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wsnydes

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Everything posted by wsnydes

  1. wsnydes
    This is why, I believe, that great players make for terrible coaches/managers. HoF type players have so much come naturally to them that it's difficult for them to understand that some things need to be taught. Even if they understand that things need to be taught, they need to actually teach it in a way that players with less talent can understand and accomplish. The best coaches/managers, in my view, are those that are borderline major league caliber players that must get by with doing the little things correctly to get every ounce of talent they have out. They have to figure things out on their own to maximize their own abilities and that background helps others in the same situation when it comes to coaching them up down the road.
  2. wsnydes
    I never liked the Molitor hiring. I always, and still do, feel that it was simply placating a fanbase that wanted him as the manager. I've always respected his playing career and his baseball IQ was widely known even during his playing days. However, I was always worried about bringing a rookie manager into the dugout to manage and oversee the emergence of what was supposed to be the future core of this franchise. I've seen nothing to sway me from that initial opinion and I honestly believe that things are worse than I could have imagined. Not all of that is on Molitor. Buxton and Sano struggling is more on the player than the coaches, but they do have a hand in it. I think it's a valid, and frankly indicting, statement that Molitor has been unable to pass along his own strengths to his players. If he can't do that, what has he actually gotten through to his players? That might be the most telling part of his tenure. Game management is one thing, what he's able to impart on his players is another. His game management is suspect at best, so if he can't teach these guys effectively, how effective as a manager can he possibly be?
  3. wsnydes
    Seattle has made a deal or two as well. Arizona made one too I believe.
  4. wsnydes
    In previous years, I agree that it was more obvious that they weren't on the same page for the reasons you stated. I still don't think that they are, but I tend to agree that it's less obvious. The glaring evidence is how Molitor uses the pieces he has, but I think that tells me what I need to know.
  5. wsnydes
    I agree with the FO take. There are limits to how culpable the FO is on who Molitor plays. I'm not suggesting that they just bend to everything Molitor wants by any stretch. It's the managers job to use the pieces he is given. In this particular case, I don't think it matters who the FO brings in to help. Molitor won't use them anyway. Judging by the number of players Molitor basically refuses to use though, it makes me wonder if they're not on the same page. I agree with what you say about managers winning and losing games. My feelings are that few managers make a large impact in either direction, most basically tread water with their decision making. Their outcome neutral. The really good managers may steal more games than average, and bad managers may lose games that should be won more often. The rest are basically in the middle. I too, feel that where Molitor lies in this discussion is pretty obvious. Ultimately it's the players that decide games, but putting players in a position to succeed is on the manager.
  6. wsnydes
    Definitely true. I think that's what frustrates me most - they had a lead and Molitor let his starter keep going. I didn't mind that Lynn came out to start the inning, but he should have been yanked after the triple. Waiting until the damage is done is too late. At that point, Lynn may as well have finished the inning.
  7. wsnydes
    All managers are great when their players play well. It's when they're not that makes a good manager look good. I'm with you on the no Plan B type. He seems awfully rigid in his ways when it comes to who he's playing. It's like he's got his favorites and if you don't get that label, you ain't playing. That's also not a good thing to have in a manager. That's also on the FO to some extent. If the roster is half full of guys the manager won't play, they need to find someone that he will.
  8. wsnydes
    That has nothing to do with his work ethic, just his situational awareness.
  9. wsnydes
    I think he knows a lot about baseball...but does not have the knack for managing. Great players don't always, if not rarely, make good managers. I respect the hell out of his playing career, but I can't wait for his manager tenure to end. I didn't like that it started in the first place.
  10. wsnydes
    Mauer activated in Sano's spot. Haven't seen anything on Cave yet.
  11. wsnydes
    Agree completely. I'd rather go down being aggressive in this case. I think it'll help more than it hurts you in the long run. This is especially true with this offense where putting the ball in play is an issue more than it should be. You've got to take advantage of contact.
  12. wsnydes
    I think Wile E Coyote and ACME were impressed!
  13. wsnydes
    A bit of bad luck too though. It wasn't filled with self inflicted errors like HBP and walks. At least the batter still has to hit the hittable pitch. This is probably splitting hairs though. He's clearly not right and Molitor keeps trotting him out there as often as he's ever done.
  14. wsnydes
    You say that as if it wasn't already the case!
  15. wsnydes
    We hadn't seen the FRE in at least five days, no wonder he came out for the nineth. Good thing he didn't overwork himself...
  16. wsnydes
    Some things you just bring upon yourself.
  17. wsnydes
    I'd hate to say "same story, same comment" but I'm not sure what to say anymore. Frustrating. With Detroit winning, they open a bit of a gap too.
  18. wsnydes
    Which makes the Duffy move even more baffling. He's been effective and clearly Reed and Pressly are overused, so why reduce the bullpen by another arm? I suppose that the logic could be that Molitor isn't going to use any other bullpen pieces anyway, why not bring up another position player... though I'm curious to see if he actually uses Cave.
  19. wsnydes
    Thank you for all of your work on these, Tom. My work/life balance has really sucked the past two years and my time here, as well as games watched, has dwindled as a result. These game wraps are the one thing I make sure that I read each morning regardless of whether I caught the previous night's game or not. Thank you and keep 'em coming!
  20. wsnydes
    I'm a big believer of doing the little things well. Close games go beyond managing and individual play, but collectively doing the little things well reduces the impact that luck plays into the outcomes of these types of games. Doing the little things goes back to the manager preparing his team. The disparity between the two managers is quite staggering.
  21. wsnydes
    I think it was replaced with "studly" in the 90's. I don't know what that was replaced by though. We might need Vanimal's input on that one.
  22. wsnydes
    I think you're right though. The injuries can't be the reason that this team is playing as poorly as it is. Should there be some expected drop in production as a whole? Sure, but players that are healthy aren't producing either, generally speaking. Dozier hasn't hit since the first week and a half of the season. Rosario and Escobar got hot for a while, but have cooled off. Same with Kepler. LoMo has been fine after a very rough start. Castro wasn't hitting before he was shut down. Garver hasn't hit well enough to compensate for his lackluster glove. Polanco's suspension has hurt them too. The pitching staff has done pretty well without May and Santana. Do the injuries contribute? Absolutely, but that's a pretty small part of the story in my view. The injuries and the suspension are outside of the team's control, but the lack of quality depth on the left side of the infield and a 4th outfielder are hurting this team just as much as the injuries. Those two things are firmly within the control of the FO.
  23. wsnydes
    It would seem that the pain would explain some things, maybe not all of them, but at least some of them for Buxton. I can't imagine that a broken toe is easy to play though. As odd as it is to say, I think this team can more easily absorb Santana's absence than they can Buxton. The rotation has been very solid without him, meanwhile the outfield defense suffers without Buxton. Hopefully both can get back healthy and still contribute meaningfully this season.
  24. wsnydes
    Awesome idea and great article! Thanks for putting this together, Tom!
  25. wsnydes
    I'm not a fan of sending him down, but maybe sitting a couple of days helps. I'd rather he be working with the big league coaches, but beyond that I'm willing to listen to any ideas. This team needs him to get going.
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