First pitch is set for 10:10 a.m. Arizona time.
Welp. This was fun while it lasted. They need to beat up on these next few teams and hope these other teams ahead start to lose
Not a good way to climb out of the depths...hoping every team ahead of loses. They had their chance and have played like crap
'Just got home and I see the results are no better than yesterday.They are what they are - basically a .500 team.
Dyson started the season as our designated pinch-runner and perhaps defensive replacement.Walker and Dyson have provided nothing for this team in September . We were absolutely drubbed by the Mets.
Dyson started the season as our designated pinch-runner and perhaps defensive replacement.
Despite his .236 batting average, he has proven to be a spark plug who makes things happen.
Which is why he has split the CF position with Marte. But CF is not a corner power position.
Regarding Walker, he looks so small standing next to base runners at 1B. it is difficult to
believe that the stats list him at an impressive 6'0" - 220.
Especially when you compare it to Jake Lamb's 6'3" - 215, whom I do not prefer either.
Or when you compare either to Cron's 6'5" - 250 at 1B. Now, there is a 1B! Unfortunately,
the only (sporadic) chance he has been given is as a pinch-hitter which, apparently, is not
his skill set. He was the top Minor League power hitter as an everyday first baseman, but
he never got a chance.
Especially when you consider that Rojas, nowhere near as talented as Cron, was given the
chance to play everyday.
But it is about more than Cron getting the chance. It is about what would have been best for the team.The decision was made to have Walker as the undisputed 1B of this team. That meant Cron simply wasn't going to be given the chance you felt he deserved
But it is about more than Cron getting the chance. It is about what would have been best for the team.
A 1B with some power . . . or the best power hitter in the Minor Leagues (every time he was sent back
down and got starter's time).
My point of view all season concerned, as you said, "The decision was made to have Walker as the
undisputed 1B of this team." Isn't that the definition of playing favorites?
Imagine Marte, Escobar and Cron as our 3-4-5 hitters as the season progressed. And add to it either
of our two (potentially) power hitting Catchers batting sixth, and not in front of the Pitcher. On a
consistent basis. It is highly likely that our pathetic left-on-base percentage would have improved.
Walker is not a difference maker at 1B. Lamb is not a difference maker at 1B. Not giving Cron a chance
(and the constantly changing batting orders, with Marte sometimes hitting leadoff, following the weak
part of the batting order) hurt the team. 30+ home runs but not nearly enough RBI's. That's the stats.
Even without Peralta, we could have had a solid batting order with RBI power in the 3-4-5-6 slots.
That is a good formula to reach the playoffs.
Except you are making the assumption that Cron would duplicate what he was doing in AAA in the majors over the course of the whole year and we have no way of knowing if that would have panned out that way.