Are we finished?

[richig07]

I really can't believe how fast this has happened. Swept in Detroit... Sale and Quintana pounded. Now Washington and KC come to town?

We could EASILY drop all six and be sitting at 29-36 by the weekend.

I feel like I've been hit by a stun gun. I knew we'd come back to earth. However, I didn't realize that when we got there, we would then proceed to get blackout drunk, shit our pants and face plant in the middle of the road. Lying there for dead.

Good God.

 

[idseer]

I really can't believe how fast this has happened. Swept in Detroit... Sale and Quintana pounded. Now Washington and KC come to town?

We could EASILY drop all six and be sitting at 29-36 by the weekend.

I feel like I've been hit by a stun gun. I knew we'd come back to earth. However, I didn't realize that when we got there, we would then proceed to get blackout drunk, shit our pants and face plant in the middle of the road. Lying there for dead.

Good God.

you can't keep as many weaknesses as this team has and pretend you can compete. the f.o. wanted everyone to think because they got frazier and lawrie they'd suddenly be better. they didn't improve at all at 2nd base. they got a slightly better hitter (mainly because of his better power) and a much worse fielder there. frazier was an upgrade at third for his power ONLY. salad was a better fielder and hell, salad can hit .220 also! they brought in an old worn out used-to-be at short (a big drop off from ramirez) and did nothing at all to help the pitching depth. the only surprise was the fast start but even that was against 'mostly' bad teams. then there's the fact that pitchers now have abreu's number. he'll still get a few hr's and drive in some because of where he is in the batting order ... but he's no longer that guy you saw 2 years ago. never did get a dh. they improved in right but got worse in center. and the great catchers they brought in to replace the last set of great catchers didn't improve anything either. throw in the fact they still have an idiot for a manager and this really shouldn't be any surprise to anyone.

 

[richig07]

you can't keep as many weaknesses as this team has and pretend you can compete. the f.o. wanted everyone to think because they got frazier and lawrie they'd suddenly be better. they didn't improve at all at 2nd base. they got a slightly better hitter (mainly because of his better power) and a much worse fielder there. frazier was an upgrade at third for his power ONLY. salad was a better fielder and hell, salad can hit .220 also! they brought in an old worn out used-to-be at short (a big drop off from ramirez) and did nothing at all to help the pitching depth. the only surprise was the fast start but even that was against 'mostly' bad teams. then there's the fact that pitchers now have abreu's number. he'll still get a few hr's and drive in some because of where he is in the batting order ... but he's no longer that guy you saw 2 years ago. never did get a dh. they improved in right but got worse in center. and the great catchers they brought in to replace the last set of great catchers didn't improve anything either. throw in the fact they still have an idiot for a manager and this really shouldn't be any surprise to anyone.

I would love to see them light a fire under the team by firing Robin's ass tomorrow, but there's not a chance in hell of that. If we can manage to keep our heads above water and stay in this thing, I'd kill to see us get Carlos Gonzalez over here. Bruce would work too, I suppose.

It's still far too early for me to say anyone has "Abreu's number"... If so, and you have witnessed that this is the case. I have to ask, what is his "number"? How are they pitching him differently? How is it more effective? What weakness has it exposed in his swing/approach?

 

[msgkings322]

I would love to see them light a fire under the team by firing Robin's ass tomorrow, but there's not a chance in hell of that. If we can manage to keep our heads above water and stay in this thing, I'd kill to see us get Carlos Gonzalez over here. Bruce would work too, I suppose.

It's still far too early for me to say anyone has "Abreu's number"... If so, and you have witnessed that this is the case. I have to ask, what is his "number"? How are they pitching him differently? How is it more effective? What weakness has it exposed in his swing/approach?

They are pitching him inside and he can't handle it

 

[idseer]

I would love to see them light a fire under the team by firing Robin's ass tomorrow, but there's not a chance in hell of that. If we can manage to keep our heads above water and stay in this thing, I'd kill to see us get Carlos Gonzalez over here. Bruce would work too, I suppose.

It's still far too early for me to say anyone has "Abreu's number"... If so, and you have witnessed that this is the case. I have to ask, what is his "number"? How are they pitching him differently? How is it more effective? What weakness has it exposed in his swing/approach?

first they start him off with a good straight strike. he almost never swings at that first pitch. then they go inside where he invariably fouls them off with an awkward inside out kinda swing. once they get him with two strikes he cannot seem to lay off the slider down and away and he can't hit it. he even knows this and he still can't lay off it.

 

[richig07]

first they start him off with a good straight strike. he almost never swings at that first pitch. then they go inside where he invariably fouls them off with an awkward inside out kinda swing. once they get him with two strikes he cannot seem to lay off the slider down and away and he can't hit it. he even knows this and he still can't lay off it.

I understand this, but he's a very talented hitter. The league adjusted to him. It doesn't mean he cannot adjust back. He's just still in the early phase of this. Pretty much every great hitter has gone through a variation of this in their careers.

 

[idseer]

I understand this, but he's a very talented hitter. The league adjusted to him. It doesn't mean he cannot adjust back. He's just still in the early phase of this. Pretty much every great hitter has gone through a variation of this in their careers.

i hope you're right. it seems to be taking him a long time but maybe i'm just impatient. time will tell.

 

[idseer]

just reliving the old days here. this whole thread rings true still and the season is winding down now. no changes at the deadline (just like last year) and falling under .500 (just like last year). abreu still is a poor fielding weak hitting first baseman and has not adjusted to anything, still no catcher on this team and still no dh. the pitching has gotten MUCH worse and rv is still the manager. pretty sad.

and i'll be surprised if sale wins 20. hard to believe.