Missing Bob Melvin

[schillingfan]

It seemed to me in 2001 and 2002 that as crazy as the constant line-up changes were, that they usually worked. I can remember a lot of games where a player inserted in the line-up in a strange place or when the bench guys played that I remember thinking good move BB.

This year it's almost always the opposite. The game the other night with the middle of the order from hell (Williams, Finley and I forget who was slumping was awful), against a righty no less.

Last night I couldn't believe Rod Barajas was batting 8th. He's hotter than billy blue blazes and both his doubles last night were wasted because he was too low in the batting order. I would have put him after Danny B. But to put him after Fins, who is a lefty and slumping was just crazy. There is no law that such catchers have to bat 8th, particularly when the catchers are hitting better than anyone else on the team.

 

[AZZenny]

We were all making the same comment about Rod stuck at the bottom of the order last night - I mean is leaving him there some superstition? Is it brainless habit? an oversight? And then that lineup from hell the night before! And the lack of sac bunts at key times. etc etc etc.

I'm really very unhappy with the way BB is managing, even given the obvious difficulties his anemic offense creates. He is absolutely not maximizing the strengths, and he is not controlling or creatively exploiting the situations where we have to get a run. He just keeps letting the same things happen game after game. Meanwhile, Seattle rolls merrily along.

I used to like BB, but maybe I liked Melvin and just didn't know it.

 

[unc84steve]

Originally posted by AZZenny
I used to like BB, but maybe I liked Melvin and just didn't know it.

LOL, Zenny, you knew you liked Bob Melvin.

(at least I knew it)

 

[RLakin]

Originally posted by AZZenny
We were all making the same comment about Rod stuck at the bottom of the order last night - I mean is leaving him there some superstition? Is it brainless habit? an oversight? .

\

Comedic managing at its finest last night. I love how Brenly pinch runs for two guys in separate innings, and concedes the hitting matchup in both of those very cases.
Note to Bob: It's probably better to get a left handed batter up against a right handed pitcher if you want to have that pinch runner score.