Buzzmaster
(11:01 AM)
We've got Joe!
I always wonder why the chats start off this way, like ESPN has to kidnap Joe in a van every week as he walks around his neighborhood or Joe has to be tied to a chair with only his hands free in order to get him for these chats.
I attended MLB's Civil Rights Game weekend in Cincinnati and it was fabulous.
Somebody needs to lay off the "Sex and the City" re-runs on TBS.
Jon E (Ankeny, IA)
What are your thoughts on Hanley Ramirez' future after watching him casually saunter after that ball last night?
JM: I'm one to give a guy the benefit of the doubt, unless this is a trend. Remember, he fouled a ball off his ankle in his first at bat and it took him a long time to get back into the batter's box.
It is not hard to tell the difference in a player who is injured and running after a ball and a player who is being lazy running after a ball. Ramirez was clearly barely jogging to get the baseball in this case. Quit with the horseshit excuses for Ramirez.
That's no excuse for what happened, because if you can't run, you should come out of the game.
Joe says this even though he just made an excuse for Ramirez's being lazy going after the ball. Nice way to start off the chat.
brett (louisville)
hey Joe, how happy are you to see the reds playing well? Any chance they can build off this early success? thanks
JM: I think they can continue, because they have such a fine pitching staff. They will at some point get Volquez back
We do know when Volquez is coming back. "At some point" can be defined as "however many games are left on his definite suspension of 50 games." So it isn't really an indefinite period when they get Volquez back, but a definite period and not "at some point."
Nitpick time!
and they still have Chapman at AAA learning to pitch.
It's always good to be counting on guys who are learning to pitch. That shouldn't take any more than 5-7 years for him to be major league ready if he is learning to pitch.
Matthew (Columbia, NJ)
Are the Phillies clearly the best team in the National League?
JM: They're a great team. Their starting pitching is not the best, but they do have Halladay and Hamels.
"They don't have great starting pitching if you don't include the fact they have the best pitcher in the National League."
Yes, they are the best team.
So apparently Joe isn't too worried about the Phillies pitching. I wonder who he thinks has the best starting pitching? We won't ever know because he doesn't tell us. Next question!
Bradley (Cedar Rapids)
Joe, Do you see the Twins being content with their four righties, or do you think they will make a trade towards the deadline?
JM: I would say that they would have to be content. You're not going to be able to pick up a lot of good pitching, because everyone's looking for that.
I would actually agree a team isn't going to be able to pick up a lot of good pitching, but I think this because good pitching is in short supply, and not for the reason Joe gives here. I love how Joe's mind works. The Twins can't trade for another pitcher not because the supply is low, but because the demand for pitching is too high. Without a discussion of how the Twins don't have the prospects to trade for a good pitcher at the trade deadline this comment doesn't make sense. Even if other teams are looking for pitching, the Twins would have as good of a shot as any other team of picking up some good pitching depending on what other teams they are going up against to get that pitching.
Maybe the Twins could offer Delmon Young for Matt Garza and see if it works.
Glenn (PA)
Mr. Morgan, is it time that the Astros cut their losses with some of their homerun hitters go for guys who play small ball?
This has to be a JoeBait question.
JM: I think all of the teams in MLB have to do that. I think we passed the era of guys hitting 60, 50, 45 home runs. We're passed that era.
We've passed the Steroid Era basically. Good insight.
All of the teams are going to have to play regular baseball and not waiting for the 3-run homer. The best teams now are more complete. They can do a lot of things.
Blah, blah, blah. Consistency. Hyperbole. Strategery.
Ryan Howard is probably the only player that you can count on to hit 45 or more HRs.
Is Joe sure about this?
In 2009, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Prince Fielder all hit over 45 home runs.
In 2008, Ryan Howard was the only one to hit more than 45 home runs.
In 2007, Alex Rodriguez, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Pena hit over 45 home runs.
