July 18, 200719 yr I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. I don't ever want anyone but the pitcher sacrificing themselves to move a runner over unless it's like the 9th inning and you are the home team.
July 18, 200719 yr I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. I don't ever want anyone but the pitcher sacrificing themselves to move a runner over unless it's like the 9th inning and you are the home team.
July 18, 200719 yr So does just about everyone save Uggla? Best bunter? Hardly. Dan's a better bunter. Uggla has more sacrifice bunts this season than Amezaga, and just from my own memory, Uggla's success rate is substantially higher. And even then, basing the 2-hole around the bunt is stupid. Bunting with the top half of the lineup is stupid. Hell, bunting before the 7th inning with anyone other than the pitcher is pretty stupid. Ok you can argue that Uggla is just as good if not better than Amezaga but my argument isnt just about the bunt. Its about being able to put the ball in play in situations that you need those little things and he does that better than Uggla or Hermida. Both of them strike out way too much to be hitting in the 2 hole. Over state much? Hanley, Cabrera, Hermida. All can go the other way with a fastball substantially better. Just because Tommy wants you to believe that Amezaga is another Pierre, it doesn't mean that he is. Amezaga swings through a whole hell of a lot of stuff, and the reason he has so few strikeouts is because he's a tremendously impatient hitter. He jumps on early pitches and that's it. Even then, with everything conceivably going right, he's at his ceiling with a .270/.331/.337 line, Hermida, who has no where to go but up is at .246/.333/.440. That belongs in the 2-hole. .271 avg with a .331 obp isnt anywhere near a designated bunter. Oh yea you are 100 percent right. I dont have my own personal thoughts all I do is listen to Tommy and he is my almighty baseball power. And btw check out stats and Amezaga is having a better season than pierre is. I agree with you that Hanley and Cabrera go the other way better than Alfredo. But since Hermida is lefty he would have to pull the ball and he does not have the bat control that amezaga does to put the ball on the ground to the right side. Also he strikes out way too much to be in those situations late in games. And what's wrong with jumping on early pitches? You see a pitch that you like and you hit it. You were the one who outlined a key reason for Amezaga being in the 2-hole as bunting ability, not me. I don't want to build a lineup around the bunt, be my guest, though. Its funny that you are focusing just on my bunt statement and completely ignoring the rest of the post. I know your hard on for Hermida and dont get wrong I think hes going to be a great player. But right now I dont think he is the best option to be hitting 2nd. I rather see him driving in runs Ummm, you know Amezaga's basically only effective as a left-handed hitter, right? If you're going to hit and run, pulling is out the window, you're meant to go the other way, out of Amezaga and Uggla and Hermida, only one of them goes the other way exceptionally well consistently. And since I understand maybe half of what you're trying to say since it's so all over the place, if you're suggesting that hitting lefthanded is a detriment to Hermida's 2-hole ability, well then, I'm done with this. As for the rest of this gibberish, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at. Uggla's terrible right now, but the fact that Uggla's terrible doesn't make your argument right. In every conceivable measure of a 2-hole hitter, Hermida is markedly better than Amezaga. Hermida walks more, Hermida's more likely to hit for extra bases, Hermida sees more pitches, Hermida has better strike zone judgement. Until you get a clue and are willing to think outside of the fast=top of the order bulls***, it's going to be a forever back and forth with a brick wall. Tell me where im my posts have I said anything about speed? You are adding words to my mouth. What I've been trying to say. 1- Amezaga puts the ball in play much more than Hermida for this reason you rather hit and run with him. 2- In terms of pulling the ball...with a runner on 2nd and no outs you want at least a groundball on the right side from your 2 hole hitter. Better chance that Amezaga does that. 3- Hermida is the better hitter but I want him hitting later in the order so that he could drive in runs. Not do the little things that you want out of your 2 hole hitter. 4- I rather use Amezaga to lay a bunt down to get a runner in scoring position for Miggy than to use Hermida 5- I think its funny that you accuse everyone else of having a brick wall. Little things like this win close ball games. And so here we are back to you building a lineup around a bunt and the foolish assumption that you don't want to maximize at bats for a better hitter. Hermida's a better hitter than Amezaga, the numbers back this up. Hermida's a type of player taylor made for the 2-hole. Ergo, Hermida, not Amezaga should be the choice for the 2 spot. Bunting is stupid, you only get 27 outs in a game, bunting with a top 4 hitter in your lineup borders on insane. So there you go, the argument is bogus. These magical "coulda woulda shoulda" things you think Amezaga brings don't validate his positional value in the lineup, he's a guy who doesn't double, who doesn't hit a ton of stuff hard and whose "speed" has him tremendously overrated with the dense old-school set. Speed's not an asset if it turns into outs made attempting to steal.
