OFFICIAL TLR HEAD SCRATCHER THREAD

[Bo Hart]

I wouldn't have started Lopez, either, but then I value defense over offense. There have been enough posters who claim that defense doesn't matter (check out the Manny Ramirez thread) so I'm not sure what they're complaining about with Lopez starting over Ryan.

You 100%, honestly, genuinely believe that there are "enough" posters on this board who believe that Ryan's defense doesn't matter?

[InvincibleCakeEater]

Another decision that pissed me off last night.

Why the hell was the infield in? Morgan is one of the fastest guys in MLB. It would have to be a pretty hard hit ball to get him at the plate, but if it's a hard hit ball you can turn 2 and get out of the inning.

[jim]

I brought up the Lopez issue. If you carry 12/13 pitchers with no DH and you pencil in Bozo the Clown at SS, then you pretty much have to stick with him for the game. You just don't have the luxury of pulling players willy-nilly. The mistake wasn't pulling him, it was penciling his name in to start with.

I wouldn't have started Lopez, either, but then I value defense over offense. There have been enough posters who claim that defense doesn't matter (check out the Manny Ramirez thread) so I'm not sure what they're complaining about with Lopez starting over Ryan.

I'm pretty sure everyone values defense at SS.

[BW23]

I brought up the Lopez issue. If you carry 12/13 pitchers with no DH and you pencil in Bozo the Clown at SS, then you pretty much have to stick with him for the game. You just don't have the luxury of pulling players willy-nilly. The mistake wasn't pulling him, it was penciling his name in to start with.

I wouldn't have started Lopez, either, but then I value defense over offense. There have been enough posters who claim that defense doesn't matter (check out the Manny Ramirez thread) so I'm not sure what they're complaining about with Lopez starting over Ryan.

I think the standard for OF defense is whether or not an OF is going to catch a ball or let it bounce off their sack.

That bar is low.

[EastonBlues22]

I brought up the Lopez issue. If you carry 12/13 pitchers with no DH and you pencil in Bozo the Clown at SS, then you pretty much have to stick with him for the game. You just don't have the luxury of pulling players willy-nilly. The mistake wasn't pulling him, it was penciling his name in to start with.

I wouldn't have started Lopez, either, but then I value defense over offense. There have been enough posters who claim that defense doesn't matter (check out the Manny Ramirez thread) so I'm not sure what they're complaining about with Lopez starting over Ryan.

Disclaimer: I haven't posted in that thread, or even read it entirely, but I have read much of it and have noticed who the most active participants are so I'm going to make the following comment with that in mind. Nevertheless, feel free to take what I say next with the appropriate grain of salt.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a significant portion of the posters you are referring to from that thread recognize that there is a large gap in importance between defensive value at SS and defensive value at a corner outfield position. One can very reasonably believe that Manny's bat outweighs whatever defensive liabilities he brings to the table when that defense is being played in LF or RF. That same person can also reasonably believe that Lopez should never start over Ryan at SS because that position maximizes defensive value. Ryan brings a lot of positive value to the field with his defense at that position (to the point where he's a 1 WAR player even with a horrendous bat this year), while Lopez kills most of the value his bat brings to the table with his defense at that position.

IMO, Lopez should never start over Ryan at SS if both are available and I think most of the posters in that thread would agree with that statement.

[jagtrader]

When the pitcher's spot came up in the 13th inning last night, the Cardinals needed a single to get the lead. If they didn't get that single, they needed Winn, Molina and Craig to produce a run in the 14th and they needed Hawksworth to get six outs to win. Looking at that reality, La Russa thought it was better to save his last bench player and use a pitcher to bat. The game lasted four more batters and Anderson was never used.

The strategy is indefensible.

At the time I thought LaRussa might have used Anderson against a RHP, but given that Slaten has a slash line of .148/.224/.148 against lefties, as opposed to .290/.402/.391 against righties, he didn't want to squander his last position player in a situation where he was unlikely to succeed.

Of course I have no idea whether that thought crossed TLR's mind, or, if it did, whether it was sound reasoning.

I considered this possibility. Of course, Slaten was the last pitcher the Nats had, so it's not like a better matchup was coming along. Let's just say it would be nice if the manager tried to win the game, rather than worry about the long-shot possibility that his roster could get compromised if one of the most durable catchers in the game was injured.

[greenback44]

When the pitcher's spot came up in the 13th inning last night, the Cardinals needed a single to get the lead. If they didn't get that single, they needed Winn, Molina and Craig to produce a run in the 14th and they needed Hawksworth to get six outs to win. Looking at that reality, La Russa thought it was better to save his last bench player and use a pitcher to bat. The game lasted four more batters and Anderson was never used.

The strategy is indefensible.

At the time I thought LaRussa might have used Anderson against a RHP, but given that Slaten has a slash line of .148/.224/.148 against lefties, as opposed to .290/.402/.391 against righties, he didn't want to squander his last position player in a situation where he was unlikely to succeed.

Of course I have no idea whether that thought crossed TLR's mind, or, if it did, whether it was sound reasoning.

Leach said on his blog that TLR did mention the LHB/LHP issue WRT Anderson. He also said that the previous non-PH of Anderson was because it wasn't a good enough run-scoring opportunity (two outs, runner on first).

[Bo Hart]

I don't think that was the move to make, going down to the last player. Catcher goes out... We had a way to go. If it had been an RBI situation... Lohse didn't hit with a guy in scoring position. And then the last time up, it's Slaten, and do you see what Slaten does to left-handers? I don't think that was a good at-bat to give our last player a chance. Now if we had some protection, because I think Anderson would hang in there. but if he's the last guy, against Slaten, a guy who's wiping left-handers out, no, I didn't think that was the way to go.

[jagtrader]

I don't think that was the move to make, going down to the last player. Catcher goes out... We had a way to go. If it had been an RBI situation... Lohse didn't hit with a guy in scoring position. And then the last time up, it's Slaten, and do you see what Slaten does to left-handers? I don't think that was a good at-bat to give our last player a chance. Now if we had some protection, because I think Anderson would hang in there. but if he's the last guy, against Slaten, a guy who's wiping left-handers out, no, I didn't think that was the way to go.

For crying out loud, it was the 13th inning and the alternative was a pitcher. This is not the time to get caught up in lefty/righty splits.

[Bo Hart]

I don't think that was the move to make, going down to the last player. Catcher goes out... We had a way to go. If it had been an RBI situation... Lohse didn't hit with a guy in scoring position. And then the last time up, it's Slaten, and do you see what Slaten does to left-handers? I don't think that was a good at-bat to give our last player a chance. Now if we had some protection, because I think Anderson would hang in there. but if he's the last guy, against Slaten, a guy who's wiping left-handers out, no, I didn't think that was the way to go.

For crying out loud, it was the 13th inning and the alternative was a pitcher. This is not the time to get caught up in lefty/righty splits.

I definitely agree. That's basically like saying, "I don't like the matchup. Maybe in the 15th or 16th we'll have a better opportunity for him."

At that point in the game, any marginal increase in victory is worth it.