So yes, Howard is the only player you can count on to hit 45 home runs EVERY SINGLE YEAR, but there are other players who can hit 45 home runs. Prince Fielder has done it 2 out of the last 3 years, so there are other players who can hit 45 or more home runs.
Curt (Trappe Md)
How is it possible that this years Orioles are worse than last years? Any chance the league will move them to Montreal please?
JM: I have not seen the Orioles enough to give you a definitive answer.
Dammit Curt! There are 30 entire teams in MLB! How the hell can Joe be expected to keep up with all of them? Why do you soul sucking MLB "fans" always ask him questions about teams he hasn't seen? He's watched Cincinnati, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs play this year. That's it. Let's please stick to questions about those teams.
But it appears that they have some individual talent there, but it has not blended well as far as the team is concerned. They hit well, but don't pitch. When they pitch well, they don't hit.
...and what follows is Joe giving a definitive answer about what is wrong with the Orioles...or as definitive an answer as Joe is capable of giving. For a guy who hasn't seen the Orioles play he sure knows a lot about them. So either he is lying or he is talking about of his ass. I vote he is talking in circles so he can move on to the next question.
Jamara (Detroit)
Is Miguel Cabrera your A.L. MVP right now?
JM: I said last year that I thought he was going to be the MVP.
What the hell does this mean? Joe said last year that Miguel Cabrera should be the MVP, so how the hell does this in any way translate to whether Cabrera is the MVP for this year? I hope Joe knows seasons aren't supposed to carry over where voters take into account a player's performance from the last year.
If Joe means he predicted last Miguel Cabrera would be the MVP this year, then it is somewhat less retarded, but still causes me concern for Joe's mental state.
I still think that the teams that win, in the end, that's where the MVP should come from.
I still that this is retarded reasoning. It is the "Most Valuable Player," not the "Most Valuable Player on the Best Team in Major League Baseball."
The writers don't always agree with me.
For once, the baseball writers and voters have shown themselves to be intelligent voters. Not agreeing with Joe on this issue is a smart thing to do.
I just believe that you can lose with anybody. The winners are special people.
The mere fact a team can lose with anybody doesn't mean the best player on that team is automatically the best player in the American/National League. Baseball is a team game and a team can still win the World Series without having the best player in their league on that team. This isn't tennis, this is baseball, a team sport. Pedro Feliz is not a better third baseman because he played on a World Series winning team while Evan Longoria sucks because his team didn't win the World Series. The MVP is an individual award, not a team award. Anyone who doesn't see the logic in not basing the MVP on a team achievement is a "special person" in my mind.
So, you have to wait to see how the Tigers come out this year before you decide if he's the MVP.
No you don't. If he is the Most Valuable Player we can judge this without knowing the outcome of the season for his team. If Miguel Cabrera hits .320 with 37 home runs 121 RBIs he isn't all of a sudden less valuable because Brandon Inge struck out to end the American League Championship Series against the Yankees...and this doesn't make Alex Rodriguez more valuable because his team won this game. I don't get how a logical, sane person can't see this. How the hell is Cabrera less valuable because the team around him isn't good enough to beat another team in a 5-7 game series?
Chad (Baton Rouge)
Mr. Morgan, what do you make of the Red Sox at this point in the season?
JM: The only weakness I see is on the road, they have problems scoring runs. Their road offense is where they're going to struggle.
The Red Sox have played 40-something games this year and almost half of those have been on the road. They are in the Top 5 in all of baseball in runs scored, home runs, OBP, and OPS. They must not have huge problems scoring runs on the road because the statistics (as made up as they made be in Joe's mind) don't show this.
And their starting pitching, starting with Beckett, has not been consistent. The only one who has pitched well is Lester.
Clay Bucholz is actually pitching better than Lester in some aspects. Stupid statistics always twisting Joe's misconceptions around!
If Big Papi doesn't come around and be consistent, the offense suffers, because they don't have a lot of power there, despite hitting 5 home runs last night.