July 18, 200719 yr So does just about everyone save Uggla? Best bunter? Hardly. Dan's a better bunter. Uggla has more sacrifice bunts this season than Amezaga, and just from my own memory, Uggla's success rate is substantially higher. And even then, basing the 2-hole around the bunt is stupid. Bunting with the top half of the lineup is stupid. Hell, bunting before the 7th inning with anyone other than the pitcher is pretty stupid. Ok you can argue that Uggla is just as good if not better than Amezaga but my argument isnt just about the bunt. Its about being able to put the ball in play in situations that you need those little things and he does that better than Uggla or Hermida. Both of them strike out way too much to be hitting in the 2 hole. Over state much? Hanley, Cabrera, Hermida. All can go the other way with a fastball substantially better. Just because Tommy wants you to believe that Amezaga is another Pierre, it doesn't mean that he is. Amezaga swings through a whole hell of a lot of stuff, and the reason he has so few strikeouts is because he's a tremendously impatient hitter. He jumps on early pitches and that's it. Even then, with everything conceivably going right, he's at his ceiling with a .270/.331/.337 line, Hermida, who has no where to go but up is at .246/.333/.440. That belongs in the 2-hole. .271 avg with a .331 obp isnt anywhere near a designated bunter. Oh yea you are 100 percent right. I dont have my own personal thoughts all I do is listen to Tommy and he is my almighty baseball power. And btw check out stats and Amezaga is having a better season than pierre is. I agree with you that Hanley and Cabrera go the other way better than Alfredo. But since Hermida is lefty he would have to pull the ball and he does not have the bat control that amezaga does to put the ball on the ground to the right side. Also he strikes out way too much to be in those situations late in games. And what's wrong with jumping on early pitches? You see a pitch that you like and you hit it. You were the one who outlined a key reason for Amezaga being in the 2-hole as bunting ability, not me. I don't want to build a lineup around the bunt, be my guest, though. Its funny that you are focusing just on my bunt statement and completely ignoring the rest of the post. I know your hard on for Hermida and dont get wrong I think hes going to be a great player. But right now I dont think he is the best option to be hitting 2nd. I rather see him driving in runs Ummm, you know Amezaga's basically only effective as a left-handed hitter, right? If you're going to hit and run, pulling is out the window, you're meant to go the other way, out of Amezaga and Uggla and Hermida, only one of them goes the other way exceptionally well consistently. And since I understand maybe half of what you're trying to say since it's so all over the place, if you're suggesting that hitting lefthanded is a detriment to Hermida's 2-hole ability, well then, I'm done with this. As for the rest of this gibberish, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at. Uggla's terrible right now, but the fact that Uggla's terrible doesn't make your argument right. In every conceivable measure of a 2-hole hitter, Hermida is markedly better than Amezaga. Hermida walks more, Hermida's more likely to hit for extra bases, Hermida sees more pitches, Hermida has better strike zone judgement. Until you get a clue and are willing to think outside of the fast=top of the order bulls***, it's going to be a forever back and forth with a brick wall. Tell me where im my posts have I said anything about speed? You are adding words to my mouth. What I've been trying to say. 1- Amezaga puts the ball in play much more than Hermida for this reason you rather hit and run with him. 2- In terms of pulling the ball...with a runner on 2nd and no outs you want at least a groundball on the right side from your 2 hole hitter. Better chance that Amezaga does that. 3- Hermida is the better hitter but I want him hitting later in the order so that he could drive in runs. Not do the little things that you want out of your 2 hole hitter. 4- I rather use Amezaga to lay a bunt down to get a runner in scoring position for Miggy than to use Hermida 5- I think its funny that you accuse everyone else of having a brick wall. Little things like this win close ball games. And so here we are back to you building a lineup around a bunt and the foolish assumption that you don't want to maximize at bats for a better hitter. Hermida's a better hitter than Amezaga, the numbers back this up. Hermida's a type of player taylor made for the 2-hole. Ergo, Hermida, not Amezaga should be the choice for the 2 spot. Bunting is stupid, you only get 27 outs in a game, bunting with a top 4 hitter in your lineup borders on insane. So there you go, the argument is bogus. These magical "coulda woulda shoulda" things you think Amezaga brings don't validate his positional value in the lineup, he's a guy who doesn't double, who doesn't hit a ton of stuff hard and whose "speed" has him tremendously overrated with the dense old-school set. Speed's not an asset if it turns into outs made attempting to steal.
