kiowaman
05-17-2011, 07:00 AM
I can't figure out why even Wedge can't figure out the ups and downs of Brandon League. The game which he blew in Cleveland should have told Eric that after the first batter it was time to get him out if he wanted to win the game!
With the good fortune of being a nutcase as I am I make sure I get to see as much baseball as possible, thus thanks to directtv and a wife that has become as nuts about the game I had the chance to see him in Toronto at times and he was and still is as predictable as one can be.
Just like we saw at times last season and now this year when League is on he is very good. His pitches move and are tough to hit. Unfortunately, when he is bad he is real bad. All he throws up there are pitches that frankly could be sitting on a tee for the hitters. I don't care if he throws a hundred miles an hour if the pitches he throws dont' move and are straight down the pike they are going to get hit hard. That is what has happened over his last five outings! Yet, even though Wedge saw this guy before he allowed him to blow the game again! At cleveland a shot for a double to left for the first batter and then another one as hard even though it should have been caught most likely. Carlos looked like he had daffy ducks feet out there nearly tripping over himself to get turned to the ball. Yet, despite getting Jamie up if I remember right in the bullpen he did not drag it out to get him warmed up and into the game before League threw another pitch. Instead you saw what happened! More hard shots, even the outs! So when he fired another fastball down the middle that didn't move with two outs to Hafner as soon as I heard the crack of the bat our only hope was that it would be close enough to the fence that Saunders might have a shot at making a game saving catch! Nada!
I feel bad for Brandon but....this isn't tee ball or little league. He is getting paid to pitch good not bad.
Of course, and once again a continuing lack of consistent offense didn't help either. The M's had chance after chance to add runs but thanks to only a couple of bats you can count on to drive in runs, and most of the time one the M's lost the game.
Now Jack, I wonder if you have given up the season deciding that we are going to finish last anyway and will just go with what you have despite the fact that if one would notice we are not in a real tough division so far! The M's are not that far out where if we added a couple of real bats to the lineup, even if we have to give up someone, this team just might be able to find itself in a race for the playoffs! Oh I know..there goes crazy Kiowaman again! Yeah I know, but....we have Smoak coming around and his recent offensive output makes me back off of him. Maybe we have ourselves a winner! Maybe! With the starting pitching coming around for the most part...I am still not sold on Bedard....he is due for another injury or breakdown in the future.....but hey what are you going to do? Afterall he has been such a plus for the team since we gave him up for Adam Jones and George Sherrill..huh? The bullpen is somewhat okay...still need another lefty, and a closer! If League isn't the one, and with Ards likely gone we cannot depend on White or Pauley or whoever to do the job everytime when need a stop in the ninth! Besides weren't the M's trying to get rid of Ards in the first place? Too bad we couldn't get rid of him before the season started!
So the M's need two more fairly experienced bats that we can count on to come up with the hits when needed and bats that can excite the home fans. Maybe then we could see more in the seats that what we do!
Or perhaps, and I know I couldn't get a whole post without bringing up Ichiro but maybe just maybe if someone would sit down and tell him that dude...eighteen million son.....you have some power in that bat..still.....time to start using it. I have yet to see him dig in and really try and send one to the parking lot, or at least to the hamburger stand in right field...I can't remember if there is one but you know what I mean. He needs to step up and earn the money he gets paid instead of just continuing with his little taps here and there. I have seen pitches several times so far this season that he could turn on like he has in the past and he either lets them go for a strike or he intentionally pulls the hands in again and again so he can slap a little something to the left so he can get a single!
He made the comment back in Japan in the offseason...again that he hated losing, etc..etc...etc...but going after his two hundred again with little slaps of the ball aren't going to get the job done when he brings more than he is showing at the plate folks. It is time he hits the gaps...get some triples...and hit a homerun every once in a while! 'Then perhaps we would actually have one more bat we could count on when runners are in scoring position. He has had numerous chances this season to add up the rbi's as well as hits and hasn't! Come on son! Step up!
Anyway...have been under the weather a bit lately so have missed some posts and a couple of games here and there but another losing streak, this one of six doesn't keep the team in a race that I have no doubt that the M's could stay close if a couple of ingredients were added. The question is, will Jack actually wake up and get some new spices or has he and the other big shots decided that they don't want to compete this season or next?
