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Spring training news and notes thread

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by hockeybeat, Feb 24, 2008.

  1. casty33

    casty33 Active Member

    Zeke, please accept my apology. I had a momentary lapse and didn't include you specifically. I guess my age is catching up to me.

    Anyway, do you have hopes that Liriano can return to what he was two seasons ago?
     
  2. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Wasn't the slider a big part of his success, but the Twins are concerned about the strain it puts on his elbow?
     
  3. statrat

    statrat Member

    Appearently the Brew crew is considering hitting the pitcher in the No. 8 spot this year.
    http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/02/23/kendall-hitting-ninth-possibly.aspx

    Rob Neyer has more:
    http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=neyer_rob

    Interesting concept, but I think it would be doomed to fail in the instance mainly because it relies on Jason "How the hell do I still have starting spot on a major league team" Kendall getting on base.
    Whatever helps you win I guess.
     
  4. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Like the one Victor Zambrano had two years ago?
     
  5. zeke12

    zeke12 Guest

    Just bustin' balls, casty.

    I really do. Of course, hope springs eternal in the spring, but, in all honesty, if the injury forces Liriano to work more on changing speeds and doesn't hamper his ability to hit the mid to high 90's with his fastball, I see no reason why he can't have a great year.

    That slider was absolutely devastating, but he did have a tendency to throw it too much.

    The Twins, however, will struggle to finish third in that division, even if he returns to form.
     
  6. spnited

    spnited Active Member


    Fuck the Brewers. Tony the fucking Genius is gonna hit his pitcher 8th all season:

    http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/26/sports/BBN-Cardinals-Pitchers.php


    Hopefully, the Cards lose 100 games and the genius disappears.
     
  7. ifilus

    ifilus Well-Known Member

    Prince Fielder has become a vegetarian.

    http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=720531
     
  8. Rumpleforeskin

    Rumpleforeskin Active Member

    Batting the pitcher eighth does open up the lineup a little bit more and turns it over better. I don't see anything too horrible about the idea. It forces teams to pitch the 7-8-9 hitters different because before you would have 7-8-pitcher, but now, you have 7-pitcher-9-1, which can change the complexion of an inning.
     
  9. Guy_Incognito

    Guy_Incognito Well-Known Member

    This sure seems dumb.
     
  10. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    La Russa did the same thing in McGwire's heyday to increase the odds of an extra baserunner for Mac to drive in.

    When Mac was hurt in his last year, he put Mac in the starting lineup at SECOND BASE batting third in away games to get him an at-bat in the top of the first inning, then would insert Vina in his regular spot.

    We're just too dumb to appreciate Tony's beautiful mind, I guess.
     
  11. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Sounds like overthinking to me. What it really does is give the pitcher's spot more at-bats, thus bringing up a weaker hitter more often and potentially forcing a move for a pinch-hitter earlier in the game. Then again, for guys like LaRussa, that's just an opportunity to over-manage some more.

    And Yost is a putz. He proved that with the way he handled Corey Hart last year. Bill Hall has to play every day but Hart was sitting why?
     
  12. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    Hopes, yes. Lots of hope.

    Reality however, is a whole 'nother deal. I'm a lot less optimistic than Zeke about Liriano returning to his pre-surgery form. Certainly not this season. Until I've seen him pitch a few games, I'm not going to hold my breath.

    And Zeke, love the new avatar! You know why, and I did finally buy the book last week.
     
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