Pitchers And Catchers Report

[Butcher]

With guys like Bradley, A-Ram and Alf on the team, our backups are pretty vital.

- Gaithwright
- Miles
- Hoff?
- Bako
- ?

Our bench/utility players look mighty shitty, if you ask me.

[Clapp]

Huh KB? We don't have lots of mediocrity. We have a damn good baseball team. Look around at the rest of the league, things aren't nearly as bad with this team as people make it out to be. Aaron Miles is a good baseball player. It's not easy to hit .317. The Cardinals are going to miss him this year.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=19395:date=Feb 20 2009, 03:06 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 20 2009, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->With guys like Bradley, A-Ram and Alf on the team, our backups are pretty vital.

- Gaithwright
- Miles
- Hoff?
- Bako
- ?

Our bench/utility players look mighty shitty, if you ask me.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Gathright is maybe the fastest guy in baseball, that's what we're using him for.

Miles is a good baseball player and can play all over the place.

Hoffpauir is a fine lefty bat that would be starting for some AL teams.

Bako is a backup catcher. He's good defensively and knows how to work with pitchers well. This is all you want out of a backup catcher.

We're going to either lead the league or be up there in the top 3 in runs scored. We're going to be right up there across the board. All of this complaining is insane. We're going to win the division and it won't be close. Is the team better off for the playoffs right now? I think so. It sure wasn't working with what we had last year. And when we're there, we're not going to be playing the Bako's. Gathright will be our Dave Roberts.

Also, you're not living anywhere close to reality if you think that whatever problems there are won't be solved during the season like Hendry does every single trade deadline. Oh shit we might need a backup shortstop or second baseman? Oh fuck I feel shit dripping down my leg how will they survive in this mighty division with Aaron Miles? So what if he hit .317, ten other guys in baseball did. There's no way we can find a backup infielder during the season!

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Oh fuck I feel shit dripping down my leg how will they survive in this mighty division with Aaron Miles?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/spit.gif[/img]

[Fella]

<!--quoteo(post=19395:date=Feb 20 2009, 03:06 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 20 2009, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->With guys like Bradley, A-Ram and Alf on the team, our backups are pretty vital.

- Gaithwright
- Miles
- Hoff?
- Bako
- ?

Our bench/utility players look mighty shitty, if you ask me.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

one of either Fuk or Reed will be coming off the bench

[Fella]

<!--quoteo(post=19397:date=Feb 20 2009, 03:19 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Feb 20 2009, 03:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Oh shit we might need a backup shortstop or second baseman? Oh fuck I feel shit dripping down my leg how will they survive in this mighty division with Aaron Miles? So what if he hit .317, ten other guys in baseball did. There's no way we can find a backup infielder during the season!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/spit.gif[/img]

[ruby23]

Regardless if we sign another backup MI or some who can start at SS or 2B, we absolutely have to get one soon. We only have 3 guys on the entire 40 man that can play MI and those are Fontenot, Theriot, and Miles. We can't enter the season with only those three on the 25 man, let alone the 40 man. We need to add another guy through trade or FA before the season starts.

[Clapp]

I think we'll still sign one, but if somebody were to get hurt or suck, we'll just acquire one during the season. That's what our prospects are for and why it's nice we didn't deal any of them. Any team that's not in contention with veteran utility-type infielders will surely be willing to unload them for a prospect.

[Butcher]

What will our lineup look like when Alf and Bradley are both out for an extended period of time? Because you almost have to count on that at some point. Or Bradley/Ramirez? Or Bradley/Soto?

I wouldn't be so concerned about this if we didn't have to count on Bradley missing 60 games a year.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=19417:date=Feb 20 2009, 05:05 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 20 2009, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What will our lineup look like when Alf and Bradley are both out for an extended period of time? Because you almost have to count on that at some point. Or Bradley/Ramirez? Or Bradley/Soto?

