OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Polanco likes to fish

[Pete Gas]

Damn Mercer sucks, Kang should be playing over him without a thought

 

[Winger for Hire]

I'd rather try to ween Mercer back to shape against the Marlins and Rox than in the cages and BP.

Not a bad time to get Kang an extended blow, and extra game here with Monday as the first off day in 20 games, should help a lot coming down the stretch.


Edit- His career high in games played in the KBO is 133 in his 22 and 23 years old seasons... and that was with 4 games and 3 days off every week and easy travel. He's currently at 108 games this season, not counting spring training and all the travel.

It's not that big of a deal to sneak him an extra day's rest coming into the stretch run and playoffs.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I'd rather try to ween Mercer back to shape against the Marlins and Rox than in the cages and BP.

Not a bad time to get Kang an extended blow, and extra game here with Monday as the first off day in 20 games, should help a lot coming down the strech.

That's what the rehab assignment is meant for. A division race is no time to bench your 2nd best player twice in 1 series so your backup ss can get back to shape.

It's as simple as this: Mercer is the Jeff Locke of position players. He's average at best yet the organization views him as a vital piece to the puzzle. Much like Locke was chosen over Worley at the start of the year despite Worley's far superior performance last year, now Mercer is being treated as Kang's equal even though anybody with eyes can see that is not the case.

This organization does so many things right, however, their obsession with Jordy Mercer is not one of those things.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I don't see it as favoring Mercer over Kang. I just see it as managing player's games. I'd much rather have Kang with gas in the tank come the run in than having him play a meaningless game against the Fish on Aug 27th.

Players get rotated in and out of every lineup in the league. Sometimes for a couple games.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I said they were treating Mercer and Kang as equals. I didn't say they were favoring Mercer.

I have no idea how you can say this game is meaningless. They need to win as many as possible if they want to catch the Cards/keep the Cubs at bay. Even with Cole against the Marlins, no game is a sure win in mlb. They need to be playing their best lineup.

Also, Kang played his best baseball when Harrison and Mercer were out and he was playing every day with little rest. Despite never playing such a schedule in the kbo, all evidence suggests that Kang thrives on a busy schedule. I really think you are grasping at straws here.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Imo Kang has had the 2nd best offensive season of any Pirate, behind only Cutch (duh).

I was for him getting more rest, like once a week. This is too much though. He is too good to be treated as equal to Harrison, Ramirez, and Mercer. I had a feeling Hurdle would pull this bs. Kang has played like a star this year but is being treated like he's a utility guy. No excuse for him getting 2 days off in 1 series so inferior players can get more playing time.

Sitting Kang again is idiotic and Stokes some of my fears that this team is hung up on certain players. Like if Burnett comes back in a few weeks they'll bump Happ despite him out pitching Locke and Morton. There is no reason why Mercer should ever start consecutive games from here on out or really play more than once a week at most.

To be fair Kang has been our 3rd best offensive player as Marte has been more valuable. Marte brings so much on the basepaths and that is the difference this year. Defensively he's a good glove OF.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I said they were treating Mercer and Kang as equals. I didn't say they were favoring Mercer.

I have no idea how you can say this game is meaningless. They need to win as many as possible if they want to catch the Cards/keep the Cubs at bay. Even with Cole against the Marlins, no game is a sure win in mlb. They need to be playing their best lineup.

Also, Kang played his best baseball when Harrison and Mercer were out and he was playing every day with little rest. Despite never playing such a schedule in the kbo, all evidence suggests that Kang thrives on a busy schedule. I really think you are grasping at straws here.

I would argue that by treating Mercer and Kang as equals they are favoring Mercer by elevating him, but whatever.

The reality is that at some point between now and the end of the year Kang is going to be sat more than a couple times. Is he acclimated to the MLB by now? Sure. Is it smart to push your luck and run him out there every day for the next month+? Probably not.

Would you rather him sit versus a team like Miami or a team like St Louis/Chicago/LA?

I know you have some weird vendetta against Mercer, but he's going to see the field in the coming months and it's not a slight against Kang or treating Mercer as Kang's equal, it's because it's the end of a 162 games season with the sights set at a playoff run and you need all 25 players.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I would argue that by treating Mercer and Kang as equals they are favoring Mercer by elevating him, but whatever.

The reality is that at some point between now and the end of the year Kang is going to be sat more than a couple times. Is he acclimated to the MLB by now? Sure. Is it smart to push your luck and run him out there every day for the next month+? Probably not.

Would you rather him sit versus a team like Miami or a team like St Louis/Chicago/LA?

