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Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Arizona 0
Cincinnati 4
W: J. Cueto (11-5)
L: T. Bauer (1-2)
S: A. Chapman (14)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Another good start by Johnny Cueto: six shutout innings, four hits allowed. Cueto did surrender four walks, but I’ll forgive him, I think.
–Ryan Ludwick’s big three-run homer in the third inning was the offensive highlight, giving the Redlegs a lead they would never surrender.
–Scott Rolen had a hit and two walks, and his OPS is almost over 600!
NEGATIVES
–Todd Frazier batted four times and Todd Frazier struck out four times. The Golden Sombrero! (Pssst…Todd. You don’t have to be Joey Votto. Just be yourself. We liked you before you were pressed into 1B duty.)
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–The Reds can survive (short-term) without Votto? Who knew?
–Scott Rolen made an error? Prepare for the apocalypse! (Actually, he redeemed himself later with a gorgeous bare-handed throw to end the seventh inning.)
–Yes, this was strange:
@redlegnation first hit of the game makes if 4-0??? Odd stat line
— Brett Redwine (@RedwineSigEp) July 18, 2012
Ludwick’s homer was actually the first hit of the game for the Reds.
–BTW, don’t look now, but Ludwick’s OPS is over 800. He started the season poorly, but Ludwick is not hurting the Reds at this point.
–Dusty Baker brought Aroldis Chapman into the game with two outs in the ninth inning for one reason, and one reason only: to get him a save. Sheesh.
You stat guys are ruining baseball. “@jluckhaupt: Aroldis Chapman is warming up. Because save stat.”
— Chris Garber (@cgarber8) July 18, 2012
–On second thought, there is perhaps one more reason: Dusty doesn’t trust Sean Marshall. It’s becoming increasingly obvious, and it’s frustrating.
–Reds win! Reds win! I hope everyone sleeps a little better tonight than you did last night.
Source: FanGraphs
As I’ve said, the Reds should get rid of Sean Marshall as soon as possible. Baker does not like him. It does not make sense to have a 5 million dollar pitcher on a team when the manager does not trust him (as was said above in the game recap).
It seems like Marshall is always giving up ground balls that find holes.
One can argue both sides of leaving Marshall in vs. taking him out. Lots of discussion on the game thread.
But I don’t believe for a second that Dusty brought Chapman in because of the save stat. He brought him in to enure that the Reds win the game. With the tying run on deck and the heart of their order coming up, the game was not over.
Do I believe Dusty is not sold on Marshall as a shut down guy ? Obviously yes, but that’s a separate question.
Completely agree Pinson
On Sunday ESPN flashed a graphic that said Jake Westbrook had the second highest ground ball rate in the majors, for starting pitchers. His ground ball rate is a bit below 59%.
Marshall’s ground ball rate is 62%.
Chad, great comment about Todd Frazier just being himself. The other day he said something like: “Can I be Joey Votto when he’s out ? What an exciting challenge.”
Maybe the 4 Ks tonite had nothing to do with that statement. But please Todd, forget about being Joey.
Cards got 1st/3rd 0 outs down by 1 in the 9th and FRod got out of it. Brewers avoided two ninth inning meltdowns in succession.
@pinson343: What is a shutdown pitcher? How many of them are there in the majors?
@Racine Red: You just beat me to that…. just finished watching that happen. Crazy. Love seeing the Cards lose anytime.
Anyway… nice to see the Reds on the “smilin’ side of the scoreboard” tonight.
Marshall is just fine and I agree that this wasn’t about a save but nailing this one down. I think this was a big win for the club’s confidence, post=Joey Votto. Also believe when push-comes-to-shove, Dusty trusts Chapman “more” than anyone else in the pen. And you know what? It’s hard to blame him.
I too don’t believe for a second that Dusty brought Chapman in because of the save stat.
Overall Mardhall’s performance has been good but his pitches are not deceptive enough. Meaning, you can tell in a split second if the pitch he’s throwing is a fastball vs. curveball by where the pitch starts out of his hand. His pitches are still hard to hit but easier to time and adjust to.
