Comments on: Reds 6, Braves 2

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:23:09 +0000

either way anderson deserves a shot especially since bobby seems pretty fond of trotting greg norton and his lifetime 252 avg and 338 obp to left…why waste the roster spot on anderson if he wont even get a shot

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:15:55 +0000

I also don’t agree is what that should say…

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:11:44 +0000

Totally agree Parish…

I always thought Bobby was a good regular season manager, good not great, and a horrid postseason manager. His use of the bullpen over the past few years has been below average, to put it nicely.

I also agree with him leaving slumping hitters in the same spot in the bottom order game after game. I think the player’s manager title has actually hampered Bobby. Francouer should have been given a day off a long time ago.

By: Parish

Parish — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:03:19 +0000

In Blanco, we have a guy whose only real skill seems to be getting on base, usually with a single or a walk. That skill is wasted a little in the 8th spot, as it is very unlikely that the pitcher, who is hitting behind you 75% of the time is going to bring you around to score.

I would prefer Blanco to be on with Yunel, Chipper, and Tex coming up.

By: Marc Schneider

Marc Schneider — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:02:59 +0000

I don’t know, I’m not sure how it’s the manager’s fault when the team consistently gets five or six hits in road games. No doubt Bobby is a less than brilliant tactical manager but if the team could score some more runs, he would look like a genius. Sure, he has presumbly made some tactical mistakes that cost them runs, but if you are counting on the manager to win games, I think you have a lot more problems than the manager. I think there are problems with the team that go much deeper than Bobby Cox’s in-game decisions. Basically, you have Chipper and McCann that are having great seasons, Teixera has struggled, especially against lefties most of the year (although he seems to be coming around–at least against right-handers). Escobar and Johnson are talented, but inexperienced and both are very streaky. Obviously the outfield is producing little. So, it seems to me that what you have is a lineup that is extremely vulnerable to left-handed pitching (especially since even some of the right-handed hitters don’t hit lefties particularly well, Chipper has less power from the right side, and Tex has been abysmal against lefties)with limited production from several positions. The problem, to me, is the players, not the manager, although I acknowledge that Bobby’s approach is poorly suited for the modern game and that he has not handled the bullpen well. I don’t think moving this or that guy around in the batting order or having this or that guy bat leadoff is really going to make much difference. It may just be that the team just isn’t that good. Good teams seem to win regardless of what the manager does.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:02:49 +0000

Well that was harsh Sansho…but funny. Unfortunately since I am in NY, haven’t been able to see the Anderson guy on TV.

Having speed at the top is not all about stealing, it is the threat of the steal…speed causes havoc. C’mon we know that from the Furcal days. Now that the steroid era is ended, it is back to 80′s baseball. Look at Jacob Ellsbury for the Red Sox….

By: Mac Thomason

Mac Thomason — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:00:58 +0000

Game thread is up.

By: braves14

braves14 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:57:13 +0000

If a player has a .340 OBP in the minors (with no power), major league pitchers will knock the bat out of his hands in extended playing time. I don’t want that in the leadoff spot.

By: sansho1

sansho1 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:53:34 +0000

Blanco over Anderson for leadoff because Gregor has spent this season on this team getting on base 40 percent of the time. And while I don’t necessarily require power in the leadoff spot, Anderson’s swing makes me laugh. He really has no shot of being any good over the course of a season IMO.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:48:14 +0000

I don’t think its a punishment moving from 1st to 2nd in the batting order. Its more strategic than saying Yunel is not good enough to bat leadoff. I just think there are better options.