July 18, 200719 yr Maybe Im wrong here but if Hermida has so much "speed" than why does he look like he has a Clydesdale horse strapped on his back when he's running after fly balls in RF? I mean lets call a spade a spade here. He's the type of kid you build an offensive line up around but his defense his horrible. I know what my eyes see when Im at the park or watching on television. He's a bull in a china shop in RF. I agree with you. He's slow in the field. However, he's a tremendous baserunner and he's quick on the bases. Either way, defense has no merit on discussing lineup placement. Oh, and FWIW, watch Pujols tonight, I don't think anyone would mistake him for a blazer, but he's one of the best baserunners I've seen.
July 18, 200719 yr Maybe Im wrong here but if Hermida has so much "speed" than why does he look like he has a Clydesdale horse strapped on his back when he's running after fly balls in RF? I mean lets call a spade a spade here. He's the type of kid you build an offensive line up around but his defense his horrible. I know what my eyes see when Im at the park or watching on television. He's a bull in a china shop in RF. I agree with you. He's slow in the field. However, he's a tremendous baserunner and he's quick on the bases. Either way, defense has no merit on discussing lineup placement. Oh, and FWIW, watch Pujols tonight, I don't think anyone would mistake him for a blazer, but he's one of the best baserunners I've seen.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF.
July 18, 200719 yr Maybe Im wrong here but if Hermida has so much "speed" than why does he look like he has a Clydesdale horse strapped on his back when he's running after fly balls in RF? I mean lets call a spade a spade here. He's the type of kid you build an offensive line up around but his defense his horrible. I know what my eyes see when Im at the park or watching on television. He's a bull in a china shop in RF. I agree with you. He's slow in the field. However, he's a tremendous baserunner and he's quick on the bases. Either way, defense has no merit on discussing lineup placement. Oh, and FWIW, watch Pujols tonight, I don't think anyone would mistake him for a blazer, but he's one of the best baserunners I've seen. Oh I agree with you 110%. There is no doubt that speed and baserunning are 2 very different animals. I pretty much worded my post wrong. Im just always amazed though at how a guy can be an above average baserunner (Hermida) and a turtle in RF in the same game.
July 18, 200719 yr Maybe Im wrong here but if Hermida has so much "speed" than why does he look like he has a Clydesdale horse strapped on his back when he's running after fly balls in RF? I mean lets call a spade a spade here. He's the type of kid you build an offensive line up around but his defense his horrible. I know what my eyes see when Im at the park or watching on television. He's a bull in a china shop in RF. I agree with you. He's slow in the field. However, he's a tremendous baserunner and he's quick on the bases. Either way, defense has no merit on discussing lineup placement. Oh, and FWIW, watch Pujols tonight, I don't think anyone would mistake him for a blazer, but he's one of the best baserunners I've seen. Oh I agree with you 110%. There is no doubt that speed and baserunning are 2 very different animals. I pretty much worded my post wrong. Im just always amazed though at how a guy can be an above average baserunner (Hermida) and a turtle in RF in the same game.
July 18, 200719 yr I don't know if this makes sense to others but I think his instincts in the outfield are so poor that he plays defense in sort of a passive mode (or non-aggressive) and because of that he looks slow playing D.
July 18, 200719 yr I don't know if this makes sense to others but I think his instincts in the outfield are so poor that he plays defense in sort of a passive mode (or non-aggressive) and because of that he looks slow playing D.
July 18, 200719 yr I don't know if this makes sense to others but I think his instincts in the outfield are so poor that he plays defense in sort of a passive mode (or non-aggressive) and because of that he looks slow playing D. Makes sense to me.
July 18, 200719 yr I don't know if this makes sense to others but I think his instincts in the outfield are so poor that he plays defense in sort of a passive mode (or non-aggressive) and because of that he looks slow playing D. Makes sense to me.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. So you'd rather have Amezaga hitting #2 for the 2-4 times a week we need him for your so called "little things" rather than hitting Hermida second, who has a much better swing, more power, much better bat speed and is arguably better on the basepaths?
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. So you'd rather have Amezaga hitting #2 for the 2-4 times a week we need him for your so called "little things" rather than hitting Hermida second, who has a much better swing, more power, much better bat speed and is arguably better on the basepaths?