I’m not in favor of breaking up this bullpen because this team will live or die by the strength of it’s pitching but, for the right hitter (for example a Denard Span striaght up and I’m not sayin the Twins would do it) I would strongly consider moving him. But not without a plan to replace him with another LH pitcher to replace him because Bray really scares me now especially after last night’s fiasco Plus you really need 2 LH pitchers in a pen.
@Racine Red: It’s interesting about Marshall’s high ground ball rate, it’s higher than in past seasons. A high ground ball rate at GABP of course is generally a good thing.
But in 2010 and 2011 Marshall had a higher fly ball rate without giving up HRs (only 1 all last season). And with a higher fly ball rate comes a lower BABIP.
Does anyone believe that Marshall is pitching a little differently this season, to accommodate GABP ? I have no idea. Brantley did say that tonite he was using his fast ball to set up his breaking pitches, rather than the other way around, as he’s been doing. His using his fastball to set up his breaking pitches makes more sense to me – his fastball is good enough for that.
My issue is simply that his BABIP on ground balls, when he gets them, is extremely high.
Racine: I know. It’s got to come down at some point.
Or maybe it is advancing to his mean following exceptionally good luck the last several years…
@OhioJim: Another thing that comes into play with Marshall’s BABIP is that when he got grounders at Wrigley, they didn’t find as many holes because of Wrigley’s incredibly slow infield. Yes, the Reds IF defense is much better but Wrigley’s slow IF is a sinker-baller’s dream… What I have noticed though is he isn’t exactly giving up a bunch of very hard-hit grounders. He seems to be giving up a lot of grounders with eyes. I expect his BABIP to come down some but maybe not as much as some might hope.
For the record, I think Marshall is a very solid pitcher and the Reds are better off with him than without him. $5-million is steep though for a guy who’s essentially being used as a left-handed relief specialist.
By the way, the Recap failed to mention, my man, Drew Stubbs nice game: 1-3,a walk, SB, run scored. Go Drew go!
@CharlotteNCRedsFan: Strong comment all the way, Charlotte.
@Racine Red: I don’t know what a shutdown pitcher is but whatever it is, Dusty doesn’t think Marshall is one, or even close to one. Actually just echoing your comment that Dusty seems to lack confidence in Marshall. I was OK with bringing in Chapman. But Marshall was not pitching at all badly and he’ll be fine.
I don’t really have a problem with bringing in Chapman there, given the overall situation. Chapman’s the best pitcher in the bullpen. I do think the save stat has something to do with when every single manager brings in his relievers though. I mean, Chapman is so good, supposing there was no save stat, why not leave Marshall in one more batter and see if you can avoid using Chapman for a game? (Shouldn’t a great pitcher be able to get one out with the tying run at bat?) The answer is, to me, the save stat. Don’t take this as “Baker explicitly played for a stat”, or any kind of criticism, but more “this is the way things work in MLB”. Look, if the score had been 3-0, Chapman would have started the inning. I’ll bet money on it. If you believe I’m correct, then it definitely is managing via the save stat as if you will start Chapman in the 9th with a 3-0 lead, you should probably pull Marshall after one guy gets on with a 4-0 lead.
Marshall sure isn’t a shutdown pitcher compared to Chapman, but neither is anyone else in the league, save for a couple guys. My real issue with Baker is that eventually, as in next year, his desire to have a stopper that he “trusts” will lead him to lobby for Chapman staying in the pen. And I believe he will permanently stay there.
@Racine Red:
Racine: Definitely once Madson (whom I think Dusty would have trusted) went down, Dusty intensified his lobbying for Chapman to relieve and ultimately close. I believe Chapman will start next season because ultimately WJ has to trump Dusty for that kind of decision, that’s his job.
@George Culver: The Twins would be nuts to trade a leadoff hitter for a reliever.
In terms of deceptiveness, I can’t square the idea that Marshall’s pitches are hard to hit but easier to time and adjust to. Those things are pretty much mutually exclusive. And, is his deceptiveness any different than it was last year, or the year before? If something fundamentally changed, I’d love to know what it is.
Drew Stubbs has been having a few good games lately. Hope that makes him a more valuable asset in a trade.
And I for one agree with Dusty on this: I don’t trust Marshall either. I don’t care what he did before this season, this season he seems to be fairly inconsistent and too often gets himself into situations he needs to be “rescued” from.
