IGT - 5/8/13 -- ChiSox @ Mets

[Frayed Knot]

Only appropriate that it ends on a K

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Problem is that this lineup consists of Wright plus seven different seven-hole hitters - and it doesn't even matter which platoon guys are in as they're all seven hitters.

Theres gotta be like a "whos on first" comedy sketch somewhere in that paragraph.

Laggys bat lags thru the strikezone without making contact for out #3.
Mets lose. BOOOOOOO!

[Fman99]

Crud.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

On the one hand, happy to see them get outpitched, outfielded and outhit yet still get the tying run up there twice in the late innings. On the other, awful how those chances ended.

[MFS62]

Buck has become a fawn.

Later

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: On the one hand, happy to see them get outpitched, outfielded and outhit yet still get the tying run up there twice in the late innings. On the other, awful how those chances ended.

(post idea but I'm lazy)

I think the Mets need just one more hitter. Whether that's Davis, or one of these outfielders, or an acquisition, whatever. Their run production fluctuates between near top of the league to closer to average and occasionally they go through these droughts. Just one more solid hitter to mix in so so many of these chances don't go for naught and the hits and walks bunch up better. And on the grouping front, Buck never should've been forced so high and I'm worried this 'aggressive approach' angle may be messing with Duda (although I hope he's listening to himself and Hudgens more than that chatter)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

FUCK all those guys (Gary Chen, Josh Lewin, Stupid Bloggers, Mooks With Twitter Accounts, etc down the line) who look at the RBI totals then dump on Doodoo's alleged lack of aggressiveness as though that were anything like a real issue with him or the offense overall.

Buck, "elevated" in the lineup thanks to all those RBIs, probably has half were Doodoo not reaching base ahead of his HRs. Meantime, following Buck and/or Davis in the order provides so few opportunities to drive anyone in it comes as absolutely no surprise the RBIs haven't been there.

[Edgy MD]

Following Byrd too. Duda, .239 batting average and all, is one of the real success stories of the young season, but nobody really wants to talk about it, lest he get scared and run away.

Regarding one more hitter, the old joke goes:

[list:6c1qvbzw]"We're just one or two players away"

"Yeah --- Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig."[/list:u:6c1qvbzw]

But I hear you. A capable righthanded hitter (or, alternatively, Davis remembering that he's a capable lefthanded one) would sure help. Meantime, they pretend that Buck is for real.

I think the management is more interested in risking the season solving that problem longterm from within, rather than trying to make a definitive and bold short-term answer up front. So you start your season with a Marlon Byrd, and challenge your young outfielders to take playing time away from him, while challenging him to stave them off as long as he can. It's not really a strategy producing the results we want, certainly, but on the other hand, the same strategy is working so far at catcher.

[Ceetar]

I think people often underestimate how much difference just one more player even just a good one can make. And it's hard to quantify. (open to ideas on that though, would love to run some data queries if I write this post)

I like the strategy I'm just lamenting that it doesn't seem to be working. Granted, it's been a pretty small sample for Lagares, Brown, Nieuwenhuis (this year anyway) and even Byrd and Valdespin and Cowgill.

Lagares and Brown almost seem like automatic outs these days.

Baxter has to play more imo, he just has to. He's not doing great, but at least he's not making out (.371 OBP so at least if he's not really hitting he's letting someone else take a chance at hitting...) and he just passed Byrd for most productive non-Duda outfielder.