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. So you'd rather have Amezaga hitting #2 for the two times a week we need him for your so called "little things" rather than hitting Hermida second, who has a much better swing, much better bat speed and arguably is better on the basepaths? Ask Jim Leyland if he rather have Placido Polanco or Carlos Guillen hitting 2nd? Ask Jack McKeon if he rather had Luis Castillo or Derek Lee hitting 2nd in 03? Ask Grady Little if he rather have Pierre or Loney hitting 2nd? This is how I think baseball should be played. Others may disagree but I'm pretty old school when it comes to baseball philosophy.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. So you'd rather have Amezaga hitting #2 for the two times a week we need him for your so called "little things" rather than hitting Hermida second, who has a much better swing, much better bat speed and arguably is better on the basepaths? Ask Jim Leyland if he rather have Placido Polanco or Carlos Guillen hitting 2nd? Ask Jack McKeon if he rather had Luis Castillo or Derek Lee hitting 2nd in 03? Ask Grady Little if he rather have Pierre or Loney hitting 2nd? This is how I think baseball should be played. Others may disagree but I'm pretty old school when it comes to baseball philosophy.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion. But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. My bad that wasn't directed at you. Those people know who they are. How many times will Amezaga come up with a runner on second and less than two outs? I seriously doubt his bat control in those situations will outweigh what Hermida can do at the #2 spot. I might like the idea if the Marlins had a Luis Castillo-type player who got on-base at a decent rate. But despite all the hate Hermida receives around these parts, he still manages to not make outs (OBP) at a better rate than Amezaga.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion. But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. My bad that wasn't directed at you. Those people know who they are. How many times will Amezaga come up with a runner on second and less than two outs? I seriously doubt his bat control in those situations will outweigh what Hermida can do at the #2 spot. I might like the idea if the Marlins had a Luis Castillo-type player who got on-base at a decent rate. But despite all the hate Hermida receives around these parts, he still manages to not make outs (OBP) at a better rate than Amezaga.
July 18, 200719 yr No offense because I love Alfredo, but there is no way he has better bat controll than Jeremy. There is also no way he is a better bunter, in fact Jeremy has really impressed with his ability to bunt for hits thus far. Hermida also has a better eye, and more potential. Put his swing in front of Cabrera and you have something beautiful. I'm not talking about bunting for a hit. I mean sacrificing yourself to move a runner over. Personally I dont want Jeremy ever doing that. He needs to drive in runs and I feel that we would be a better team if we had someone doing that in the 2 hole spot. Who would rather have getting more ABs: Amezaga or Hermida? Seriously how many times a week would Amezaga need to do the "little things"? You could probably count them on one hand. I'd rather have Hermida up there. We had the "bat control" guy in the 2nd spot in the lineup and his name was Paul LoDuca, and all he did was ground into double plays and slug like crap. I'd like to mention we're not in 1910 and most of the guys in the line up from 1-6 are capable of hitting bombs. This team doesn't need to play small ball to win. Before you bash me for saying that, Earl Weaver managed this way and he's in the HOF. I dont bash people because of their opinion because people have won that way. I'm just a fan of "small ball" But the thing about "little things" is that yea you could count it on one hand a week but those little things will make us more consistent. How many times this season have we had runner on 2nd with no outs and just werent able to drive him in? I stopped counting. What having someone like this hitting 2nd gives us a better chance of scoring in those innings because then you would have Cabrera hitting with man on 3rd and less than 2 outs. And I'll take that gamble every single time. So you'd rather have Amezaga hitting #2 for the two times a week we need him for your so called "little things" rather than hitting Hermida second, who has a much better swing, much better bat speed and arguably is better on the basepaths? Ask Jim Leyland if he rather have Placido Polanco or Carlos Guillen hitting 2nd? Ask Jack McKeon if he rather had Luis Castillo or Derek Lee hitting 2nd in 03? Ask Grady Little if he rather have Pierre or Loney hitting 2nd? This is how I think baseball should be played. Others may disagree but I'm pretty old school when it comes to baseball philosophy. 1) Placido Polanco has a .377 on-base. 2) Luis Castillo had a .381 on-base in 2003. 3) Grady Little isn't very smart. Amezaga's on-base: .331. Like I said, if the guy has a decent to above average on-base, I'm open to it. But when the guy isn't getting on-base at the league average- hell no.
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