I am getting tired of using titles like “Starting Pitcher Gets No Run Support For His Quality Start” and The Designated Saviour didn’t come through with bases loaded one out when it was Time To Shine, so it’s not about him neither.
Nope.
Now that we have disposed of Designated Goat Chris Burke, who, by the way, hit his 9th double of the year as a pinch hitter, it is time right now to take a good long look at the Man Who Should Be Called The Goat, 17 million dollar a year man, Carlos Lee.
He was signed as an “RBI man” a good contact hitter who wouldn’t walk or strikeout (not sure which one is worse in the eyes of the Astros fans) and solve the Astros 4 year problem of leaving too many men on base. Well, I sure am hearing all about the 22 RBIs – but you are NOW hearing that he should have a LOT more and that he hasn’t done squat since the team left on the second leg of its non-stop road trip on the 17th and he drove in 16 of his 22 runs before then.
Let’s look at what he’s done since April 18th:
4/18 – o fer 2 with 2 walks, an RBI sac fly and none left on
4/19 – 0 fer 5 with 2 left on
4/20 – 1 fer 4 with 2 left on
4/21 – 1 fer 5 with 2 RBIs and 6 left on and a GIDP
4/22 – 0 fer 3 with a walk and 1 left on
4/23 – 1 fer 4 with 1 left on
4/24 – 0 fer 3 with 1 left on
4/25 – 2 fer 6 with a sac fly RBI and 3 left on
4/26 – o fer 4 with 8 left on and a GIDP
4/27 – 1 fer 4 with a RBI single and 1 left on
4/28 – 1 fer 4 with 3 left on and a GIDP
4/29 – 1 fer 5 with 5 left on and a GIDP
That, my friends, is batting .172 – 7 singles and a double, 6 RBIs – and 2 of those with sac-flies. Which is NOT acceptable from a guy in the #4 spot, ESPECIALLY with his salary. That is 4 GIDPs – and it would have been 5 if Lance hadn’t gotten himself picked off first the other day – more than Ausmus, Burke and Everett combined.
And it’s not that I’m exactly letting Lance off the hook, neither, as all yall know.
But I just KNOW how I’m gonna be reading/hearing that now that Burke is gone, it’s Ensberg and Lane’s fault – and most assuredly Brad Lidge’s fault, too, cuz he didn’t volunteer to get traded for David Ortiz. Or was it Manny? I forget.
The guys have a day off tomorrow to rest and get ready to start a new month which I certainly hope is not near as bad as this one has been.
And before I forget – thank you, Mike Lamb, for making sure we didn’t get shut out.
And last, please, let’s all remember Josh Hancock’s family, friends and teammates in our thoughts and prayers.
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
Just for fun, I went back through all the play-by-plays for those games. Carlos Lee came to bat with 25 RISPs, and 50(!) men on base. That’s right, there were 50 guys on base for him to knock in and he brought in 6. That’s PATHETIC. And that doesn’t even count the fact that he didn’t knock himself in once (he’s supposed to do that because he’s the BIG BAT Who Hits Home Runs (BBWHHR)). That’s another 52 runs that didn’t score. So 102 possible RBIs, and he’s brought in 6. He’s not hitting at all, never mind hitting clutch, hitting for power, or “run producing”. And he’s definitely had the chances.
Yeah, I know, small sample size, he can’t possibly be this bad, just wait, blah blah blah. Let’s see how big a stinking hole he helps us dig before things change.
And yes, our OBP ahead of him sucks, but even so, he’s had plenty of chances.
P.S. Hunter Pence also lost the game with a bases loaded K, so let’s bench him, or better yet, send him back down — no wait, let’s just release him and Burke. Yeah, that’ll fix it.
P.P.S. We don’t need rogah — our pitching is fine. We need some flippin hitters in the 3 & 4 spots.
trouble is, too many of the fans and reporters WANTED him here, even at the 17 mill a year, insisted that he was the greatest since baggy in his prime, ignored his lousy glove and now that the team is in trouble, are looking at The Usual Goats so they don’t hafta look at the guy they wanted here for all that $$$
or should i say, don’t want to admit that maybe he isn’t all THAT, like they said he was…
it’s easier to blame chris burke, jason lane and mo ensberg.
and of course brad lidge.
because everything is his fault anyway
I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or want to fire Phil.
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