Has he changed the way he pitches because of the ballpark? Maybe, but remember Wrigley isn’t exactly a NL West stadium either.Whatever the reason, Marshall is not getting it done on a regular basis.
I’m not ready to call trading for him and signing him long term a mistake, but I do think this season so far he hasn’t really lived up to his lofty expectations. He’s supposed to be one of (if not THE) best lefty reliever in all of baseball. Watching him pitch, do you get that feeling? Some nights, yeah, he looks very good. Other nights…..
And hopefully if he is not traded, he becomes a more valuable asset for the Reds. Reds need Stubbs to really step up if a deal is not forthcoming. Maybe that is exactly what will get him there is that need.
I think Alex Presley of the Pirates is Zach Cozarts twin. Both in looks/production.
@Racine Red: Red, Marshall is a very good pitcher and most here recognize that. The dissenting voices are the loudest, as dissenting voices normally are. Marshall is going nowhere and the Reds are a much better team for it. I know about your “man-crush” but don’t take the negative Marshall opinions personally. All they are is opinions. We are all on the same side of the fence here.
My man-crush is more on the idea of Chapman starting, which is made less likely with Baker’s handling of Marshall. I’d save my man-crush for Joey Votto.
@Racine Red: You and I both know that ain’t happening so I quit thinking about it.
@Racine Red: I don’t think ground ball rate means much if the hitters consistently hit’em where the fielder ain’t which is what seems to be going on with Marshall this year.
There is a difference between pitching for the Cubs where games mean nothing beyond personal stats and pitching for a team in a pennant race. With a team like the Cubs any manager is likely to give a pitcher another batter or two to try and pitch his way out of trouble (unless he is walking folks).
Maybe Marshall would escape most of these self made jams if he were left in for us to find out. His history with the Cubs suggests as much. However I don’t think Dusty would be alone as the only manager of a contender who would be pulling Marshall when he is and being very careful where he uses him.
This.
As I said in another thread about Marshall, what if his BABIP has nothing to do with “bad luck” and everything to do with Major League hitters being able to take his pitches and put them exactly where they want them? Yeah, you keep hearing how his BABIP has to come down, but we’re already in the second half of the season.
When does it stop being “bad luck” and start being a “trend”?
You were wrong then, and you are wrong now. Have you played ball? You think that it’s easy to hit a ground ball exactly where you want?
Yes, I have, and yes it is if you get an easy pitch to hit.
You’re confusing what’s happened with what will likely happen in the future. Do you think there is a skill that hitters have to hit ground balls in holes? You are right, what has happened is that ground balls have found holes. That’s the past. Do you expect it to happen until October? If so, the Reds shouldn’t pitch him in any key situation.
Your comment about Marshall’s history with the Cubs is shaky. His WHIP there was way lower in 2010 and 2011. He had way fewer runners on. So I doubt he had to work out of that many jams.
Actually, yes, there is a skill involved in that. It’s called “putting the ball where you want it”. Do you think MLB hitters are up there flailing away and just hoping their balls fall for hits?
News flash: It doesn’t work that way. Good hitters can take pitches and can hit those pitches where they want them if they can square them up.
That’s why pitching/hitting matchups are so fun to watch. Hitters are up there with a plan trying to do something, and pitchers are up there with a plan trying to do something too.
The problem with Marshall is the hitters get their way more often than they should.
Hitters go to the plate, with the exception of hit and runs or trying to move a runner over, to hit line drives. I guess that may come as shocking news to you. Show me a hitter who hits almost exclusively ground balls, and unless he’s incredibly fast, he’s not good. Your claim that a hitter can place a ground ball in between two fielders (unless it’s a hit and run with a wide open infield side) with any kind of consistency is beyond ridiculous. No good hitter goes to the plate with a plan to hit a ground ball between two infielders.
I never said they are “trying” to hit ground balls.
What I said was good hitters have a skill called “putting the ball where you want it.” If you drive the ball with enough force at the right angle, no matter if it’s in the air or on the ground, it’s going to be a hit.
I could do this pretty well when I played if I could pick up the pitch early in the delivery. Sometimes it would go on the ground between short and 3rd for a single. Other times it would get some air and go in the gap for a double.