The Red Sox are in the Top 3 in home runs in all of Major League Baseball. Why does ESPN let this guy chat and give out his opinion again?
Andy (Tampa)
Can you explain the Cardinals' recent poor play. To me they have the second most talent in the NL and they can't score any runs.
JM: I think it's too early to pass judgement, but they changed hitting instructors with a new philosophy.
McGwire's philosophy is to use PEDs, but unfortunately that philosophy had to be tweaked a bit to fit in with current Major League Baseball rules.
Hitting instructors do have an impact on players but I don't think McGwire is coming onto the Cardinals team and having each player completely turn his hitting style around or anything. So I don't know if the team will turn it around because McGwire has re-done the swing of every player on the roster. Joe has a very high opinion of how much a hitting instructor does.
It may take them a while before they adjust or for him to see the kinks in their swings. Don't underestimate this point.
I won't underestimate this point, but I will completely ignore it due to it's irrelevance in my eyes.
Andy (Tampa)
For the first time in several years Albert Pujols hit 4th instead of 3rd last night. How much of a change is it for a hitter to be moved in the batting order?
JM: I don't think there's a big difference between third and fourth, but I do think there's a difference between first and third.
Ok, no one asked about the move from the lead-off spot to the 3rd batter in the order.
I don't know why Tony did it. In the past, he's wanted to get as many people hitting in front of Albert as he can.
Nothing helps your team be more successful like taking your best player and making sure he gets less at-bats and less protection from the clean-up hitter. I don't think it is a matter of getting as many guys in front of Pujols as possible, but a matter of getting guys on-base in front of Pujols. There's a small difference and whether the move works or not depends on who the hitter in front of Pujols is. If it is David Eckstein then of course it will work according to Joe, but if it is a crappy, base-clogging hitter like Adam Dunn then this will fail miserably.
Doug (Cincy)
Have you had a chance to work with Brandon Phillips at all? What do you think of him as a player?
JM: I watch him play.
It's good to see ESPN's #1 analyst has as much experience in regard to Brandon Phillips as anyone with a television set has. He watches Phillips on television and that is the extent of his work with Phillips. Joe also now works for the Reds in some fashion, and considering Phillips started the year off in a slump and plays second base, I would think he would be a player Joe would be eager to work with.
From Joe's job description with the Reds as described by ESPN:
He also is a special advisor to baseball operations for the Cincinnati Reds, where he will assist in player development
It's good to see Joe is dedicated to stealing money from ESPN and the Cincinnati Reds. He's like baseball's version of Robin Hood, except he keeps the money he steals and doesn't think the new-fangled iron arrows are as good as the old wooden ones he used.
I think he's a very good player. A lot of potential. He can run, hit, hit with power. It's just a matter of him being consistent.
Brandon Phillips will be 29 years old in June. If he is going to be a "consistent" baseball player I think now is the time to start doing that.
From his OPS+ it looks like Phillips has been consistent. Consistently an average baseball player.
Danny (Cleveland)
Who is to blame in Cleveland? The Indians went from a game away from winning the 2007 World Series to one of the worst teams in baseball. They traded everyone away for nothing.
JM: You said it right there. They made a lot of trades that have not worked out.
These trades haven't worked out because the Indians traded for minor league prospects who aren't ready to play in the majors yet. You can't expect a team that is rebuilding like the Indians to turn it around in less than 2 years. They got back high-ceiling, young prospects for their key players.
You were not going to get the value for CC,
The Indians got Matt LaPorta and three other prospects for CC Sabathia. LaPorta has struggled this year but he is still only 25 years old and the Indians got three other prospects for Sabathia. It will be another year before this trade can be judged effectively.
Victor Martinez,
He was traded to the Red Sox for three players, Justin Masterson who is currently pitching for the Indians, Nick Hagadone is 24 years old and is in Single-A ball right now, and Bryan Price is 23 years old and is in Double-A ball this year.
