- This topic has 82 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 4 months, 4 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I thought about Nootbar in CF and Donovan and Walker at the corners so they could DH Contreras and have Herrera behind HP, but they seem to want Scott in CF for his mitt despite the almost nonexistence of his bat.
I thought about Nootbar in CF and Donovan and Walker at the corners so they could DH Contreras and have Herrera behind HP,
That is probably the best solution.
I also support using Donovan as a utility player who gives all the people who aren’t hitting an extra night off to keep extra bats in the lineup.
LA Card fan! We will just have to agree to disagree! I want Donovan in the line up but want Herrera also! Seems like Scott, Walker, Gorman and Goldschmidt could all use days off to rest! Lol! To me 4 guys batting 200 or less when Herrera is as hot as he is makes no sense to me but that’s why I’m not the manager I guess! By the time Herrera gets back in we will have cooled him off with inactivity which just makes me shake my head!
Regardless of what the whiz-kid Cardinal manager decides to do regarding his line-up, I have to acknowledge that having a RH’ed bat off the bench who is a catcher is a distinct disadvantage in the latter innings of a game. It’s definitely a hiccup in the construction of this 26 man roster.
The debut Winn had last season was bad, but this year he’s turned that exposure into positive play.
Possibly Scott makes it a trend. He’s getting deep into counts and competing, but, TBD on the results.
Cardinal bats collected 11 hits in this game. Just couldn’t get that decisive rip to push some runs across.
I wonder how Contreras is going to get blamed for this:
#STLCards RHP Kyle Gibson delivered this pitch with two seconds on the pitch clock … and Lourdes Gurriel hit it for a 3-run HR.
Leading up to this, Gibson and Willson Contreras couldn't agree on the pitch and he stepped off. Gibson punched in the selection, but had to hurry. pic.twitter.com/55VnO4CDIw
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 14, 2024
A lot of folks on the thread advocate having both Herrera and Contreras in the lineup. I assume people think it is worth the risk that the catcher gets dinged and the DH has to move to catcher. That meaning the pitcher bats the rest of the game.
I think a team with the Nos. 2 and 3 slots hitting .208 and .214 has a serious problem, and remind me again of the value of a sub-.100 CF? Oh, I forgot, “It’s early yet.”
The offense collectively is poor. Sure outs from Scott and Walker now. Rushed development has its price. Big guys are mostly absent.
Gibson’s start was “meh” but gave the team a chance to compete. The team is riding the tide up and down .500 while the rest of the division is slipping away now.
All not lost but not smelling October now.
I assume people think it is worth the risk that the catcher gets dinged and the DH has to move to catcher. That meaning the pitcher bats the rest of the game.
Yes, it is worth the risk. You KNOW you are going to get an extra 500-600 points of OPS by having Donovan, Nootbaar and Herrera in the game versus Scott.
Scott’s terrible offensive value overwhelms his exceptional defensive value.
If you do have to replace the catcher, it only really matters if it happens when the starting pitcher is in the game, which for the Cardinals is the first five innings. When relievers are in the game, you simply pinch hit for them, as you have always done.
Once Scott is replaced in the lineup and Walker starts hitting the offensive production will pick up.
Remember, the way the playoffs have been expanded and bloated all you have to do to get in is stay at or near .500 for 142 games then get hot the last 20 games and boom – playoff team.
It may end up being a real short stay but you made The playoffs – whatever that is worth these days.
Well, the organizational failure is that they kept their mantra of “just make the playoffs” as the playoff field has expended. So, they are constantly diminishing their definition of good.
Anybody that has read the book “From Good to Great” knows the enemy of being great is being good. The Cardinals don’t even try to be good. They try to be good enough.
If you do have to replace the catcher, it only really matters if it happens when the starting pitcher is in the game, which for the Cardinals is the first five innings. When relievers are in the game, you simply pinch hit for them, as you have always done.
Yes, this is a good point. The problem is first, it requires a baseball guy, and second, he has to be in a position to make it happen.
Of course, it wouldn’t help that much to have Herrera in the lineup if .200 hitters are kept in the heart of the order. I mean, your 2 and 3 guys need to be your most reliable producers. We have our top two strike out guys in those slots. Game after game. There isn’t a baseball guy and he isn’t in a position to make anything happen.
You hate to lose when you outhit the opponent. Even if you use the metric hits plus walks, we were ahead, but still lost the game.
Anybody know offhand if Goldy is generally a first half or second half kind of hitter? Seems like he has been pretty steady in his Cardinal years.
Anybody know offhand if Goldy is generally a first half or second half kind of hitter? Seems like he has been pretty steady in his Cardinal years.
His career split shows a slightly better first half, but not much really. More pronounced is that the weakest months are April and September. So hopefully he will pick it up pretty soon.
I think what we are seeing is unfortunately father time. Last year Goldy’s SLG was the lowest its ever been since he turned pro in 2009. He turns 37 later this season, so it is not all that reasonable to expect much rejuvenation. We should hope that he doesn’t drop off too much year to year.
Of course, it wouldn’t help that much to have Herrera in the lineup if .200 hitters are kept in the heart of the order. I mean, your 2 and 3 guys need to be your most reliable producers. We have our top two strike out guys in those slots. Game after game. There isn’t a baseball guy and he isn’t in a position to make anything happen.
Yes. It looks like they should flip Goldy and Winn in the order, and Contreras and Gorman, but that is probably too extreme. Can’t hurt anybody’s feelings, and all that.
When Nootbaar starts hitting with regularity, I imagine he will be back at #2, Goldschmit will slide down to #3 and Gorman will slide down to #6.
In the interim, they should probably swap Goldschmidt and Contreras in the order.
Anybody know offhand if Goldy is generally a first half or second half kind of hitter? Seems like he has been pretty steady in his Cardinal years.
Goldschmidt’s first or second year here he got off to a really slow start through May, wound up with his normal production by the end of the year.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.