And sometimes, I’d miscalculate and get under it too much and just pop out. That’s when I learned it was better to hit a little higher than lower, because ground balls are better than popouts.
If YOU ever played (which I doubt) you must not have been very good if you didn’t figure out basic things like the fact you can control where the ball is going when you hit.
Sure, “…it’s going to be a hit”. There is not a hitter alive that can consistently put the ball not to the 3rd baseman, not to the SS, but between the 3B/SS hole. Note I said “consistently”. Other pearls of wisdom? You must have been the greatest hitter in the history of baseball.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I played baseball. I am sure that your next remark will be something about T-ball. Enjoy.
Right, you “played” baseball on the X-box. And yes, there are plenty of hitters alive that can consistently do exactly what you said.
Do you really think hitters have no control over where a ball is going? Have you ever taken batting practice and practiced your timing to know just when to swing to make the ball leave your bat at the right angle for a hit? Because I practiced hitting grounders, linedrives, and even bloop hits. That’s called “practicing your craft”.
MLB hitters are much better than me and have practiced much more than I have. If you don’t think they have practiced driving balls where they want them, well, then I can’t help you.
The bottom line is, people are hitting grounders off of Marshall for hits. Funny how Marshall just keeps having “bad luck”, isn’t it? Or maybe you can open your eyes and see it’s not just luck, it’s hitters taking his pitches and doing what they want with them.
Enjoy.
Chill out, both of you. We won. Your discussion is bringing us all down.
You really do not think good hitters can place the ball where they want?
(BTW, Rolen did this very thing the Sunday night when he won the game for us)
@CI3J: I’ve said it before and been burned, but I like what I see of Stubbs at the plate in this series. He let himself get upset over a bad called strike 2 but otherwise good stuff.
Someone reported that Dusty had a talk with him about it’s time for him to show what he can do. I don’t agree with batting Stubbs lead off but I have hope for him.
@CharlotteNCRedsFan: I’m talking about 2013.
If Dusty leaves, there is a very good chance our dream comes true and then Marshall just may get his shot at closing. Under Baker? I believe Chapman is closer for life. 2013 will get here when it gets here, it’s 2012, that gets all my energy at the moment.
@Racine Red: I think/ know from when I played and from decades of watching baseball that if the batter can “sit” on a certain pitch in a certain location, he has a pretty good chance of punching it through the infield, if he chooses to attempt to do so.
No value judgement intended because I like the modern game probably better than the older styles, but back in the 1950′s and prior, “placement hitting” was a very valued art.
Again, this.
Good show, old chap.
@OhioJim: Willie Keeler had a lifetime average of .341 by “hitting ‘em where they ain’t.” Probably not germane to this discussion, but in the dead ball era placement was everything, the ball just wouldn’t travel far.
Forgot to say, nice win. Shutout pitching trumps all. GO REDS !!!
POSITIVES: Dusty Baker used Mike Leake and his .878 OPS as a pinch-hitter for the first time this season.
Let’s hope it’s the start of a trend!
And how much does your bench suck when one of your starting pitchers is a viable option to pinch hit?
Win or lose, somebody has to find something to be angry about. I guess in a 4-0 shutout Sean Marshall has to be Tuesday’s target.
I’m not angry about Marshall at all, I’m just making observations about him. There seem to be certain cheerleaders on this board that keep expecting Marshall to turn it around since his BABIP on grounders is unusually high, but I’m in a camp that believes that it’s not because of luck, it’s because, for whatever reason, batters can take Marshall’s pitches and hit them where they want them to go.
Marshall has now given up 39 hits – 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homeruns – along with 8 and 44 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. A 2.86 ERA. That’s better than we saw from Francisco Cordero. You know, I doubt anybody would have been disappointed to see Ryan Madson put up those numbers… but they’re unacceptable for Sean Marshall. It’s strange.
Marshall is quietly the second best strikeout pitcher on the Reds but fans are pretty spoiled by seeing Chapman regularly throw 100mph+ pitches past hitters. It seems like hitters facing Marshall know they’ll be getting strikes so they swing… I do believe Marshall is just unlucky about how many of the poorly/wildly hit balls have coincidentally missed fielders to go for bloop hits off the bats of guys who were just trying to avoid striking out. That might only be a few of his 39 hits… but it’s still a big chunk of his batting average allowed.