Cliff Lee.
Lee was traded for a Triple-A pitcher and three Single-A batters who were also some of the best prospects in the Phillies system. It is going to take more than 10 months to figure out how this trade worked for the Indians. I thought the Phillies gave up a good haul for Lee.
Maybe the Indians didn't get equal value, but they got young players who aren't expected to contribute immediately in many of these trades. Sure, the Indians still suck and probably will for a while, but they got the best deals they could.
Next week, I'll have a better feel for the Mets.
This is probably because the Mets and the Yankees were on Sunday Night Baseball, a game Joe was covering for ESPN. Apparently it is in his contract that he can't watch any baseball games that he isn't personally broadcasting...or Joe is just a lazy man who doesn't follow baseball, which I think is inexcusable for a person who gets paid to follow baseball.
I already know the Yankees are good in New York. We'll get a better read on the Mets and Jerry Manuel.
I don't understand the comment about the Yankees being good in New York. That is where they play 81 games a year after all, so I would hope they are good in their home city.
We all know the only way to tell if an MLB team is good or not is to play the Yankees. Who knows if the Phillies are any good or not? They haven't played the Yankees this year.
If only there was a way for Joe to get a read on the Mets without broadcasting one of their games on a Sunday. It's just a pipe dream for Joe at this point.
It is not hard to tell the difference in a player who is injured and running after a ball and a player who is being lazy running after a ball. Ramirez was clearly barely jogging to get the baseball in this case. Quit with the horseshit excuses for Ramirez.
That's no excuse for what happened, because if you can't run, you should come out of the game.
Joe says this even though he just made an excuse for Ramirez's being lazy going after the ball. Nice way to start off the chat.
brett (louisville)
hey Joe, how happy are you to see the reds playing well? Any chance they can build off this early success? thanks
JM: I think they can continue, because they have such a fine pitching staff. They will at some point get Volquez back
We do know when Volquez is coming back. "At some point" can be defined as "however many games are left on his definite suspension of 50 games." So it isn't really an indefinite period when they get Volquez back, but a definite period and not "at some point."
Nitpick time!
and they still have Chapman at AAA learning to pitch.
It's always good to be counting on guys who are learning to pitch. That shouldn't take any more than 5-7 years for him to be major league ready if he is learning to pitch.
Matthew (Columbia, NJ)
Are the Phillies clearly the best team in the National League?
JM: They're a great team. Their starting pitching is not the best, but they do have Halladay and Hamels.
"They don't have great starting pitching if you don't include the fact they have the best pitcher in the National League."
Yes, they are the best team.
So apparently Joe isn't too worried about the Phillies pitching. I wonder who he thinks has the best starting pitching? We won't ever know because he doesn't tell us. Next question!
Bradley (Cedar Rapids)
Joe, Do you see the Twins being content with their four righties, or do you think they will make a trade towards the deadline?
JM: I would say that they would have to be content. You're not going to be able to pick up a lot of good pitching, because everyone's looking for that.
I would actually agree a team isn't going to be able to pick up a lot of good pitching, but I think this because good pitching is in short supply, and not for the reason Joe gives here. I love how Joe's mind works. The Twins can't trade for another pitcher not because the supply is low, but because the demand for pitching is too high. Without a discussion of how the Twins don't have the prospects to trade for a good pitcher at the trade deadline this comment doesn't make sense. Even if other teams are looking for pitching, the Twins would have as good of a shot as any other team of picking up some good pitching depending on what other teams they are going up against to get that pitching.
Maybe the Twins could offer Delmon Young for Matt Garza and see if it works.
Glenn (PA)
Mr. Morgan, is it time that the Astros cut their losses with some of their homerun hitters go for guys who play small ball?
This has to be a JoeBait question.
JM: I think all of the teams in MLB have to do that. I think we passed the era of guys hitting 60, 50, 45 home runs. We're passed that era.
