Sunday's game

[CadaverDawg]

When you have good defensive players that can't hit you put them in during the 8th inning. And usually the players you put in arent batting .100 over the past few weeks.

Every game we see why Britton is in there. When is the last time we said anything close to "wow Wes' glove is so much better than anything else he HAS to play". I don't think he truly is THAT much better than Detz (or Garner) at 1B and being an automatic out shifts the scales so far to benching him it shouldn't even be a discussion. If he was so needed at 1B defensively he wouldn't be in a platoon to begin with. That proves we don't NEED his glove.

And dear God enough with the "we need Rea to make a run" talk. We're already running without him.

Don't know where to begin.

Did you see Detz drop a perfect throw in the SECT to cost us? When have you seen Garner's defensive ability at 1B?

Nobody said we couldn't get to a Regional final without Rea's bat....but if we want to get to Omaha, we'll need his bat.

And it's not like Garner and Detz are batting .325. Saying someone deserves to sit for not being a good hitter on this team is a little misleading. We would just have a catcher and 2nd baseman on the field if we benched all of our bad hitters.

[Goat Holder]

Don't know where to begin.

Did you see Detz drop a perfect throw in the SECT to cost us? When have you seen Garner's defensive ability at 1B?

Nobody said we couldn't get to a Regional final without Rea's bat....but if we want to get to Omaha, we'll need his bat.

And it's not like Garner and Detz are batting .325. Saying someone deserves to sit for not being a good hitter on this team is a little misleading. We would just have a catcher and 2nd baseman on the field if we benched all of our bad hitters.

Agree on all.

I love threads like this. Really brings to light who knows what the **** they are talking about and who doesn't.

[Pioneer Dawg]

Agree on all.

I love threads like this. Really brings to light who knows what the **** they are talking about and who doesn't.

It's all academic at this point because we probably aren't winning this regional right Goat**

Rea is not a "bad hitter" right now. In the jarbled mess he calls a swing there is something so far off that he cannot handle 84 mph sitting on that pitch. Automatic outs DO NOT PLAY. 4-37 with 10 K's since the Jacksonville St debacle. Again, if his glove is so important, why has he been platooning.

If we want to get to Omaha we need his bat.... To stay in the bat rack.

[DudyDawg]

It's all academic at this point because we probably aren't winning this regional right Goat**

Rea is not a "bad hitter" right now. In the jarbled mess he calls a swing there is something so far off that he cannot handle 84 mph sitting on that pitch. Automatic outs DO NOT PLAY. 4-37 with 10 K's since the Jacksonville St debacle. Again, if his glove is so important, why has he been platooning.

If we want to get to Omaha we need his bat.... To stay in the bat rack.

Wait, so Wes isn't a bad hitter but he shouldn't play because he can't hit?

[smootness]

Wait, so Wes isn't a bad hitter but he shouldn't play because he can't hit?

I think he was saying that calling him a bad hitter is giving him too much credit...that he isn't a hitter at all, he's just a walking out.

[Pioneer Dawg]

Wait, so Wes isn't a bad hitter but he shouldn't play because he can't hit?

I knew I should have spelled it out......

"Bad hitters" hit around .220-.240. Currently he is much worse than you categorical normal "bad hitter" in that he is so completely lost mechanically at the plate that a pitch has to be just at the right speed AND location for success to occur. This happens around 1 of every 10 at bats right now.

[DudyDawg]

Btw, according to this site (idk if they know*) Detz and Rea were identical yesterday. And I love garner, and want to see him and hump more, but he has 25% of the AB's. But I'm still not sure why you're acting like Detz has beat the cover off the ball.

http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/1680...B_OEM_ID=16800

We need Wes. He's struggled, yes, but he's a leader. He still has the power in his body even if he's struggling. And how many times does he catch a ball 8 feet high w no effort that a 6'0 1B wouldn't? Stats don't mean everything, especially at a defensive position like first

[Pioneer Dawg]

During the same time Detz has been 13-51 (.255) Not great, but not .108.

I want Garner though, especially if its that LHP. He's aggressive and will match up nicely with their down the line arms.

[DudyDawg]

During the same time Detz has been 13-51 (.255) Not great, but not .108.

I want Garner though, especially if its that LHP. He's aggressive and will match up nicely with their down the line arms.

I'm not trying to sit here and argue that Wes is hitting well. He isn't.
I've also praised garner a ton for being aggressive and said many times I want to see him. But at the end of the day, Wes is a team leader, he helped carry us to Omaha last year, and he provides the power we desperately need (although he hasn't shown it nearly enough this year, he can hit a bomb anytime, like at VA last season)
My post was just to point out that Detz isn't exactly an offensive power, and that if you have to choose between two guys with the same average, you take the better defender. And that's Wes no doubt about it.

[smootness]

I'm not trying to sit here and argue that Wes is hitting well. He isn't.
I've also praised garner a ton for being aggressive and said many times I want to see him. But at the end of the day, Wes is a team leader, he helped carry us to Omaha last year, and he provides the power we desperately need (although he hasn't shown it nearly enough this year, he can hit a bomb anytime, like at VA last season)
My post was just to point out that Detz isn't exactly an offensive power, and that if you have to choose between two guys with the same average, you take the better defender. And that's Wes no doubt about it.

But his point was that they don't have the same average, at least not anytime recently. Detz has been mediocre, Rea has been downright awful.

