Park or Polka... Pick your Poison... Vargas should be DFAd... asaP

[Otto von Ballpark]

And as far as "hotter hand", Escobar was 1-for-12 since his big HR/2B/4 RBI game 10 days earlier. His lone hit was a single, pinch hitting with 2 outs in the 9th down 4 runs vs the Rockies.

 

Vargas had just homered off the Royals closer the previous game (a closer he had a decent chance of facing again in this game, even if the Twins didn't tie it up in the 7th).

 

I should note, I'm not calling for Molitor to be fired or anything.  I do think this move stretches the term "defensible" a bit.

[Pitz]

"Defensible"? - yeah, sure, whatever

 

"Wise" or "Savvy"? - nope, not so much

[Doomtints]

As much as people want to believe otherwise, Escobar is just filler.

 

But let's be sane for a minute. Yesterday was a back-to-back DOUBLE HEADER. In such situations managers are always making strange decisions because they have to try to keep everyone fresh. Let it go.

[yarnivek1972]

Probably a function of SSS.

 

My point isn't even that the move was "right", only that it was defensible. I've said multiple times that I wouldn't have pinch-hit in that situation.

 

My problem comes from people conflating an opinion with correctness. This was a defensible move. It didn't work out. That's baseball.

 

Inversely, had Escobar hit a homer in that situation, I wouldn't be back-slapping Molitor for the move. It would have been a risk that panned out. That's also baseball.

 

Ask yourself if it ever makes sense to pinch hit for your DH. He has one job. To hit. If there comes a situation where he should not be hitting, maybe he shouldn't have been the DH to begin with.

 

You call it a defensible move. I disagree. More on general principle than results. Pinch hitting for your DH THAT early. IMO blunder number one. Pinch hitting a guy who's "success" vs LHP this year is mostly tied to sample size IMO blunder number two. As has been pointed out, Vargas' struggles vs LHP this year are also likely sample size. He's a consistently more dangerous hitter vs RHP, but he's usually better than he has been vs LHP. I would have had less of an issue if Grossman had pinch hit. He's simply a considerably better hitter than Escobar, especially vs LHP. Vargas, much like Kepler, won't find a groove vs LHP - as he did last season - if he doesn't face them.

 

The very miniscule odds that Escobar was going to provide a game tying hit in that spot do not outweigh all the drawbacks I have mentioned IMO. You are certainly entitled to your opinion that it was defensible. I am also entitled to mine.

[wsnydes]

 

As much as people want to believe otherwise, Escobar is just filler.

 

But let's be sane for a minute. Yesterday was a back-to-back DOUBLE HEADER. In such situations managers are always making strange decisions because they have to try to keep everyone fresh. Let it go.

I'm not sure that I understand your point.  Escobar was a filler?  Was Vargas going to be worn down by two extra PAs as a DH?  If we were talking about a catcher that was going to catch both legs of the double header, I'd agree with you but since we're talking a DH that played 1B and the PH that played 3B in the second game, I'm not sure that I understand.

 

Keep in mind that I didn't like Molitor's decision at all, but I understand what he was doing.  I'm honestly just trying to understand your angle on it.

[Ryan Atkins]

 

As of this time:

 

Vargas > Park > Palka.

 

There.

 

Now let's move on.

 

I agree with this, see no reason to drop Vargas at this point in the season.

 

However, if Vargas went down or out, I would be more inclined to promote Matt Hague than either Park or Palka. He had a really good spring and is doing well at Rochester. And he can fill in at 1B or 3B, so if a trade of Escobar materialized, you would still have a 3B backup.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I agree with this, see no reason to drop Vargas at this point in the season.

 

However, if Vargas went down or out, I would be more inclined to promote Matt Hague than either Park or Palka. He had a really good spring and is doing well at Rochester. And he can fill in at 1B or 3B, so if a trade of Escobar materialized, you would still have a 3B backup.

Hague has a 106 wRC+ at Rochester.  His isolated power ranks 10th on the team.  And this is his 6th season in the International League.  He turns 32 years old in August. Unless it was an emergency, I don't think he should be anywhere near the roster.

 

In the unlikely event that Escobar was traded, Adrianza could be the 3B backup too.  Gimenez is also nominally a backup at 1B and 3B as well.

[jokin]

 

I'm not sure that I understand your point.  Escobar was a filler?  Was Vargas going to be worn down by two extra PAs as a DH?  If we were talking about a catcher that was going to catch both legs of the double header, I'd agree with you but since we're talking a DH that played 1B and the PH that played 3B in the second game, I'm not sure that I understand.

 

Keep in mind that I didn't like Molitor's decision at all, but I understand what he was doing.  I'm honestly just trying to understand your angle on it.

 

I'm in love with this post.

[jokin]

 

Ask yourself if it ever makes sense to pinch hit for your DH. He has one job. To hit. If there comes a situation where he should not be hitting, maybe he shouldn't have been the DH to begin with.

You call it a defensible move. I disagree. More on general principle than results. Pinch hitting for your DH THAT early. IMO blunder number one. Pinch hitting a guy who's "success" vs LHP this year is mostly tied to sample size IMO blunder number two. As has been pointed out, Vargas' struggles vs LHP this year are also likely sample size. He's a consistently more dangerous hitter vs RHP, but he's usually better than he has been vs LHP. I would have had less of an issue if Grossman had pinch hit. He's simply a considerably better hitter than Escobar, especially vs LHP. Vargas, much like Kepler, won't find a groove vs LHP - as he did last season - if he doesn't face them.

The very miniscule odds that Escobar was going to provide a game tying hit in that spot do not outweigh all the drawbacks I have mentioned IMO. You are certainly entitled to your opinion that it was defensible. I am also entitled to mine.

 

I'm similarly infatuated with this post. 

[jokin]

 

And as far as "hotter hand", Escobar was 1-for-12 since his big HR/2B/4 RBI game 10 days earlier. His lone hit was a single, pinch hitting with 2 outs in the 9th down 4 runs vs the Rockies.

 

Vargas had just homered off the Royals closer the previous game (a closer he had a decent chance of facing again in this game, even if the Twins didn't tie it up in the 7th).

 

I should note, I'm not calling for Molitor to be fired or anything.  I do think this move stretches the term "defensible" a bit.

 

Too much truth alert!

[PseudoSABR]

 

I'm similarly infatuated with this post. 

There's a like feature, fyi.

[wsnydes]

 

I'm in love with this post.

Not even a hint of a proper courtship?!

 

I had a second sentence, but after four revisions I gave up because they all sounded too sexual.

[jokin]

By the way and FWIW. Molly has our favorite utility player back in the DH saddle tonight vs. the Orioles- but this time it's Esco against RHSP, Ubaldo Jimenez. 

 

Escobar is 4/7 vs Jimenez, including a HR and 3 Doubles, so Molly this time is going with a little evidence to back his hunch.

[Mike Sixel]

 

By the way and FWIW. Molly has our favorite utility player back in the DH saddle tonight vs. the Orioles- but this time it's Esco against RHSP, Ubaldo Jimenez. 

 

Escobar is 4/7 vs Jimenez, including a HR and 3 Doubles, so Molly this time is going with a little evidence to back his hunch.

 

If he's basing it on that, um, well, um. 

[yarnivek1972]

If Escobar gets more at bats than Vargas this year, I would consider that inexcusable.

[drjim]

Kind of an evergreen thought, but people on here would complain if they got hung with a new rope.

[jokin]

 

If Escobar gets more at bats than Vargas this year, I would consider that inexcusable.

 

Sadly, if Escobar gets more at bats than Vargas this year, I would consider that inevitable.