We've passed the Steroid Era basically. Good insight.
All of the teams are going to have to play regular baseball and not waiting for the 3-run homer. The best teams now are more complete. They can do a lot of things.
Blah, blah, blah. Consistency. Hyperbole. Strategery.
Ryan Howard is probably the only player that you can count on to hit 45 or more HRs.
Is Joe sure about this?
In 2009, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Prince Fielder all hit over 45 home runs.
In 2008, Ryan Howard was the only one to hit more than 45 home runs.
In 2007, Alex Rodriguez, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Pena hit over 45 home runs.
So yes, Howard is the only player you can count on to hit 45 home runs EVERY SINGLE YEAR, but there are other players who can hit 45 home runs. Prince Fielder has done it 2 out of the last 3 years, so there are other players who can hit 45 or more home runs.
Curt (Trappe Md)
How is it possible that this years Orioles are worse than last years? Any chance the league will move them to Montreal please?
JM: I have not seen the Orioles enough to give you a definitive answer.
Dammit Curt! There are 30 entire teams in MLB! How the hell can Joe be expected to keep up with all of them? Why do you soul sucking MLB "fans" always ask him questions about teams he hasn't seen? He's watched Cincinnati, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs play this year. That's it. Let's please stick to questions about those teams.
But it appears that they have some individual talent there, but it has not blended well as far as the team is concerned. They hit well, but don't pitch. When they pitch well, they don't hit.
...and what follows is Joe giving a definitive answer about what is wrong with the Orioles...or as definitive an answer as Joe is capable of giving. For a guy who hasn't seen the Orioles play he sure knows a lot about them. So either he is lying or he is talking about of his ass. I vote he is talking in circles so he can move on to the next question.
Jamara (Detroit)
Is Miguel Cabrera your A.L. MVP right now?
JM: I said last year that I thought he was going to be the MVP.
What the hell does this mean? Joe said last year that Miguel Cabrera should be the MVP, so how the hell does this in any way translate to whether Cabrera is the MVP for this year? I hope Joe knows seasons aren't supposed to carry over where voters take into account a player's performance from the last year.
If Joe means he predicted last Miguel Cabrera would be the MVP this year, then it is somewhat less retarded, but still causes me concern for Joe's mental state.
I still think that the teams that win, in the end, that's where the MVP should come from.
I still that this is retarded reasoning. It is the "Most Valuable Player," not the "Most Valuable Player on the Best Team in Major League Baseball."
The writers don't always agree with me.
For once, the baseball writers and voters have shown themselves to be intelligent voters. Not agreeing with Joe on this issue is a smart thing to do.
I just believe that you can lose with anybody. The winners are special people.
The mere fact a team can lose with anybody doesn't mean the best player on that team is automatically the best player in the American/National League. Baseball is a team game and a team can still win the World Series without having the best player in their league on that team. This isn't tennis, this is baseball, a team sport. Pedro Feliz is not a better third baseman because he played on a World Series winning team while Evan Longoria sucks because his team didn't win the World Series. The MVP is an individual award, not a team award. Anyone who doesn't see the logic in not basing the MVP on a team achievement is a "special person" in my mind.
So, you have to wait to see how the Tigers come out this year before you decide if he's the MVP.
No you don't. If he is the Most Valuable Player we can judge this without knowing the outcome of the season for his team. If Miguel Cabrera hits .320 with 37 home runs 121 RBIs he isn't all of a sudden less valuable because Brandon Inge struck out to end the American League Championship Series against the Yankees...and this doesn't make Alex Rodriguez more valuable because his team won this game. I don't get how a logical, sane person can't see this. How the hell is Cabrera less valuable because the team around him isn't good enough to beat another team in a 5-7 game series?
Chad (Baton Rouge)
Mr. Morgan, what do you make of the Red Sox at this point in the season?
JM: The only weakness I see is on the road, they have problems scoring runs. Their road offense is where they're going to struggle.
