My team’s bad luck is rubbing off on me – I just wrote this post, went to post it and the computer ate it.
Sigh.
It’s getting harder and harder to keep rooting for this terrible team. Props to the thousands of fans of the Brewers, Pirates and Royals who’ve had no hope for SO long and keep on rooting anyway.
We got shut out for the 8th time in 47 games last night and extended our losing road record to 3-22. Poor Roy-O has been on the losing end of 3 of these shutouts, giving up 1 or 2 runs and getting NO support. Last night, it was obvious he was having trouble with the mound in the first – he kept slipping, couldn’t locate his pitches, walked three, gave up ONE freaking earned run on a RBI groundout and pitched hisself out of a bases loaded jam. He gave up just ONE more hit over the next 5 innings and no more walks, but was pulled after the sixth – “tight back” or something. The Fox announcers were going on and on about how he had been left to throw 120 pitches in the 98 degree Texas sun last start – here and I thought I was the only one screaming about that.
This is just great – we have Roy-O with a “tight back” and Roger with a “sore groin” and Andy with “elbow something” and I keep remembering Bill Wegman and Cal Eldred and Ben McDonald – I’m not THAT old.
Anyway, Doug Davis pitched 7 innings giving up 4 walks and 2 hits with 111 pitches. Out hitters kept swinging at high FB out of the strike zone. I was remembering Kit Keller in “A League of their Own” – I like em high – and hoping that our guys would pull a Kit, but no such luck. Davis got 7 Ks.
This is RIDICULOUS.
We have won 16/47 games so far – only 6 in May. We have 115 games left and to need to win 6 in each remaining month (and then just one more) to beat the ’62 Mets.
Except for the fifth starter (Duckworthless, then Astacio) we’ve had pretty darn good starting pitching – the starters have been let down by relievers (remember that we’ve had 45% of inherited runners score) and by lousy fielding.
So what to do?
- First, understand that this season is LOST.
- Next, fire the hitting coach – total lack of offense is our biggest problem.
- Let the rookies learn how to play. Put Berkman at first, call up Burke and put him in left (Biggio isn’t going anywhere and it’s silly to have Burke rotting down there for another 1 – 2 years) and put Self in right. I think that Jason Lane is such an extreme pull hitter that the other teams have found all the holes in his swing and he needs to have someone good help him with adjustments – it’s silly to keep running him out there.
- Stop playing Kama Sutra with all the bench guys – they need to be on the freaking bench
- Stop changing the lineup every freaking day
- Last, and most important, do NOT send Roger to the Yecchies as a salary dump, which is what it would be – they do NOT have anything worth a bucket of warm spit that we could use, and it would be the WORST possible thing to do from a PR standpoint because Roger is our star draw and because people will figger McLane for a cheapskate and season ticket sales will drop like a rock along with attendence.
Oh yeah – get rid of Phil – he is now explaining that the players to blame cuz they feeling like losers – Phil, they losing because of all the stupid stuff you did in April that ended up costing us wins and you figgering that all your Rah-Rah good feelings crap can overcome lousy managing. If
I hear one more time that stupid line about how Phil singlehandedly led us to the playoffs last year, I am gonna SCREAM. We did even lousier after Jimy was canned and Phil took over. Roy-O turned this team around by getting in a fight with Michael Barrett and the Cubs and by Kent, Berkman and Beltran suddenly deciding that hitting is fun and wins ballgames, too. Also because the opposing teams hit a LOT fewer balls to left for Biggio to miss.
Tonight, We are being spared having to watch Astacio give up 9 runs in 2 innings – he is being put in the bullpen where he belongs (reminds me of Dotel who couldn’t do well as a starter, either and was a FANTASTIC set-up guy) and Wandy Rodriguez will get the start. He did reasonably well against the Cubs last week – well, they ain’t zackly a good team, neither, and we’ll have to see how he does against a team whose hitters all have an OBP over .340 (except Spivey.)
Ben Sheets will be pitching for the first time since he faced us in Houston on April 20th when he was sick as a dog.
vs.HOU: 8 – 5 in 15 GS with 2 CG – 15 HR, 20 BB, 89 K over 100 IP with a 3.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a .241 BAA
@ Miller Park: 24 – 29 in 69 GS with 3 CG – 54 HR, 94 BB, 385 K over 460.2 IP with a 3.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a .245 BAA.