Marshall is having another successful season and it’s unfortunate that he seems to have gone somewhat unnoticed by fans… as a result of being overshadowed by Chapman.
First of all, Sluggo, comparing Marshall to Coco accomplishes nothing. That’s like saying “Well, at least Drew Stubbs is better than Willie Harris!”
Second of all, Marshall has benefited greatly from Dusty’s management. It’s worth noting that Marshall has a 1.36 WHIP. That is higher than every single one of our starters and tied for third worst on the team. On numerous occasions, Dusty has removed Marshall from the game before the damage that was being done to him could blow up and lead to runs.
Sooner or later, you have to accept Marshall is not getting it done. In his last 10 appearances, he has given up 2 or more hits 50% of the time, and has given up at least 1 hit 80% of the time. Yeah, he’s really shutting them down.
Ok, I’m done with this conversation for now. I do hope Marshall can become the guy we thought we traded for, but so far he hasn’t looked anything like one of the best lefty relievers in the game.
Have fun, kids.
My 2 cents about Marshall/Chapman tonight (or should I say, last night)….When the second guy got on base in the ninth, Chapman would have had to get ready/be ready in case Marshall had failed to get the next guy out, and I can imagine Dusty thinking that if he has to make Chapman get fully heated up (which might affect his availability for Wednesday, for example), Dusty might as well use him to get the last out rather than risk another Marshall bouncing ball that finds a hole and brings the tying run to the plate.
And from reading the game thread, one item left me hanging: Somebody noted that Matt Holliday got hit on the knee and had to leave the game a short time later. SO DID THE CARDINALS’ TRAINING STAFF CHECK HIS KNEE OUT??????? Or did they just assume it’s fine??
The bullpen has really performed exceptionally as a group. Over the last 4 games, the bullpen has pitched 16 innings without giving up an earned run. One inherited runner scored.
It’s obvious Dusty doesn’t trust Marshall, but that doesn’t mean we should make the same mistake. The guy’s been one of the best relievers in baseball in each of the last two years and a solid one prior to that, and his numbers show he’s the same guy this season with a couple of exceptions: his BABIP (.375) is nearly 80 points higher than his career average and his HR/9 (.78) is much higher than the previous two seasons (although about 20 points lower than his career average).
His K/9 is the highest it’s ever been, and his BB/9 and GB% are about the same as last year. So he’s been a very effective pitcher who’s getting burned on batted balls and the relatively few fly balls he’s giving up. The second half is at least partially attributable to GABP, but the first half is probably just luck. He’s only pitched 34.2 innings so far; I’d imagine some of his outlying numbers will regress to the mean in a more representative sample size.
I just wanted to comment on the “tone” of the game…did anyone else find this game difficult to watch? 3 errors and 10 walks made it seem like it took FOREVER to play this game. Not what I’m used to…but a win is a win.
I very much agree with this. Game had a strange feel to it. Don’t know if it was the heat or what, but the amount of time most all of the pitchers were taking between pitches felt like an eternity.
Pretty good column by Tom Verducci on Votto and the state of the Reds
http://www.sportsfanlive.com/web/article?action=viewArticle&articleId=12647337&team=mlb-cincinnati_reds&tid=msp
I’m treating every win during the next month as a gift so THANK YOU Ryan Ludwick for single-handedly winning this game for us. Other than that, this might have been one of the most boring baseball games I have ever sat through. it certainly did NOT make me feel any more confident in our ability to produce offense without Joey and with an even screwier Dusty Baker lineup. Cueto was not sharp at all and was bailed out several times by some questionable umpiring and some D-Backs swinging at some bad pitches. After the 3rd inning he was having a really hard time finding the plate and he was dangerously close to walking in a couple runs.