The Red Sox have played 40-something games this year and almost half of those have been on the road. They are in the Top 5 in all of baseball in runs scored, home runs, OBP, and OPS. They must not have huge problems scoring runs on the road because the statistics (as made up as they made be in Joe's mind) don't show this.
And their starting pitching, starting with Beckett, has not been consistent. The only one who has pitched well is Lester.
Clay Bucholz is actually pitching better than Lester in some aspects. Stupid statistics always twisting Joe's misconceptions around!
If Big Papi doesn't come around and be consistent, the offense suffers, because they don't have a lot of power there, despite hitting 5 home runs last night.
The Red Sox are in the Top 3 in home runs in all of Major League Baseball. Why does ESPN let this guy chat and give out his opinion again?
Andy (Tampa)
Can you explain the Cardinals' recent poor play. To me they have the second most talent in the NL and they can't score any runs.
JM: I think it's too early to pass judgement, but they changed hitting instructors with a new philosophy.
McGwire's philosophy is to use PEDs, but unfortunately that philosophy had to be tweaked a bit to fit in with current Major League Baseball rules.
Hitting instructors do have an impact on players but I don't think McGwire is coming onto the Cardinals team and having each player completely turn his hitting style around or anything. So I don't know if the team will turn it around because McGwire has re-done the swing of every player on the roster. Joe has a very high opinion of how much a hitting instructor does.
It may take them a while before they adjust or for him to see the kinks in their swings. Don't underestimate this point.
I won't underestimate this point, but I will completely ignore it due to it's irrelevance in my eyes.
Andy (Tampa)
For the first time in several years Albert Pujols hit 4th instead of 3rd last night. How much of a change is it for a hitter to be moved in the batting order?
JM: I don't think there's a big difference between third and fourth, but I do think there's a difference between first and third.
Ok, no one asked about the move from the lead-off spot to the 3rd batter in the order.
I don't know why Tony did it. In the past, he's wanted to get as many people hitting in front of Albert as he can.
Nothing helps your team be more successful like taking your best player and making sure he gets less at-bats and less protection from the clean-up hitter. I don't think it is a matter of getting as many guys in front of Pujols as possible, but a matter of getting guys on-base in front of Pujols. There's a small difference and whether the move works or not depends on who the hitter in front of Pujols is. If it is David Eckstein then of course it will work according to Joe, but if it is a crappy, base-clogging hitter like Adam Dunn then this will fail miserably.
Doug (Cincy)
Have you had a chance to work with Brandon Phillips at all? What do you think of him as a player?
JM: I watch him play.
It's good to see ESPN's #1 analyst has as much experience in regard to Brandon Phillips as anyone with a television set has. He watches Phillips on television and that is the extent of his work with Phillips. Joe also now works for the Reds in some fashion, and considering Phillips started the year off in a slump and plays second base, I would think he would be a player Joe would be eager to work with.
From Joe's job description with the Reds as described by ESPN:
He also is a special advisor to baseball operations for the Cincinnati Reds, where he will assist in player development
It's good to see Joe is dedicated to stealing money from ESPN and the Cincinnati Reds. He's like baseball's version of Robin Hood, except he keeps the money he steals and doesn't think the new-fangled iron arrows are as good as the old wooden ones he used.
I think he's a very good player. A lot of potential. He can run, hit, hit with power. It's just a matter of him being consistent.
Brandon Phillips will be 29 years old in June. If he is going to be a "consistent" baseball player I think now is the time to start doing that.
From his OPS+ it looks like Phillips has been consistent. Consistently an average baseball player.
Danny (Cleveland)
Who is to blame in Cleveland? The Indians went from a game away from winning the 2007 World Series to one of the worst teams in baseball. They traded everyone away for nothing.
JM: You said it right there. They made a lot of trades that have not worked out.