I wouldn't be so concerned about this if we didn't have to count on Bradley missing 60 games a year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Again, Alf's not injury prone. He hurt his hamstring once. Besides that, he got hit in the hand by a fastball. I don't care who you are, you're likely getting hurt there. Bradley's a different story, but we'll just be doing what we did last year: play Fukudome. You know, that awful player that had 590 plate appearances last year and we still won the division by about 80 games?

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Marmol time: Carlos Marmol is hedging on playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, so he can concentrate on competing with Kevin Gregg for the closer's role.

"I told him the other day that while he's over there [practicing with his WBC team], Gregg is going to be throwing the ball 98 miles per hour over here and getting people out," manager Lou Piniella said with a laugh.

Piniella said he really doesn't mind if Marmol wants to pitch in the WBC.

Extra innings: Pitcher John White, a non-roster invitee, was released after failing a physical. Minor-league right-hander Brian Schlitter, a Maine South grad acquired for Scott Eyre last August, was brought to camp to take White's place.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Link(Tribune)

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->He's hoping one of the young right-handers -- Kevin Hart, Angel Guzman or Jose Ascanio -- can put a stake on one late-inning role. He's also hoping a veteran right-hander -- Chad Gaudin, Luis Vizcaino or Aaron Heilman -- can do a better job in Howry's old role.

Piniella also needs a trusty left-hander for the late innings, either the inconsistent Neal Cotts or the aging Mike Stanton.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It's really looking like Shark's going to be in Iowa as a starter.

[jeffy]

<!--quoteo(post=19417:date=Feb 20 2009, 07:05 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 20 2009, 07:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What will our lineup look like when Alf and Bradley are both out for an extended period of time? Because you almost have to count on that at some point. Or Bradley/Ramirez? Or Bradley/Soto?

I wouldn't be so concerned about this if we didn't have to count on Bradley missing 60 games a year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Man, if only Hoff could hold down a corner outfield spot......

[Scarey]

I think the pro-Miles people are blowing the anti-Miles people's argument out of proportion.

Me being an anti-Miles person (I would hardly call it anti-Miles, I'm just not gun-ho on him), I can tell you that I hope to see some great baseball from him this year. However, I'm not going to drink the kool-aid here and talk about him being a .300 hitter and capable utility player when he's <b>not</b>.

He can play second base well and is a sub par defender in other spots.

He hit .300 last year for the first time in his career and his career OBP is .329

I expect Miles to hit around .280/.320/.370 and play subpar defense. Does that mean I think we need to get a better utility player? NO IT DOESN'T! But, that doesn't mean that I'm happy to see him being the only other SS option besides Theriot.

I would be happy with a strong glove up the middle on the infield. It could be a terrible hitter as long as it's someone we can rely on for solid defense. Do that, and I'll be happy to see Miles platoon at second and occasionally fill in at SS, 3B, and the OF.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=19436:date=Feb 20 2009, 06:39 PM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Feb 20 2009, 06:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I think the pro-Miles people are blowing the anti-Miles people's argument out of proportion.

Me being an anti-Miles person (I would hardly call it anti-Miles, I'm just not gun-ho on him), I can tell you that I hope to see some great baseball from him this year. However, I'm not going to drink the kool-aid here and talk about him being a .300 hitter and capable utility player when he's <b>not</b>.

He can play second base well and is a sub par defender in other spots.

He hit .300 last year for the first time in his career and his career OBP is .329

<b>I expect Miles to hit around .280/.320/.370 and play subpar defense.</b> Does that mean I think we need to get a better utility player? NO IT DOESN'T! But, that doesn't mean that I'm happy to see him being the only other SS option besides Theriot.

I would be happy with a strong glove up the middle on the infield. It could be a terrible hitter as long as it's someone we can rely on for solid defense. Do that, and I'll be happy to see Miles platoon at second and occasionally fill in at SS, 3B, and the OF.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He's a fine second baseman and he's a Theriot at SS, it's not going to kill us. As I've said, he's also going to get a ton of at bats right-handed where his obp over his career is 30 points higher than it is left-handed. He also hit .290 and then .317 the last 2 years, why do you "expect" him to hit .280?