ROCCO's LHP v LH

[Parfigliano]

Bites ass again.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

The move was let Wallner hit and then put Farmer in at 2b to replace Julien.

[TwinsCD]

Twins lefty hitters (not switch) vs LHP (stats entering Sunday):

Kepler -- .280/.313/.427, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 18K

Larnach -- .188/.235/.188, just 17 PA, 3 of 16 hitting, 6 K

Wallner -- .143/.294/.286, just 17 PA, 2 of 14 hitting, 2 BB, 9 K

Kiriloff -- 8 PA, 1 of 6 hitting with an RBI, 0 K

Julien -- .208/.269/.375, 28 PA, 5 of 24 hitting with a solo HR, 2 BB, 13 K

Larnach & Wallner are two of the better hitters on this team, especially now with Correa & Buxton being on IL.  Against lefties, we're stuck with a steady diet of Margot & Martin, 2 guys who are not a threat to go deep.  Your young lefties are never going to learn how to hit LHP unless they get opportunities to do so.  I shudder to think what Rocco would have done if given the 91 Twins roster.  Hrbek and Chili would have never had opportunities to hit (Hrbie hit .281 with 6 HR and Chili hit .270 with 11 HR in '91 vs LHP).  You can't be a slave to numbers and you have to take the training wheels off at some point.  Nobody in their right mind takes out a power hitter in place of a sub-.200 hitter in a big spot.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

19 minutes ago, TwinsCD said:

Twins lefty hitters (not switch) vs LHP (stats entering Sunday):

Kepler -- .280/.313/.427, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 18K

Larnach -- .188/.235/.188, just 17 PA, 3 of 16 hitting, 6 K

Wallner -- .143/.294/.286, just 17 PA, 2 of 14 hitting, 2 BB, 9 K

Kiriloff -- 8 PA, 1 of 6 hitting with an RBI, 0 K

Julien -- .208/.269/.375, 28 PA, 5 of 24 hitting with a solo HR, 2 BB, 13 K

Larnach & Wallner are two of the better hitters on this team, especially now with Correa & Buxton being on IL.  Against lefties, we're stuck with a steady diet of Margot & Martin, 2 guys who are not a threat to go deep.  Your young lefties are never going to learn how to hit LHP unless they get opportunities to do so.  I shudder to think what Rocco would have done if given the 91 Twins roster.  Hrbek and Chili would have never had opportunities to hit (Hrbie hit .281 with 6 HR and Chili hit .270 with 11 HR in '91 vs LHP).  You can't be a slave to numbers and you have to take the training wheels off at some point.  Nobody in their right mind takes out a power hitter in place of a sub-.200 hitter in a big spot.

Exactly. Odds of Wallner walking into one and hitting one out are higher than Farmer coming through in that spot.

[lecroy24fan]

If I wanted a RH in that spot I would have went with Vazquez and not Farmer.

[stringer bell]

10 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Exactly. Odds of Wallner walking into one and hitting one out are higher than Farmer coming through in that spot.

The Twins had a huge insurance run on third with less than two outs. Farmer is the better bet to bring in that run against a left handed pitcher. Wallner might be the better candidate for a big fly, but the low BA and high K rate make it more doubtful that he would get the run in.

22 minutes ago, lecroy24fan said:

If I wanted a RH in that spot I would have went with Velazquez and not Farmer.

I presume you mean Vázquez?

[stringer bell]

To expand further on the topic that has been here all year, the "training wheels" have been on all of the purely left handed hitters all season. Even Kepler has been shielded from lefties by riding the bench when a left handed starter is on the mound. It's probably too late for any left handed hitter to show they belong in the game against a lefty reliever (except Kepler). This was the decision that was made early in the year. I don't agree with the decision necessarily. 

We're going to see Margot, Farmer and Miranda hit for Larnach, Wallner and Julien. In the heat of a late August pennant chase it makes sense. The three left handed hitters haven't shown they can do damage against left handed pitching, although most of that is from lack of opportunity.

[USAFChief]

39 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

The Twins had a huge insurance run on third with less than two outs. Farmer is the better bet to bring in that run against a left handed pitcher. 

Farmer was never going to see a LH pitcher. And he didn't.

The options were Wallner against a LH reliever or Farmer against a new RH reliever. Or Vazquez, which seems like a better option, but managers are terrified of using their backup catcher. 

Farmer vs RH pitching 2024: .148/.245/.235

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

8 hours ago, stringer bell said:

The Twins had a huge insurance run on third with less than two outs. Farmer is the better bet to bring in that run against a left handed pitcher. Wallner might be the better candidate for a big fly, but the low BA and high K rate make it more doubtful that he would get the run in.

I presume you mean Vázquez?

I would have taken my chances with Wallner in a lefty-lefty matchup over Farmer in a righty-righty matchup. Entire stadium knew what was coming when Rocco sent Farmer out of the dugout. Now if we're talking about someone like Lewis or if they were available, Correa le Buxton, then absolutely. But to send up a struggling hitter who has one thing going for him - hitting lefties - and that one advantage is going to disappear...that's a tough one for me to understand.