Raise the Jolly Roger - Are You Ready For 98 Wins & An Absurdly Early Off-Season?!

[Pete Gas]

Bah God that's Sean Rodriguez's music

 

[Winger for Hire]

I mean, come on guys... there's still Polonco, Cutch, Marte, Cole, Harrison all playing. Those guys are pretty damn good.

 

[Asuna]

I can't see him taking S-Rod out before very late.

So does that mean he's gonna start every game or something?

 

[wheelz87]

D-FENCE!! *stomp stomp* D-FENCE!! Let's win 0-0!!

If we win does he start every game from here on out??? Every game is about pitching and defense Clint.. oh and offense.

 

[Winger for Hire]

D-FENCE!! *stomp stomp* D-FENCE!! Let's win 0-0!!

If we win does he start every game from here on out??? Every game is about pitching and defense Clint.. oh and offense.

Cutch, Polonco, Cervelli, Marte and the other 7 guys out there can produce runs, it's not just on the shoulders of whoever plays first base.

 

[ColePens]

It will be a genius decision when the Buccos are up in the 5th with runners on and boom... SRod is taken out of the game and replaced. I have faith hurdle will do it. There is no way Sean is batting with a runner on. No way.

If it happens - I'll eat crow and you guys can call me out on it over and over again. If a runner is on, S Rod will be out of the game.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Runner on 2nd and 2 outs in the 4th? He'll bat. The pinch hitter will be walked, and while Cole is a good hitting pitcher...he's still a pitcher whose bat was limp for the vast majority of the season.

Runner on 2nd and 1 out? Bye-bye.

 

[djt153]

sean rodriguez was a perfectly capable hitter in the second half of the season and is superior defensively to morse

 

[Coastal Kev]

I can't see him taking S-Rod out before very late.

I watched last nights wild card game and the Yankees pitched and played defense pretty damn well and still lost!

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Of course this assumes the Pirates will put the ball in play at all.

 

[Ugene Magic]

So no real pop to the lineup.

Yeah, I don't know if it is good or bad. The trade offs for both scenarios still seems like they can lose.

But Let's go Bucco's...!

Snacks are ordered and we are ready to go.

 

[Mordax]

Runner on 2nd and 2 outs in the 4th? He'll bat. The pinch hitter will be walked, and while Cole is a good hitting pitcher...he's still a pitcher whose bat was limp for the vast majority of the season.

Runner on 2nd and 1 out? Bye-bye.

I have no comment on this other than, Big, your avatar is amazing

Keeping the faith...

 

[Winger for Hire]

If Serpico goes yard tonight, Hurdle has to come to the top step of the dugout and just give a giant DX style crotch crop to everyone.

 

[PensandCaps]

Fire hurdle, you cant have sean FREAKING Rodriguez in your starting lineup over a guy with 27 homers or a guy whos a veteran and has some power, also morse is better than Rodriguez and has some pop.

 

[Shockmaster]

Fire hurdle, you cant have sean FREAKING Rodriguez in your starting lineup over a guy with 27 homers or a guy whos a veteran and has some power, also morse is better than Rodriguez and has some pop.

Rodriguez is basically Craig Adams without skates.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Fire hurdle, you cant have sean FREAKING Rodriguez in your starting lineup over a guy with 27 homers or a guy whos a veteran and has some power, also morse is better than Rodriguez and has some pop.

Did you read this out of the "Shero/Bylsma Handbook"?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Rodriguez is better defensively than Adams was the past couple years, though. Sadly he is our best fielding 1B by a good option...even though that's something you never even think about unless your typical starter is the worst fielding 1B I've ever seen.

And for a one game deal against Arrieta...Pedro was off the table as a starting option. Morse is the legitimate gripe to have. Odds are we'll see both Pedro & Morse at some point tonight.

 

[PensandCaps]

Did you read this out of the "Shero/Bylsma Handbook"?

Ramirez put together some good ABs vs arrieta. didnt get alot hits vs him but fouled alot of balls off and extended the ABs

 

[Winger for Hire]

Ramirez put together some good ABs vs arrieta. didnt get alot hits vs him but fouled alot of balls off and extended the ABs

But what does that have to do with him being a veteran? If you would have wrote that, I wouldn't have questioned you. You just made it sound like you wanted ARam in because he's a vet.

 

[plaidchuck]

So hurdle just went with his old school feels? That'll get you far in today's mlb

 

[djt153]

Rodriguez is better defensively than Adams was the past couple years, though. Sadly he is our best fielding 1B by a good option...even though that's something you never even think about unless your typical starter is the worst fielding 1B I've ever seen.

And for a one game deal against Arrieta...Pedro was off the table as a starting option. Morse is the legitimate gripe to have. Odds are we'll see both Pedro & Morse at some point tonight.

compare morse and srod's second halves: similar average, more pop for rodriguez. with rodriguez being a clearly better defensive player this should not be a surprise.

 

[Gallatin]

OK i'll play Satan here.

Since August 1st Rodriguez has been better than the alternatives, with an .880 OPS and a higher slugging percentage than Pedro, although Morse edged him out in OBP.

At 1st, he has a UZR/150 of 4.4, BY FAR the worst of his career at 1b, and light years ahead of the other three.

This decision makes a lot of since to me, and is quite ballsy of Hurdle.

I will now go into the basement and put on my old goalie equipment in preperation for your reactions...

 

[Big McLargehuge]

A-Ram is a career 2 for 19 (singles) with a walk against Arrieta in his career, FWIW. Playing him out of position wasn't an option.

Harrison's numbers aren't much better when it comes to who starts at third, but I think the speed difference sways things in his favor...Ramirez's biggest con is that he's an easy DP candidate. Marte oddly is one too, but at least he has the speed to make his close.

 

[Coastal Kev]

In big games a manager should scrap all stats and go with his most talented lineup. You can't win anything without production from your corner positions. I can live with either Pedro or Aram sitting, but both???

It was going to be a tough road to win tonight anyway, but with a bad lineup, I just don't see how you get it done. Manager who try to be the smartest guy in the room always end up losing. We all know what the obvious lineup was, but Clint had to show he smarter than everyone else. I have zero problem with him doing so in the regular season, but in a one and done scenario??

GAME OVER

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Let's not pretend that there's some big offensive gap between Harrison & Ramirez. There's a huge power gap, but even then their SLG & OPS are almost identical this season thanks to the equally huge speed difference.