But a win’s a win, and like I said a gift right now. We’re going to have to scrape together wins like this for a while and Jay Bruce sitting probably didn’t help our cause so hopefully he’s back for good after last night. Super Todd is definitely slumping a bit, as I think most people thought he probably would at some point. It was hard to imagine him keeping up his pace all season. BP doesn’t look particularly comfortable in that 3-hole, but honestly I don’t know who else you put there except maybe Bruce, and he’s better suited for cleanup. Frazier MIGHT work but you get the feeling Dusty just isn’t going to do that and maybe he actually has a point. It is nice to see Rolen starting to get back into not-quite-a-catastrophe mode and Ryan Ludwick start to look like a legitimate starting OF’er.
@eric nyc: Jeez Eric, it’s not like they turned into the Cubs on Monday.
I don’t know if you can say single-handedly won the game, and I thank Mr. Luds too, but generally you will win if the opposition scores zero runs. It may take a little while for us to appreciate how good the Reds’ pitching staff really is.
J Bruce, Stubbs and Cozart- these players have their streak -hot and cold. i hope they will get more hot than more cold these days as this team needs it. Rolen had a bad luck last night , however, his shot might have had an effect on Bauer- it might hurt his leg or gave him a Wheeew in his stomach. The dude walked sevral batters and gave a fat pitch to Ludwick…….
Good managing game by Dustman, I will give him good credit and the bullpen to help Cueto to win his 11 game
Don’t look now, but Rolen’s BA has creeped north of the Mendoza Line.
@Bill Lack: I agree, one hit away from being a different game.
I would say that’s true in many games though. Look how many close games the Reds have been involved in this year. One hit either way….
I’ve wondered to myself whether Dusty Baker, either consciously or subconsciously, still considers Marshall as the ineffective rookie starter Baker managed in Baker’s final, terrible year with the Cubs.
Marshall has had significantly different/better results as a professional since that rookie season, and we know that Baker has a long memory of past events.
@CharlotteNCRedsFan: I’m just saying that’s how I’m going to stay positive during these bleak, dark, trying times.
And like I said, I don’t know how well we really pitched. Cueto got helped out a lot and Marshall did his best to keep it interesting. I’ll take a shutout win anyday, and it’s precisely because we’re playing these sub-500 clubs that we’re going to be able to get away with it for the next few weeks. This is how we’re going to stay afloat…kind of ugly wins. And this wasn’t even really UGLY as much as it was just kind of…odd.
@eric nyc: Well at least you’re trying to stay positive.
So anyone wanna guess what roster move happens today?
@dn4192: Redmond down, Harris up. I hate it, but I doubt they think Rodriguez is ready and unless they’re moving Stubbs like TODAY then I can’t imagine them bringing up Paul to crowd the outfield even more.
Well according to Willie Harris tweet it will be Xavier Paul…
@dn4192: That makes me really happy. Doubt he’ll get any significant playing time but he’ll really help our bench. Hopefully he proves himself and can stick around even once Joey gets back to finally be that LH pinch hitter we’ve been looking for.
Lets say the Reds have more then a .500 winning % while Votto is gone, lets say it’s closer to .600…what does that say about this team?
@dn4192: It says they are WS contenders. But I don’t think this is a .600 team without Votto. It’s not a .600 team WITH Votto. THough I guess if you factor in the strength of schedule it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.
Now that is some positive thinking. I will be disappointed if they don’t play at least .500 ball during this stretch.
Read on the ESPN ‘Backs vs Reds conversation that someone stated the Reds are in talks with Padres about acquiring Carlos Quintin. Anyone here confirm or deny that?
Out of curiosity I browsed the Padres current roster and AAA affiliate, not surprised to find 5-6 former Reds players on that team. Reds & Padres seem to have a healthy trade system going.
As for Quintin, he’s busted up and hasnt had a good year since his time playing with the White Sox. I dont think I’d even go for him if he was completely healthy. Just weird to see former AL batters struggle over in the NL once they make the change.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/6192/carlos-quentin
If it is Paul who gets called up..whom gets removed from the 40 man roster?
@byoung1989: I’d rather see Victorino in a Reds uni.
@tgarretson82: I agree. Quintin would probably be very effective at GABP but does he solve any of our pressing needs: LH, CF, and 1B? LF is looking pretty good with Luds + Heisey. That being said, if you could get him on the cheap, go for it. But that is highly doubtful.