I know you have some weird vendetta against Mercer, but he's going to see the field in the coming months and it's not a slight against Kang or treating Mercer as Kang's equal, it's because it's the end of a 162 games season with the sights set at a playoff run and you need all 25 players.

Kang had a day off 2 days ago. Does he really need a day off every 2 days?

And yes, I have a "vendetta" against Mercer. It's totally not deserved criticism of a player who has had a dreadful year at the plate and in the field who has maintained his playing time despite a better option being available.

It's not really worth discussing at this point because it is abundantly clear that you are going to 100% support every move Hurdle makes, no matter how ridiculous.

 

[wheelz87]

No Kang????

 

[Winger for Hire]

It's not that I'm supporting Hurdle's decisions- I would love to see Kang play every game from now until the end of the season, but it's not possible- it's that I can see the logic in what has gone into making the decision.

Your train of thought is set solely on "The org loves Mercer and will play him to the detriment of the team" with no thought as to any other possibility. Have we already forgotten about the Pirates wanting to copy the Golden State Warriors model of keeping players fresh and every player having a peak amount of games where once you pass that you start getting diminishing returns.

I will guarantee you that come crunch time, Kang will be seeing the field over Mercer.

Complaining about Mercer starting a game against the Marlins with Cole pitching against a soft throwing lefty rookie and with Cutch, Marte, Polonco, Pedro, Cervelli and Walker all in the lineup is like complaining that only got you an 18 speed bike instead of a 21 speed.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Come on Polanco, somebody needs to teach him how to run the bases.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Cervelli is a triples machine

 

[wheelz87]

But seriously, Kang is quite possibly the second most important player on this team right now. (not including pitchers) You cannot sit him twice in three days to an inferior player in Mercer. (and for the record, I'm so sick of everyone pimping up Mercer.. oh he's got better 'range'!) My *** Kang is just as good at short and is a cleanup hitter. Walker, Pedro, JHay, Mercer, Ramirez.. they need to rotate. Not Kang. Kang should be included with Cutch, Marte, Polanco as everyday guys.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Alan Porter can go **** himself. Nicolino can't find the strike zone for a whole inning and he gives him a mercy strike 2 call with the bases loaded, and now he tosses Cervelli over nothing.

The Marlins suck and we're in a pennant race. MLB can't allow this ump show parade to continue. Robot umps now.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

**** Blue

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Damn. I went outside for a few minutes. He tossed Cervelli? What an *******.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

But seriously, Kang is quite possibly the second most important player on this team right now. (not including pitchers) You cannot sit him twice in three days to an inferior player in Mercer. (and for the record, I'm so sick of everyone pimping up Mercer.. oh he's got better 'range'!) My *** Kang is just as good at short and is a cleanup hitter. Walker, Pedro, JHay, Mercer, Ramirez.. they need to rotate. Not Kang. Kang should be included with Cutch, Marte, Polanco as everyday guys.

That is completely incorrect. Mercer is absolutely a better defensive player than Kang. Kang definitely has a claim to be playing 3B more regularly than Ramirez on the games that they want the best defensive SS to be playing.

 

[Gallatin]

Kang has hit 260 the last 15 games. He is not used to this kind of non-stop playing pace and may be wearing down a bit. I like the move by Hurdle to get him rested up for the stretch.

Mercer was a top 12 shortstop last year and he hits lefties hard while Kang doesn't yet.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Good lord, Pedro crushed that.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Damn, Pedro made that look simple but Marlins CF is enormous.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Kang has hit 260 the last 15 games. He is not used to this kind of non-stop playing pace and may be wearing down a bit. I like the move by Hurdle to get him rested up for the stretch.

Mercer was a top 12 shortstop last year and he hits lefties hard while Kang doesn't yet.

I agree with this, and think it's better to err on the side of a little more rest when we are playing worse teams, so that he's fresher for something like a series against the Cards or another playoff team.

 

[ImporterExporter]

BTW, Allan Porter is one of the worst umpires in the entire league. Absolutely horrendous at calling B's and S's behind the plate.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

So Gerrit Cole gets the squeeze and a rookie is getting the Tom Glavine strikezone. Brilliant Porter. It's not a surprise, every time this guy is behind the plate you expect these kind of shenanigans. He's possibly the worst of a group of terrible umpires. His employment is proof that there is no such thing as accountability if you are an mlb umpire.

 

[wheelz87]

El Toro!!

lol Mercer's defense is so overrated.

 

[Gallatin]

Man I hate to give up our theoretical pitch framing advantage, but it just seems like the calls don't go our way so so often.

Please bring on the Lazers MLB - I am so ready.