they feel is as good as Willingham and Dillon. What's there to trade for? Nunez + Castro + prospects for Magglio Ordonez and a reliever didn't happen last year. Willingham + Dillon for anything better than a mop-up reliever ain't happening this year. 726649[/snapback] You are telling me a desperate organization like the Royals, Pirates, Rockies, etc. looking to cut payroll won't trade a piece of their team to us for them? Please there are idiots all over the league. 726678[/snapback] Why would they? Dillon's 29 and a non-prospect. At 26 Willingham's an older prospect. Little reward. If they were looking to unload a player, they'd trade for quality youthful prospects. If their catcher or thirdbasemen went down or whatever, they'd just pick up their AAA reserve. All that takes is to give up a roster spot, they don't have to give up talent for the chance to give one of these two guys a chance. You can't turn your straw into gold. No front office is that dumb. Despite that we'll see a hundred posts demanding Beinfest trade the 25th guy on the bench plus this week's supposed clubhouse cancer for an all-star.
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