The Collins Shuffle

[metirish]

[youtube:3uaxsyc1]vrxnolOf1Z0[/youtube:3uaxsyc1]

made some moves tonight that were positive looking going forward...likes to use his bench which I like.

Going to be very interested to see how he uses his pitching as the season progresses.

[metirish]

Hows about pinch running for Ike with Hu and then using Murphy at 1st base?

I don't mind it and I suppose Collins get bit in the ass if Murphy doesn't make a routine play at the bag....whatever , I like what I'm seeing so far from the skipper. I liked too that he seemed really genuinely happy to get his first win and first series win.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Wasn't 1B Murphy's best position in the minors?

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Hows about pinch running for Ike with Hu and then using Murphy at 1st base? I don't mind it and I suppose Collins get bit in the ass if Murphy doesn't make a routine play at the bag....whatever , I like what I'm seeing so far from the skipper. I liked too that he seemed really genuinely happy to get his first win and first series win.

No manager will be perfect, or do things the way I think they need to be done. I just hope he realizes what does and doesn't work as the season goes on and is willing to adjust.

(Murphy's best position was third, he didn't play first in the minors much/atall)

[Frayed Knot]

I thought about pinch-running for Ike before Collins called for it but had rejected the idea just a second prior to seeing Hu trot out there.
That said, I don't think it was a huge deal either way. Ike is the better fielder but Muffy more than held his own while he was there in '09 and there's probably at least as good a chance that the difference in speed makes up for the fielding gap (although I'm unsure at this point how fast Hu is).

So far my only major complaint was when he had Pagan bunting in game 2. Even though the result worked out in our favor in the end I saw that less as brilliant strategy and more as luck.

[Gwreck]

*Duplicate post

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ceetar wrote: metirish wrote: Hows about pinch running for Ike with Hu and then using Murphy at 1st base? I don't mind it and I suppose Collins get bit in the ass if Murphy doesn't make a routine play at the bag....whatever , I like what I'm seeing so far from the skipper. I liked too that he seemed really genuinely happy to get his first win and first series win. No manager will be perfect, or do things the way I think they need to be done. I just hope he realizes what does and doesn't work as the season goes on and is willing to adjust. (Murphy's best position was third, he didn't play first in the minors much/atall)

But he's played plenty now, and done fine. Virtually all thirdbasemen, given a little time, can be just as good at first. I haven't seen anything to lead me to the conclusion that firstbaseman Murphy should be pulled in favor Davis in late-and-close situations.

[metirish]

Funny because Cohen made it a point to note when talking about the substitutions and where they were slotting it....Hu's glove at second...Mets lose at first with Murphy....he said something a long that line which is one reason I brought it up , it stuck with me.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: metirish wrote: Hows about pinch running for Ike with Hu and then using Murphy at 1st base? I don't mind it and I suppose Collins get bit in the ass if Murphy doesn't make a routine play at the bag....whatever , I like what I'm seeing so far from the skipper. I liked too that he seemed really genuinely happy to get his first win and first series win. No manager will be perfect, or do things the way I think they need to be done. I just hope he realizes what does and doesn't work as the season goes on and is willing to adjust. (Murphy's best position was third, he didn't play first in the minors much/atall) But he's played plenty now, and done fine. Virtually all thirdbasemen, given a little time, can be just as good at first. I haven't seen anything to lead me to the conclusion that firstbaseman Murphy should be pulled in favor Davis in late-and-close situations.

I happen to think Ike makes that play on the shot along the line that blew the save,(Actually, Ike has been playing a little sloppily, making a couple of simple errors) additionally, I'm not sure I would've had him playing in either. I get holding the go ahead run on I suppose, but with two outs..

No, Murphy's fine at first, and he'll have to be if he's gonna be a catch-all utility guy. I just meant he's only really had 100 or so games there.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Gary once thought more of Murphy at first.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: But he's played plenty now, and done fine. Virtually all thirdbasemen, given a little time, can be just as good at first. I haven't seen anything to lead me to the conclusion that firstbaseman Murphy should be pulled in favor Davis in late-and-close situations.

Well, to be fair... I can see a couple of reasons why you'd yank DM for Ike close-and-late; he's not only better defensively, but a bigger power threat, and he's demonstrated more patience/ability to work a count, to boot.

THAT said... far too much time has been spent on this eminently-reasonable and -defensible substitution, and not enough on THE FUCKING SAC BUNTING. AGAIN.