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minor league notes:
1 – We signed Scott Strickland to a minor league contract – he had several surgeries and hasn’t pitched in the bigs for 2 years.
2 – Also, here’s the latest scoop on Jared Gothreaux:
from Brian McTaggart’ column at the Houston Chronicle:
Gothreaux ready to go: While Ezequiel Astacio and Wandy Rodriguez have garnered most of the attention, righthander Jared Gothreaux has quietly put together a solid season as part of the starting rotation at Class AAA Round Rock.
Gothreaux, 25, will take a 3-2 record with a 2.51 ERA into his next start Wednesday at Las Vegas. In addition to his competitiveness, the Astros like the movement on his fastball, his developing slider and sinker and his changeup.
“He’s one of those guys that doesn’t really wow you with velocity, but he does wow you with his competitiveness,” general manager Tim Purpura said.
“He’s got two or three plus pitches. He’s got a plus fastball and a plus slider and the makings of a plus changeup when he throws it effectively. He goes after hitters and his slider can be his out pitch. He’s a real steady performer.”
Gothreaux, the Astros’ 16th round pick in 2002 out of McNeese State, has been working closely with Express pitching coach Burt Hooton on spotting his fastball and improving his sinker.
“I’m fine-tuning my sinker to get it to where I can make it do what I want it to do every time, instead of throwing it to a general area and hoping and wishing it does what you want,” he said.
This year at AAA, he’s 3 – 3 in 10 GS – 5 HR (.71/9 IP) 14 BB (1.99/ 9 IP) 33 K (4.69/ 9 IP)over 63.1 IP with a 2.70 ERA and a.258 BAA.
Tags: Brewers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB
Well said! And Phil Garner is no psychologist, so why is he blaming the players for the losing? The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of him, Gaetti and probably Tim Pupura too, becuse he and McClean spent all winter negotiating with Beltran (when it was perfectly clear to everyone not involved that he didn’t want to stay in Houston) instead of spending money on quality players like J.D Drew.
The rookies need to play, and the only way they will learn is if they play. So, as Lisa suggests, get Burke back up here and put him in left and Self in right. Willy Taveras has been improving as the season’s gone along, so he can stay there.
Burkman needs to be rooted at first until (and this is a BIG if) Baggy comes back in September from his surgery).
Leave Viz and Lamb on the bench where they belong – they’ve been bench players their whole lives because they don’t play great defense but can hit some. Keep the lineup the same from day to day for at least two weeks and see how that works!
And yes, KEEP ROGER IN HOUSTON!! He has stated that he wants to stay here pretty much flatly, and if he goes anywhere else, he’ll probably retire. He’s only got the w-l record he has because we’ve been pitiful offensively when he starts, he’s had to do most of the offensive work himself, which says something about how bad the offense is.
Perhaps if Baggy can’t play anymore, he might be able to stay on as the hitting coach when Gaetti is fired – how’s that for having someone who knows the offense?
Lisa I love your writing style! You honestly make me laugh.
I feel for you though, Phil is a moron.
I just watched Tom Glavine (again not a fan) get lifted for absolutely no reason in the 7th for Heath Bell who has been pitching every day with Heilman sitting in the pen for days.
I am so sick of this age of pitch counts and babying these millionaire whiners. I have been watching the grils colleg softball finals and these girls pitch complete games and then pitch one hours later in the same day. It’s nausiating when managers take guys out becuase they threw 96 pitches. Poor BABIES.
YOur team needs to hire some one highly respected as a hitting coach.
Gaetti was a solid hitter but he doesn’t command respect.
I think these guys feel intimidated trying to tell someone like Bagwell what they are doing wrong, even if they see something legitimate.
I hope things turn around for you-don’t give up the 1973 Mets were 11 or 12 games out of first in August and got the pennant.
I hate to sound cory but “YA GOTTA BELIEVE” to quote the late great Tug McGraw.
hi yall!!
we, i know we just won 2 road games, but i still stand by everything i said.
i believe that if we get a better hitting coach, it will help the young guys.
i ALSO believe that astacio is NOT ML ready in ANY way…
lisa