The Dusty-LaRussa debate

[Fred Hornkohl]

I was screaming when he tried Neifi/Macias once too. I hated Macias. But at least he only tried it once, and I'd say it was experimenting because he was trying to find the right formula. I KNEW it wasn't right, but won't fault him for trying. If we could keep our guys healthy, we don't see stupid calls like that.

 

Your definition of once and my definition of once are clearly different. Guess what these box scores have in common?

 

Sept. 17th

Sept. 23rd

Sept. 24th

Sept. 25th

Sept. 28th

Sept. 29th

Oct. 1st

 

Yep, Neifi and Macias batting 1/2 in the order in every one of these games.

 

BBB,

 

In all fairness, the starting lineup on 23 Sept was Neifi followed by Todd Walker. This is the game in which Todd sustained his season ending injury, and he was then replaced by Macias. May be stretching a point.... maybe not.

[JakeSlater]

And it very well could've been Patterson handicapping both Neifi and Hairston at the top, who knows. With Neifi and Corey at 1-2, the combo hit .240, which means Neifi HAD to have hit somewhere in the .290-.300 range for that to happen.

 

I'm scared for Hairston to be #2 because he was terrible at it last year.

 

Problem is that Dusty can be blamed for stupidity, but he has to be lauded for good moves too. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. Dusty makes good moves too, no matter what bashers say.

 

That's like saying a thief must be credited for all those times he decided not to steal.

 

A manager at the major league level is expected to make good moves---even the *right* move, if you will---all the time. We can credit Dusty for his good moves if we want, but the bottom line is, he isn't making enough of them. Not for this level of baseball.

 

This thread started out as a comparison between Dusty and Tony, so I will fall back once again on that comparison. Tony makes a higher percentage of good moves than Dusty does.

 

Boy, Tony makes some inane moves himself though. He's not much better at handling a pitching staff, that's for sure.

 

Plus some of his late inning moves in close games leave questions to be answered.

[Soul]

And it very well could've been Patterson handicapping both Neifi and Hairston at the top, who knows. With Neifi and Corey at 1-2, the combo hit .240, which means Neifi HAD to have hit somewhere in the .290-.300 range for that to happen.

 

I'm scared for Hairston to be #2 because he was terrible at it last year.

 

Problem is that Dusty can be blamed for stupidity, but he has to be lauded for good moves too. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. Dusty makes good moves too, no matter what bashers say.

 

That's like saying a thief must be credited for all those times he decided not to steal.

 

A manager at the major league level is expected to make good moves---even the *right* move, if you will---all the time. We can credit Dusty for his good moves if we want, but the bottom line is, he isn't making enough of them. Not for this level of baseball.

 

This thread started out as a comparison between Dusty and Tony, so I will fall back once again on that comparison. Tony makes a higher percentage of good moves than Dusty does.

 

Boy, Tony makes some inane moves himself though. He's not much better at handling a pitching staff, that's for sure.

 

Plus some of his late inning moves in close games leave questions to be answered.

 

In big games, too. No question he has had his bad days.

[BigbadB]

I was screaming when he tried Neifi/Macias once too. I hated Macias. But at least he only tried it once, and I'd say it was experimenting because he was trying to find the right formula. I KNEW it wasn't right, but won't fault him for trying. If we could keep our guys healthy, we don't see stupid calls like that.

 

Your definition of once and my definition of once are clearly different. Guess what these box scores have in common?

 

Sept. 17th

Sept. 23rd

Sept. 24th

Sept. 25th

Sept. 28th

Sept. 29th

Oct. 1st

 

Yep, Neifi and Macias batting 1/2 in the order in every one of these games.

 

BBB,

 

In all fairness, the starting lineup on 23 Sept was Neifi followed by Todd Walker. This is the game in which Todd sustained his season ending injury, and he was then replaced by Macias. May be stretching a point.... maybe not.

 

I would say that totally depends on who else was available to play 2nd base.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I was screaming when he tried Neifi/Macias once too. I hated Macias. But at least he only tried it once, and I'd say it was experimenting because he was trying to find the right formula. I KNEW it wasn't right, but won't fault him for trying. If we could keep our guys healthy, we don't see stupid calls like that.

 

Your definition of once and my definition of once are clearly different. Guess what these box scores have in common?

 

Sept. 17th

Sept. 23rd

Sept. 24th

Sept. 25th

Sept. 28th

Sept. 29th

Oct. 1st

 

Yep, Neifi and Macias batting 1/2 in the order in every one of these games.

 

BBB,

 

In all fairness, the starting lineup on 23 Sept was Neifi followed by Todd Walker. This is the game in which Todd sustained his season ending injury, and he was then replaced by Macias. May be stretching a point.... maybe not.

 

I would say that totally depends on who else was available to play 2nd base.

 

Well, Walker was out, obviously. Hairston had gone down the week before, and Wilson had already been released. I don't believe there was anybody else.

 

Another interesting point to note about Macias..... he never started a single game all season long unless at least 2 starters were out injured. It would be real hard to make a good case that Baker overused in that regard. Now, as for hitting him at the top of the order, and pinch hitting with him..... well, flame away.

[BigbadB]

I thought that was what I was doing. My issue was seeing Perez and Macias 1/2 in the order.

 

And the only reason I listed all those particular games was because the pro-Dusty argument was that he only did a Neifi/Macias line up card once, when that is clearly not accurate.