[metirish]

This is the place for it LWFS......have at it on the sac bunt...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

JOSE REYES STEALS SIXTY BASES A YEAR WHEN HEALTHY, AND PAGAN MIGHT BE THE SECOND-BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER ON THE TEAM, AND YOU'RE FUCKING GIVING AWAY OUTS WHEN THE TEAM'S DEMONSTRATED LITTLE-TO-NO-ABILITY TO CONSERVE THEM OTHERWISE! WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT HU IN FOR DAVIS WITH A GUY ON FIRST AND BUNT THEN!

IT'S THREE GAMES IN, AND I'M LISTENING TO THE GAME ON RADIO, AND I'M ALREADY BEGGING FOR AN ANEURYSM!FUCK YOU AND YOUR RALLY-KILLING "ENTHUSIASM," WHITE JERRY! THE MARLINS GAVE YOU THAT WIN, ASSHOLE! THEY GAVE IT TO YOU FIVE TIMES! AAAUGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!




Okay, I think I'm good.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like that you compare him to Jerry. Willie is too associated with bunting, relative to Jerry. Jerry is sitting in his chair right now wondering if things might have been different with the Mets if he worked the bunting game a little better.

[metirish]

One bunt does not make a **** .

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: I like that you compare him to Jerry. Willie is too associated with bunting, relative to Jerry. Jerry is sititng in his chair right now wondering if things might have been different with the Mets if he worked the bunting game a little better.

F'real. Willie bunted in places where, if you made the logical leap that bunting helps you score one run, it kinda made sense (like how, if you buy the one gigantic leap that the brain injury in Memento actually exists, that movie works realistically otherwise). Jerry? He'd pinch-hit to bunt for one run when down three, with Beltran coming up.

And I know it's early yet, Irish. But that wasn't the only bunt; t'was merely the ****iest. (I am tentatively okay with the rest of his stewardship, though a little part of me wishes he'd go a little further with creative bullpen management... like, say, leaving demi-longman Carrasco in to bat/finish the game after he got that big strikeout.)

[batmagadanleadoff]

Willie was as bad a bunt manager as I ever saw. I'm not defending Manuel because he turned out to be another Bozo in a long line of Mets clown managers but Jerry went all of 2008 (partial season, granted) without bunting (not literally), whereas Willie couldn't go one game without it.

In two different games, Willie Randolph called for the sac bunt in the top of the first with a man on second and nobody out. In Denver. The runner on second was fast enough to score from second without the ball leaving the infield.

Top that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Top that.

Top that? I can try (with a little memory jogging from BP) Jerry has Castillo sac bunting against the Cards left fielder turned reliever in last year's 20 inning marathon, after the Mets leadoff batter reached on four straight pitches that didn't even sniff the strike zone. As of last April, Castillo was still considered to be one of the likeliest Mets not to make an out.

[G-Fafif]

metirish wrote: One bunt does not make a **** .

If only New Hampshire's license plates were a little wider, "Live Free Or Die" would be getting replaced right now.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jerry had real hitters bunting against fake pitchers twice in that game. He also bunted with Mike Jacobs to get Angel Pagan over in the 16th against righthanded meatball specialist Brandon Hawksworth.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Jerry had real hitters bunting against fake pitchers twice in that game. He also bunted with Mike Jacobs to get Angel Pagan over in the 16th against righthanded meatball specialist Brandon Hawksworth.

Mike Jacobs is a real hitter?

[Guest Edgy DC]

That was a third case and not one of the original two I'm citing.

[Vic Sage]

i don't see a need in deciding which was a bigger bunting douche between Wee Willie Small Balls and Jerry "the Bunt****" Manuel. Lets agree they both sucked. what concerns me is we may have a new member of that sorority on our hands.

BIFL, Terry!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Vic Sage wrote: i don't see a need in deciding which was a bigger bunting douche between Wee Willie Small Balls and Jerry "the Bunt****" Manuel. Lets agree they both sucked. what concerns me is we may have a new member of that sorority on our hands. BIFL, Terry!

Which you'd think impossible given the guys that now occupy the front office.

[soupcan]

Vic Sage wrote: Jerry "the Bunt****" Manuel.

Goooood Morning!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I hope the resemblance doesn't last, but "White Jerry" is a hilarious nickname.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Thanks. I was going back and forth between that and "Dry Tony."

[soupcan]

I think 'Bunt****' is going to be my new user name.

Got to find an appropriate avatar...

[Bunt the First Two]

I'll be damned if I can think of where you'll find one of those.

[Vic Sage]

BUNT**** ™*

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