If so why don't those in charge go work for Pittsburg?
Go M's@
With the good fortune of being a nutcase as I am I make sure I get to see as much baseball as possible, thus thanks to directtv and a wife that has become as nuts about the game I had the chance to see him in Toronto at times and he was and still is as predictable as one can be.
Just like we saw at times last season and now this year when League is on he is very good. His pitches move and are tough to hit. Unfortunately, when he is bad he is real bad. All he throws up there are pitches that frankly could be sitting on a tee for the hitters. I don't care if he throws a hundred miles an hour if the pitches he throws dont' move and are straight down the pike they are going to get hit hard. That is what has happened over his last five outings! Yet, even though Wedge saw this guy before he allowed him to blow the game again! At cleveland a shot for a double to left for the first batter and then another one as hard even though it should have been caught most likely. Carlos looked like he had daffy ducks feet out there nearly tripping over himself to get turned to the ball. Yet, despite getting Jamie up if I remember right in the bullpen he did not drag it out to get him warmed up and into the game before League threw another pitch. Instead you saw what happened! More hard shots, even the outs! So when he fired another fastball down the middle that didn't move with two outs to Hafner as soon as I heard the crack of the bat our only hope was that it would be close enough to the fence that Saunders might have a shot at making a game saving catch! Nada!
I feel bad for Brandon but....this isn't tee ball or little league. He is getting paid to pitch good not bad.
Of course, and once again a continuing lack of consistent offense didn't help either. The M's had chance after chance to add runs but thanks to only a couple of bats you can count on to drive in runs, and most of the time one the M's lost the game.
Now Jack, I wonder if you have given up the season deciding that we are going to finish last anyway and will just go with what you have despite the fact that if one would notice we are not in a real tough division so far! The M's are not that far out where if we added a couple of real bats to the lineup, even if we have to give up someone, this team just might be able to find itself in a race for the playoffs! Oh I know..there goes crazy Kiowaman again! Yeah I know, but....we have Smoak coming around and his recent offensive output makes me back off of him. Maybe we have ourselves a winner! Maybe! With the starting pitching coming around for the most part...I am still not sold on Bedard....he is due for another injury or breakdown in the future.....but hey what are you going to do? Afterall he has been such a plus for the team since we gave him up for Adam Jones and George Sherrill..huh? The bullpen is somewhat okay...still need another lefty, and a closer! If League isn't the one, and with Ards likely gone we cannot depend on White or Pauley or whoever to do the job everytime when need a stop in the ninth! Besides weren't the M's trying to get rid of Ards in the first place? Too bad we couldn't get rid of him before the season started!
So the M's need two more fairly experienced bats that we can count on to come up with the hits when needed and bats that can excite the home fans. Maybe then we could see more in the seats that what we do!
Or perhaps, and I know I couldn't get a whole post without bringing up Ichiro but maybe just maybe if someone would sit down and tell him that dude...eighteen million son.....you have some power in that bat..still.....time to start using it. I have yet to see him dig in and really try and send one to the parking lot, or at least to the hamburger stand in right field...I can't remember if there is one but you know what I mean. He needs to step up and earn the money he gets paid instead of just continuing with his little taps here and there. I have seen pitches several times so far this season that he could turn on like he has in the past and he either lets them go for a strike or he intentionally pulls the hands in again and again so he can slap a little something to the left so he can get a single!
He made the comment back in Japan in the offseason...again that he hated losing, etc..etc...etc...but going after his two hundred again with little slaps of the ball aren't going to get the job done when he brings more than he is showing at the plate folks. It is time he hits the gaps...get some triples...and hit a homerun every once in a while! 'Then perhaps we would actually have one more bat we could count on when runners are in scoring position. He has had numerous chances this season to add up the rbi's as well as hits and hasn't! Come on son! Step up!
Anyway...have been under the weather a bit lately so have missed some posts and a couple of games here and there but another losing streak, this one of six doesn't keep the team in a race that I have no doubt that the M's could stay close if a couple of ingredients were added. The question is, will Jack actually wake up and get some new spices or has he and the other big shots decided that they don't want to compete this season or next?
If so why don't those in charge go work for Pittsburg?
Go M's@