Quote:
Originally Posted by Westheim
But finally drop him in the batting order, goddamnit!!  |
Yeah, but where?
Here is the lineup from yesterday; I'll leave it to you to determine how typical this is for the Mets' lineup:
Now, surprisingly, Rojas seems to be going with a traditional-style lineup. The way that I learned it is, #1 and #2 are high OBP guys (with speed, even better). They set the table for the best hitter (#3) and the most powerful guy (#4) to "clear the table," the first time through the batting order, at least.
None of this stupidity of putting your power hitter in the #2 slot, as the Yankees do. Where in God's name do they get this stuff? Your power hitter coming to bat after only one batter has a chance to get on, and then he's hitting within three at-bats of your #8 and #9 hitters.
Well, back to the point. I just checked: McNeil is where he belongs, Conforto, Alonso, and Smith are where they should be, which leaves Pillar and Villar (are they related?) Those two guys are where they should be in terms of OBP; Lindor has a higher career number than either of them (although Villar is doing a bit better right now — not saying much, though).
The guy who should be in your #2 slot, in my opinion, is Nimmo. I was wondering why he's not playing but he's listed as DTD with something. You put
him in the lineup at #2,
then you can Mr. Flash down at 8 or 9.
All merely the opinion of an old fogey who believes in baseball the way it was developed and learned for the first 125 years of its existence. Before computers began overriding common sense ... and throwing the game askew, as we are seeing today.
By the way, that's two mild aspersions now that I have thrown Lindor's way about his appearance. I understand that he has a great attitude; that is, he is not vain and self-centered as he suggests with his appurtenances. But if you are going to wear the flashy earrings, sport your necklace, dye your hair neon colors, and make an average $34 million a year, you had better bat higher than .163.
Sure, somebody is likely to post "How dare baseball be interesting or have personalities that a nonhardcore fan would recognize" (this was in support of a player going out of his way to ridicule a losing opponent). I say, there are standards of behavior that ought to transcend doing whatever the hell you feel like doing, such as showing some humility and being willing to function as a team member rather than "Look, it's all about me."
Hey, Francisco, why don't you tone it down a bit until you are above the Mendoza Line, at least? 'Cause, you look a little silly showing up like this when you are not even hitting your own weight:
So fire away, fellows. I am fully aware of how out-of-step I am with these times, so you won't be telling me anything new. I am not going to change, for I feel that I am not speaking of olden days, but basic things that have been (temporarily, hopefully) overlooked in
these days. Before I go, I intend to remind a few people.