03-27-2009, 03:17 AM
All I wanted was a team that had a better chance to succeed in the playoffs and I really think that's the case with this group. Milton's exactly what they've been lacking in October: Fire, balls, wanting the big moment.
And laugh at all the lefty stuff you want(and I agree it's gotten a little too ridiculous if their reasoning for Bako over Blanco was that for example), but I totally agree that was a problem. We saw 6 pitchers, all right-handed(edit: I remember facing Doug Davis, so 5. still, a lot of right-handed pitching), and they all dominated us.
As a pitcher you can easily get in a groove when the entire lineup you're facing is all right-handed for example. You keep pitching to the same side of the plate, keep throwing the same pitches. All of a sudden when Milton or Fontenot show up at the plate, you can't make those same pitches. That fastball located on the outside half to a righty is all of a sudden a fastball right in Milton's wheelhouse. That slider to the righties is a pitch a left-handed hitter will hit onto Sheffield.
And another thing I like about Milton is that he's a switch-hitter, so we still won't have more than 2(Fuk, Fontenot) only left-handed hitters in the lineup, so opposing managers won't get to use their lefty specialists out of the pen against us much. If they do, Lou pinch hits with Reed or Miles, who hit left-handed pitching very well. This offense provides much more versatility and should be a headache for opposing managers.
We're still going to have maybe the most powerful lineup in the league, but when the wind is blowing in or our power hitters are slumping, we also have more speed and ability to play small ball. With our pitching, just scrapping a few runs together will win games.
Look, if we're in the AL or NL East, I don't know if I'd like this offseason nearly as much. You obviously have to get to the playoffs first. However, this division is bad. Really, really, really bad.
And laugh at all the lefty stuff you want(and I agree it's gotten a little too ridiculous if their reasoning for Bako over Blanco was that for example), but I totally agree that was a problem. We saw 6 pitchers, all right-handed(edit: I remember facing Doug Davis, so 5. still, a lot of right-handed pitching), and they all dominated us.
As a pitcher you can easily get in a groove when the entire lineup you're facing is all right-handed for example. You keep pitching to the same side of the plate, keep throwing the same pitches. All of a sudden when Milton or Fontenot show up at the plate, you can't make those same pitches. That fastball located on the outside half to a righty is all of a sudden a fastball right in Milton's wheelhouse. That slider to the righties is a pitch a left-handed hitter will hit onto Sheffield.
And another thing I like about Milton is that he's a switch-hitter, so we still won't have more than 2(Fuk, Fontenot) only left-handed hitters in the lineup, so opposing managers won't get to use their lefty specialists out of the pen against us much. If they do, Lou pinch hits with Reed or Miles, who hit left-handed pitching very well. This offense provides much more versatility and should be a headache for opposing managers.
We're still going to have maybe the most powerful lineup in the league, but when the wind is blowing in or our power hitters are slumping, we also have more speed and ability to play small ball. With our pitching, just scrapping a few runs together will win games.
Look, if we're in the AL or NL East, I don't know if I'd like this offseason nearly as much. You obviously have to get to the playoffs first. However, this division is bad. Really, really, really bad.
@TheBlogfines