Victorino is struggling with his game and was recently benched due to his BA dropping to .245. So the Reds have some options. Go with Quentin who is physically damaged or Victorino who is mentally, about to snap.
In all seriousness, they need a left handed batter who can hit. Neither of these guys would be the way to go as they are both righties with some issues.
@byoung1989: Actually Victorino is a switch-hitter. The only reason I would “possibly” prefer Victorino, over say Span, is he would be a rental and probably cost a lot less in a trade. By the way, Victorino is 6 for his last 15 ABs.
I would love to have Span and, in my mind, could make us the favorites to win the NL Championship. But of course everything is, based on, benefit vs. cost. I would not be surprised to see either fellow wearing Cincinnati red starting in August. Drew needs to continue to pick-up his game or he is danger of losing his job, IMO.
Doh! I misread his profile on ESPN. I’m used to reading Bat: S not Bat: B.
And a minor stat correction, he’s 6 of his last 19 (7/13-7/17), still a better turnaround than what he was hitting.
And Denard Span looks like a solid player. I’ve only heard his name before and never saw him play. Statistically looks like a good fit for the Reds. LH hitter with a good average and can get on base. Once on though, looks like he lacks speed around the bases as his steals to caught stealing isn’t stellar.
He does still have 2 years remaining on his contract though and would be costly to keep around.
@byoung1989: I dropped off the 13th is which he was 0-4 so technically he is 6 for his last 15 but I’m very guilty of cherry-picking on this one.
@byoung1989: You’re right about the base stealing and up until 2010 he was “okay” but from watching him play, I believe weel above average base running sprred. Throughout his career he has hit a lot of triples. The more important thing is that the Reds don’t seem to really like to steal in front of Votto anyway. And you really can’t blame them. So is base stealing ability a big benefit in this case? He is also a tremendous fielder from what I’ve seen.
The sad thing is that in the end Drew Stubbs could very well be a better player but as a known quantity, Span is a no brainer. Stubbs ABs the last two days have been very impressive and I pray, this is start of the real Drew Stubbs. It is generally better to buy a stock when it is way down and Lord knows Drew’s is down. That is what I’m banking on with Stubbs. But if he ends up in a package for Span, I will be more than okay with it. Reds are at the point where knowns are preferable to potential.
Very fat fingers: well above base running speed
@dn4192: I heard something about Negron going to the 60-day DL. I believe this may make room on the 40-man.
Why is my comment “awaiting moderation”? I don’t get it. That seems to happen somewhat regularly with my posts and I don’t think I’m particularly controversial.
I’m thinking it is a random thing. I get that about every 50th post.
I don’t really have an answer. If there are links in a comment, the spam filter will pick it up…but sometimes it seems to pick up noncontroversial posts and puts them in the moderation queue. If that happens, you just gotta wait until an editor drops in to approve it.
Sorry.
Ludwick’s emergence has made Quentin a little redundant. Kotsay would be a good pickup just for bench depth, but I think Victorino has to be the main target. Don’t know if he’s worth what the Phillies will ask for him, though. He’s a clear upgrade over Stubbs, but not THAT much of one and only as a rental. Our farm system is so weak right now that a lopsided trade for a couple months of a few more OBP points might end up crippling us for the next few years. It’ll be interesting to see how Xavier Paul does if he’s getting called up. Maybe eventually somethign liek this?
Phillips
Cozart
Votto
Ludwick
Bruce
Frazier
Paul
Hannigan
pitcher
@LWBlogger: Is there somewhere that publishes something like “hard grounders”, “weak grounders”, etc, for players?
I’m really surprised there hasn’t been any discussion of Dexter Fowler around here. He’s probably the most expensive option out there – maybe even more so than Upton – but he’d be a great get.
@eric nyc: His home and away splits are as white is to black.
@Chad Dotson: No worries. Just was curious.
@Racine Red: There aren’t any such statistics being kept that I know of outside of maybe the scorebook the official scorer keeps and that’s only if he/she decides to make note of such things. Even then, it would be a judgement call. My hard-hit grounder may be your moderately-struck grounder.
@LWBlogger: Right, sort of like the zone ratings things. I’m just wondering because by some subjective definition, a hard hit grounder is a better than 50-50 bet to be a hit, whereas a weak grounder is really small.