Texas Rangers vs. LA Angels 8/5-8/7

[DT LUNA]

Need one or two more insurance runs. Hoover almost let it get away.

 

[jta4437]

The thing is ... there are so few LH SPs that you can't keep your RH platoon bats tuned to be effective when they are called on to play. It has affected Gentry ... and is going to affect Butler too.

I am beginning to believe that platoons work against you in the long run. I understand the troubles that LH bats have with LHP. Growing up how many LHP are there in Little League, etc? LH batters may go a whole month without seeing an effective LHP growing up. When they get to professional baseball though they see a whole lot more and they are all lots better than they ever saw before. And they then really really struggle. That's where the LOOGY comes from. How many ROOGYs have you seen?

Found this ... Lefthanders = 1/10 of U.S. population, 1/6 position players, 1/3 pitchers
.33 - percentage of left-handed pitchers
.16 - percentage of left-handed position players
.10 - percentage of left-handers in US population
Pete's Baseball Number Reference Page

Conversely ... RH hitters grew up batting against RH pitchers and as they progress they see more and more good RHP.

What if A. Beltre, Kinsler and Andrus were platooned just because they were RH batters? Reason they are successful against even the best RH pitchers is because they are playing them every day.

Am I saying that Gentry would be as successful BA/OBP against RH pitchers as are Beltre, Kinsler and Elvis? Just don't know because Gentry simply doesn't get the exposure. At Frisco in 2009 he hit .303 .378 .418 .796 every day and at OKC in 2010 he hit .309 .393 .413 .806. So he had to be hitting RHP then!

Sure ... ML pitchers are better than those at AA or AAA ... but if a guy is hitting .300 every day above AA ... then he ought to not be pigeonholed into a platoon at the ML-level just because he is a RH OBP bat.

If Gentry were a power bat ... he'd be facing RHP just because of the chance he connects and gets used to strong ML RHP. And since high OBP guys don't tend to go on long slumps or try to be something they aren't ... I imagine a high OBP RH bat would be more successful as an every day player than a power RH bat.

Are we all over justifying Gentry PT over Murphy on a night where Murphy went 0-5 and Gentry came in late and did what he does best to create a cushion run? I don't think so. I think Wash has fallen in love with being able to start an all LH batting OF. Were E.Beltre a RHbat ... Gentry would be starting every game.

And ... Joey Butler gets a shot at the biggies because he's a RH hitter when the best all around OF at AAA is probably Jim Adduci who can play all three positions plus 1b ... but is a LH bat. If Butler doesn't get to play then who cares if he is a RH bat. Better might have been to acquire Adduci's contract if you weren't going to go out and get a RH bat and Butler was all you had.

I was oversimplifying it, but I agree, Gentry should also play against some RHPs, never was implying that he shouldn't

Same with Butler

 

[fordman84]

Did I miss something? Where is Baker in those matchups?

 

[jaar01]

Chapman time.

 

[dammittman]

101 mph, damn.

 

[DT LUNA]

Reds win 6-5. Go Rangers

 

[dammittman]

BALLGAME!!!! And 103 mph. Holy crap!!

 

[Jbear]

Good game Oak... nice try but another loss. Luck is fickle sometimes.

 

[Sexy]

Reds win!
We have a chance to tie Oakland.

 

[Duane1952]

Alright A's lose again. Tie it up tonight rangers. Ogando do your job.

 

[RevSader]

Reds win!
We have a chance to tie Oakland.

Lead is our if we win tonight. 8-5 vs the A's trumps all ties.

 

[Jbear]

Wonder if Ogando is going to improve any in the game tonight? If he can get 6 innings and 2 or less runs I will be thrilled.

 

[Hambombs]

Jed Lowrie had no chance against Chapman In that at bat 101,101, then 103 WOW

 

[Sexy]

Lead is our if we win tonight. 8-5 vs the A's trumps all ties.

Sweet.

 

[jaar01]

half game out! Let's bring the brooms and head to H-Town tied for 1st!

 

[Windingmywatch]

Did I miss something? Where is Baker in those matchups?

I actually think that Baker is totally screwed with this roster and how Profar is being used. With Profar playing three IF spots and the replaced guy DHing ... and Profar DHing ... Baker has become the UIF. He may get some work at 1b against LHP but Profar's PT is going to have more of an effect than anything on Baker's options. If Baker were to play LF ... then why is Butler on the roster?

Going the rest of the way IMO ... the TEX success could be based on how effective its bench RH bats play. It's a balancing act and TEX tendency to go so strictly platoon thinking it keeps the RH bats in the game I think is flawed.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Lead is our if we win tonight. 8-5 vs the A's trumps all ties.

Ostensibly tied if TEX wins ... but OAK will lead by .001

OAK 64-49 = .566
TEX 65-50 = .565

 

[RevSader]

I actually think that Baker is totally screwed with this roster and how Profar is being used. With Profar playing three IF spots and the replaced guy DHing ... and Profar DHing ... Baker has become the UIF. He may get some work at 1b against LHP but Profar's PT is going to have more of an effect than anything on Baker's options. If Baker were to play LF ... then why is Butler on the roster?

Going the rest of the way IMO ... the TEX success could be based on how effective its bench RH bats play. It's a balancing act and TEX tendency to go so strictly platoon thinking it keeps the RH bats in the game I think is flawed.

Yeah when I looked last night and saw Baker only had 110 PA I couldn't believe it. Find the guy some ABs.

 

[RevSader]

Ostensibly tied if TEX wins ... but OAK will lead by .001

OAK 64-49 = .566
TEX 65-50 = .565

How have those fuckers played a full 2 games less? Could their schedule be any more easy to this point in the season...

 

[TheRangerDude]

Sweet, the A's lost... if we can get it sweep tonight, back in first baby