Friday, April 08, 2005

Once again, I made a long post, and my home computer obliterated it instantly.
Here's the scoop:

I'm pumped that the Astros signed Brooks Kieschnick. At first I thought Andy was just rubbing it in, but they really did. Do you think it's possible that someone from the Astros organization actually reads this blog? ...Nah. It's more likely that we've seen Kieschnick often with the Brewers, both as a pitcher and a hitter, thought he was decent, and picked him up as a project. Still, a neat coincidence.

As I wrote a few days ago, Kieschnick is a useful player. He's not dominant either as a hitter or a pitcher, but he's decent at both, so his real usefulness comes from his versatility. Why carry both Russ Springer and Orlando Palmeiro when you could carry Kiescnick, who fills both roles (middle reliever and 5th OF) and carry an extra pitcher (Astacio?) or catcher (Quintero?) instead. So you could carry two mediocrities...or one mediocrity and a good prospect. I like it.

In other news, Phil Garner is not the smartest man alive.

"The season is still very young, but Garner likes Ausmus hitting seventh and Taveras eighth. Garner realizes the No. 8 hitter doesn't see a lot of good pitches because he's hitting in front of the pitcher, but he feels Taveras has the instincts to handle the job.
"He has a pretty good eye," Garner said. "If they're pitching around him, he's got a good eye and he stays on the ball good. To me, that's a real plus."
Garner also likes having Taveras hitting closer to leadoff man Adam Everett and No. 2 hitter Craig Biggio.
"If (Taveras) gets a stolen base, the pitcher bunts him up, and now Everett's on base and you've got Biggio," Garner said.
"You've got three rabbits right there in a row. If you're going to do something, you've got to get them in a row. If I've got Ausmus in between, you lose your rabbit flow. If we get to a point where Brad's not driving in runs or not hitting the ball well, then we may have to make an adjustment."


Wow....where to begin?

1. Taveras has a good eye, huh? Well, Adam Everett had all of 17 walks in 385 AB's last year. Maybe Taveras should hit leadoff?

2. If Taveras gets on base, he needs to at least get an opportunity to steal, instead of the pitcher bunting him over ON THE FIRST PITCH, as in the first 2 games.

3. "and now Everett's on base and you've got Biggio?" Wouldn't it be great if Everett was just on base? Unfortunately, he's usually not.

4. Well, actually you don't have three rabbits in a row - the pitcher still separates them. And as I hope Garner realizes, Biggio is NOT a 'rabbit' anymore - he's not nearly as quick as he used to be, and I hope he doesn't steal too often, particularly with the big bats coming up.

5. Wow, he actually said "rabbit flow".

6. "If we get to a point where Brad's not driving in runs or hitting the ball well.." Like all of 2003 and 2004? If Garner expects anything out of Brad Ausmus offensively, he's going to be disappointed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been reading your blog for awhile now, great stuff. I totally agree about Willy, he needs to bat ahead of Ausmus otherwise his speed is completly wasted with a bunting pitcher. Unless the bunting pitcher can wait 1-2 pitches for Willy to steal second and then bunt him over to third. Willy could then score on a sac fly from anywhere, or even a suicide squeeze with Everett bunting. That would be would so sweet. However, I don't think Everett is going to hold onto that leadoff spot, he'll never post a good enough OBP. I think once Willy gets a month or two in the bigs Everett and Willy will switch.

Anonymous said...

willy t

1 - batting leadoff? well, he doesn't walk even as much as everett does, and that ain't saying much, and he sees fewer than 3 pitches per PA. he had a high BA, but he ain't gettin on base some other way, unless he gets IBB to get to the pitcher.
so don't look for a high OBP from him, either

2) everett is ALMOST as fast and doesn't make STUPID mistakes on the basepaths or get hisself picked off.

3) at this point, i DO agree with willy t batting 8th and ausmus 7th instead of the other way round, because willy would be better with the pitcher up next - i think that the stealing 2nd/3rd is the idea. of course, he better show a little more sense on the basepaths...

lisa gray
astros.mostvaluablenetwork.com