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Last night
Walt Jocketty preached patience and a steady hand, as per usual. Fay asked him if it was time for a shake-up and he responded, "I don't normally react that way. If I make a move, I do so not to shake things up but to make the club better." Now, that's not to say that a move is not imminent. "I'm not going to say if we will or won't. I'm not going to sit here and project. We only have a few days left before the break." In light of the Zack Cozart rumors this morning, I think this is very quickly old news. -
Drew Stubbs got the night off last night
with Chris Heisey getting the start in center field. Thom Brennaman, for one, intimated that the move was a long time coming. Dusty was quick to explain that it was merely the mental off day for the struggling Stubbs, and he had all the confidence in the world in him. "He's a big part of this team," Baker said. "When he makes contact, he gets hits. Right now, he's a little mixed up... His upside is unbelievable. Even striking out that much as he has, he still has 11 home runs, (55) runs and (32) ribbies in the leadoff spot. We have to help him figure it out. If anybody's going crazy, it's him." Now, I'm as big a fan of Chris Heisey as anyone, but I don't think he should be getting playing time at the expense of Drew Stubbs. He's slumping, as a number of players are slumping right now. But he'll come around. -
Hall o' Famer Hal asks (rhetorically, I'm assuming) if last night's victory could be a season-savior
Myself, I'm still pretty pissed off about the whole sordid affair. I don't really want to meet the team that takes inspiration from a win like that. I was really hoping that this morning I would wake up and read that Dusty had ripped into the team something fierce after the game. Sure, it was a win, but it was the most pathetic and embarrassing kind of win you can get. The pitching is to blame for letting the Cardinals back into it and the hitting is to blame for sleep-walking from the 5th inning on. If this is going to be a season-saving victory, it has to be because it snaps this team back off the precipice and shows them just how close they are to really falling out of it if they keep this up. I guess we'll see.
P-Doc crowed yesterday for a shake-up
Specifically, he wants Heisey starting in LF and leading off, Rolen out of the clean-up spot, and some call-ups from Louisville. Perhaps we're seeing all of those things come to fruition already?
David Schoenfield tracks Joey Votto's rise through the minors from "decent prospect" to MVP
It's a story we are all familiar with, but still interesting nevertheless. He says Votto was underrated as a prospect because of his work ethic, his slow-but-steady maturation, and his athleticism. I like him and I think he is good.
TradeRumors says the Mets are open to moving Carlos Beltran and are listening to offers
Any takers? What would you be willing to give up for him and how much of his salary would you pay? Do we even want/need him?
Bradley Woodrum at FanGraphs advocates for the integration of women into baseball
"...the average MLB team is happy — nay, eager! — to find a 2 WAR player. Teams employ hundreds of minor leaguers with the hope that a few of them will become a Michael Cuddyer or a Jhonny Peralta. I am fairly certain the female Luis Castillo or Paul Maholm is already playing softball. Women in baseball will be among the next great inefficiencies. Why? Because the first wave of female athletes to make it to the majors will be taken in the later rounds of the draft. And that’s exactly the reason why women haven’t gotten a chance at the big-league level — yet: Too few men take them seriously."