These trades haven't worked out because the Indians traded for minor league prospects who aren't ready to play in the majors yet. You can't expect a team that is rebuilding like the Indians to turn it around in less than 2 years. They got back high-ceiling, young prospects for their key players.
You were not going to get the value for CC,
The Indians got Matt LaPorta and three other prospects for CC Sabathia. LaPorta has struggled this year but he is still only 25 years old and the Indians got three other prospects for Sabathia. It will be another year before this trade can be judged effectively.
Victor Martinez,
He was traded to the Red Sox for three players, Justin Masterson who is currently pitching for the Indians, Nick Hagadone is 24 years old and is in Single-A ball right now, and Bryan Price is 23 years old and is in Double-A ball this year.
Cliff Lee.
Lee was traded for a Triple-A pitcher and three Single-A batters who were also some of the best prospects in the Phillies system. It is going to take more than 10 months to figure out how this trade worked for the Indians. I thought the Phillies gave up a good haul for Lee.
Maybe the Indians didn't get equal value, but they got young players who aren't expected to contribute immediately in many of these trades. Sure, the Indians still suck and probably will for a while, but they got the best deals they could.
Next week, I'll have a better feel for the Mets.
This is probably because the Mets and the Yankees were on Sunday Night Baseball, a game Joe was covering for ESPN. Apparently it is in his contract that he can't watch any baseball games that he isn't personally broadcasting...or Joe is just a lazy man who doesn't follow baseball, which I think is inexcusable for a person who gets paid to follow baseball.
I already know the Yankees are good in New York. We'll get a better read on the Mets and Jerry Manuel.
I don't understand the comment about the Yankees being good in New York. That is where they play 81 games a year after all, so I would hope they are good in their home city.
We all know the only way to tell if an MLB team is good or not is to play the Yankees. Who knows if the Phillies are any good or not? They haven't played the Yankees this year.
If only there was a way for Joe to get a read on the Mets without broadcasting one of their games on a Sunday. It's just a pipe dream for Joe at this point.
4 comments:
Passed vs Past...Joe and his typist need to learn that one.
The Cards offense is hitting for power, looks to have a good OBP except for Ryan and Schumaker, so I'd say the problem is not enough timely hits to drive in runs, and between Schumaker, Ryan and the pitcher, you have a third of your lineup doing not a hell of a lot. The fact that "genius" LaRussa is continuing to insist on Schumaker and his .305obp in the leadoff spot, while temporarily dropping him to 7th, illuminates part of the problem.
Do you think that Joe realizes that the only home run hitter the Astros have any more is...well nobody? Of course he doesn't. Lee, Berkman and Pence hit 26, 26, and 25 last year, and the rest of the team 14 for Tejada, and 10 or less for everybody else. It isn't about getting rid of those guys, it's about finding 5 other guys who can hit (though Bourne is having a good year this year so far). Right now 3 of their 9 best hitters are pitchers. Tony Larussa would love this team.
Martin, it's tough to learn the difference in those two. Joe has a hard enough time understanding baseball, I am afraid to even get into the spelling problems he has.
I like the Cardinals lineup. I think your analysis may be a better representative of what is wrong with the lineup rather than the fact McGwire is re-doing everyone's swing. Schumaker is a black hole at the leadoff spot and the Cardinals just need more guys on base in front of Pujols.
I don't think Joe realizes anything. The Astros need hitters, pitchers and fielders. I don't think the Astros have to run more, but just have to do that because, like you said, they have no one in the lineup that is a huge power hitting threat. Tony LaRussa would probably bat the pitcher leadoff if he was the manager for the Astros.
Small gripe but the Indians did not come within one out of winning the WS. They would have had to play the Rockies.
Anon, good point. I guess the person asking the question is a big American League fan. I caught that the first time through and then missed it completely when I did the post. Good catch.
Maybe this person is just really confused and is referring to 1997 when they lost to the Marlins and he thinks it is the year 2000 now and not 2010. . I don't know, but it is definitely wrong.
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