I guess Dusty Baker is ESPN's newest baseball analyst. A quote from his debut, courtesy of Firejoemorgan.com
Update:Bradl one reader took issue with my Dusty dissing, and he put together a great show with Mitch Easter last night so I'm (temporarily) recanting my assessment.
Dusty Baker is a managerial genius!
(David Wright) stole 20 bases last year, so you don't have to worry about him clogging up the bases at the top of the order
Google "Dusty+clogging up the bases" for enlightenment. As a manager, Dusty Baker hated "clogging up the bases". Unfortunately the main purpose of the game of baseball is to get guys on base (aka "clog up the bases"), so Dusty wasn't a very good (in-game ed.)manager. And now he's a not-very-good announcer. And baseball's loss is ESPN's gain.
Update:
Dusty Baker is a managerial genius!
2 comments:
Well, I guess I know what he means: Wright looks like he might be one of those lumbering, slow-footed white guys who you might not want to bat between the genuine base-stealing threats Reyes and Beltran, but he actually runs pretty well.
But here's the thing: if Willie hits Wright second (which I fervently hope he does) he'll be replacing the catcher Paul Lo Duca, who ain't fleet afoot (but is a very good situational hitter).
Wright is a btter choice for the #2 slot because he is a better hitter than Lo Duca. He hits for higher average, hits more doubles (which more often than not should score an onboard Reyes), and hits WAY more home runs than Lo Duca.
The Marlins employed this approach last year in their 1-2 slots and had much better productivity than the Mets.
The stats show a clear winning advantage for the team which scores first, so why not have your three best hitters up in the first inning? I always thought Jeter/A-Rod at the top made sense, and never understood why the Pirates used to bat Barry Bonds fifth.
Willie has hit Wright second in virtually every game this spring, but it might have all been a horrible tease: yesterday, three days before the season opener, suddenly Lo Duca was back to 2 and Wright was back to fifth.
Say it ain't so!
The stats show a clear winning advantage for the team which scores first, so why not have your three best hitters up in the first inning?
This makes sense. Good hitting all the time trumps "situational" hitting. Too many managers follow the old school fast guy, bat control hitter, power hitter lineup which is like giving runs away.
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