And no, Rea doesn't provide the power we need. We have sufficient evidence at this point to assume he isn't going to provide power this year since he hasn't all year. It would be like saying that Seth Heck provides the power we need because he could hit a HR at some point.

[Pioneer Dawg]

and that if you have to choose between two guys with the same average

but RIGHT NOW they aren't the same average hitter.. The ol' eye test proves that, as well as their last 40-50 AB's stats.

Rea has no power right now because he cannot square up a baseball, because his timing, mechanics, weight transfer (Dawg61), etc is so badly off. Detz is much more likely to take a ball yard than Rea right now.

[DudyDawg]

But his point was that they don't have the same average, at least not anytime recently. Detz has been mediocre, Rea has been downright awful.

And no, Rea doesn't provide the power we need. We have sufficient evidence at this point to assume he isn't going to provide power this year since he hasn't all year. It would be like saying that Seth Heck provides the power we need because he could hit a HR at some point.

I realize his point about the recent play. That's why, more than once, I acknowledged Wes is struggling. He shouldn't have less than 7-8 homers this year.

And no, that isn't like saying Heck is the same. Heck isn't leading the team in homers. I'm not saying Wes is our jose Bautista or anything, but when it comes to power he is our top guy say the stats. Add on the fact that he is a + defender (per stats and in the ways stats don't show) and he is probably our best option at first

[Todd4State]

During the same time Detz has been 13-51 (.255) Not great, but not .108.

I want Garner though, especially if its that LHP. He's aggressive and will match up nicely with their down the line arms.

Garner has also never played in the field during a live game as far as I can recall. From what I understand he is still learning how to play first base. I'm OK benching Rea, and starting Garner- but if we do that, it's going to be Detz at first and Garner at DH.

Everyone that says that first base is not a premium defensive position is correct- but at the same time it can be a major liability if there is a guy that can't play that spot. That is something we DO NOT need. Our offense is too inconsistent to risk that. Even if we start the "best" hitters.

[Pioneer Dawg]

I'm OK benching Rea, and starting Garner- but if we do that, it's going to be Detz at first and Garner at DH.

If Garner/Hump just cannot function there I agree. Main thing is Rea has to sit down. He's the NL 9 hole equivalent playing an AL college game.

[Todd4State]

but RIGHT NOW they aren't the same average hitter.. The ol' eye test proves that, as well as their last 40-50 AB's stats.

Rea has no power right now because he cannot square up a baseball, because his timing, mechanics, weight transfer (Dawg61), etc is so badly off. Detz is much more likely to take a ball yard than Rea right now.

He actually needs to stop trying to hit everything 700 feet and start using the whole field. When he actually does that this year- he hits the ball pretty well. And then for some God unknown reason he goes back to his old habits.

And I don't understand why a player would do something and have a lot of success and then try to go back to what wasn't working?

[drunkernhelldawg]

Don't know where to begin.

Did you see Detz drop a perfect throw in the SECT to cost us? When have you seen Garner's defensive ability at 1B?

Nobody said we couldn't get to a Regional final without Rea's bat....but if we want to get to Omaha, we'll need his bat.

And it's not like Garner and Detz are batting .325. Saying someone deserves to sit for not being a good hitter on this team is a little misleading. We would just have a catcher and 2nd baseman on the field if we benched all of our bad hitters.

Sadly true on our hitting. I also agree that Rea's bat is important because we are short of power. I feel we have the pitching to go all the way, but we need the bats to get going or it ain't gonna happen

I know Rea can hit well. He needs to clear his head and just do it. He doesn't need to think about doing it. Maybe an extra glass of warm milk could settle his nerves. Maybe the manager holds the key here.

[Pioneer Dawg]

Maybe an extra glass of warm milk could settle his nerves.

[Todd4State]

If Garner/Hump just cannot function there I agree. Main thing is Rea has to sit down. He's the NL 9 hole equivalent playing an AL college game.

Humphreys is probably a better option defensively at first base than Garner right now. With Rooker and Ingram I think Garner is destined to be a DH. Cole Gordon will probably pass him too.

As far as Garner, if it were me, I'd send him to someone over the summer that can focus on his game at catcher again. Especially if we don't get Vallot. Just focus on defense. At least that would give him some more versatility.

[smootness]

I realize his point about the recent play. That's why, more than once, I acknowledged Wes is struggling. He shouldn't have less than 7-8 homers this year.

And no, that isn't like saying Heck is the same. Heck isn't leading the team in homers. I'm not saying Wes is our jose Bautista or anything, but when it comes to power he is our top guy say the stats. Add on the fact that he is a + defender (per stats and in the ways stats don't show) and he is probably our best option at first

He leads the team in homers with 3, and they all came on the same weekend against Holy Cross. Since then he has absolutely nothing. So he still doesn't provide the power we need. My point was not that Heck does, it was that nobody does, including Rea. You can't keep him in the lineup solely because at one time he provided some power. He doesn't anymore. Should the Braves keep Uggla in the lineup because he used to be a good hitter, even though he now has more than enough recent evidence to prove he isn't now?

[Todd4State]

Sadly true on our hitting. I also agree that Rea's bat is important because we are short of power. I feel we have the pitching to go all the way, but we need the bats to get going or it ain't gonna happen

I know Rea can hit well. He needs to clear his head and just do it. He doesn't need to think about doing it. Maybe an extra glass of warm milk could settle his nerves. Maybe the manager holds the key here.

I'd tell him- "hey go opposite field". He would probably accidentally rip a double.