Bucs: concern about Aki’s strikeout rate batting second?!?

I hope you are sitting at home getting hammered on St. Patty’s drinks as you read this post! 

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New Bucs Black & Gold League 3 drafts Thursday at 9PM.  Here is the link. Be sure to get there a bit early and do the java test to make sure you can participate in the draft. 

Good Luck! 

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Wow, not only are we facing quite a few 5th/6th type starters this spring, now teams are keeping their veterans at home too.  Facing just three of the Tigers projected opening day position player starters, and a starting pitcher battling for a place in the rotation, a Bucs lineup featuring five of our projected starters plus our #5 pitcher walked twelve Tigers while giving up ten hits, we managed just eight hits and three walks off a couple of inferior pitchers, and we ran ourselves off the bases most of the day. 

What an ugly game. 

The most hilarious part to me was when Phil Dumatrait came out and shut down three of the four batters faced.  Don’t forget, he’s with the Tigers now after Huntington non-tendered him.  What a mistake in my book since I think he’s about one-half a season from bouncing back to full form. 

And guess what? We were back out there hassling the umpires once again, this time it was Donnelly but there were others. Evidently this is acceptable conduct by John Russell, Neal Huntington, and Frank Coonelly.  And, yes, this was the same crew we jawed at the other day.  It’s no wonder we walked 12. 

No big deal.. just another “L” for us.  Oh my. 

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And yes, I’d go ahead and start stretching out Carrasco for the fifth spot in the rotation despite him getting touched Wednesday to take the ‘mental’ heat off Hart. 

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Interesting talk all of a sudden in the media about Kratz possibly taking over the backup catcher role from Jaramillo.  I don’t know where that rumor started but there isn’t a prayer in hell that’s going to happen.  Go to the bank on that one. 

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And today I heard Bob Walk or Greg Brown, both employees of the Pirates, say that there is some concern (I assume they meant in the front office) about Aki batting second because he strikes out too much. There was a hint about maybe Milledge batting there. 

Where is this stuff coming from?  He’s a career 80% contact guy and has enjoyed a .340 batting average on balls in play the last two years… in the AL East!  Show me one Pirate that can match that? Just one. You have to back quite a few years to find one because even Bay and Sanchez don’t qualify in both regards over that same time period.  Who cares if he struck out 20% in the ALED?  LOL 

Somebody, somewhere is having statistical brain farts.. I doubt very seriously he’ll strike out 20% in the NLCD. 

But not only that, he’s the highest paid player – make him give himself up for the team, since it seems we have so few who will, and hitting #2 will force him to do that. But since he’s in a contract year and since we can assume it’s highly unlikely he’ll want to stick around for another year unless Huntington pays him stupid-stupid money, I think it’s safe to say he’ll be hitting #2 most of the year until he’s dealt in July.  Just a guess. 

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Ron Washington tested positive for coke and Nolan Ryan kept him around.  Un-be-lievable.  I’m all for giving a guy a break but in this case he’s the field captain and with all the kids looking up to him…  He’d have to be AT LEAST reassigned to a desk job in my book.  

Poor decision for baseball, Nolan. 

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I’m not interested in Elijah Dukes. Man, we have enough clowns on our roster as it is. 

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Kris Benson signed a minor league deal with the D’backs today.  Good for him.. I hope he has a good season. 

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Jenifer Langosh on the Vinnie and Cook show. 

–  “Bullpen shaping up to be one of the strengths of this team.”
–  Bucs look to be ready to open with Clement.
–  No concern about Jones’ slow start.
–  Management seems to want Hart to be the 5th starter – why, she didn’t know.
–  Milledge is doing the little things right
–  Dotel should throw first game this weekend; he’s a slow starter in April; will be ready to start year
–  Donnelly is great influence in the clubhouse; he and Dotel are loud in there
–  bullpen could be this team’s strongest asset this year
–  this is a team that will have to scrape out runs
–  Ron Cook: I’m optimistic about this season. 

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Brought to you by the Indians media department:

Tribe Shuts Out Lehigh Valley 3-0 In 2010 Spring Opener 
Indians RHP Virgil Vasquez Fires Four Scoreless Innings For the Win

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Five Tribe pitchers combined to allow just three hits and shortstop Brian Friday launched a two-run longball as the Indianapolis Indians shutout the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 3-0 in the 2010 Spring Opener on Wednesday March 17 at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla.  The Indianapolis pitching staff started the spring out strong as five hurlers combined for a nine-inning shutout led by starter Virgil Vasquez (4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO), who earned the Tribe’s first victory of the spring, and reliever Jeff Sues (1.0 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO), who notched the team’s first save.

The Indians offense also got off to a quick start as CF Gorkys Hernandez showed off his excellent speed by legging out a triple to lead-off the contest.  Friday immediately followed Hernandez’s three-bagger with a two-run blast to center field off IronPigs starter and eventual losing pitcher Brandon Duckworth (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) to give the Tribe an early 2-0 lead.  The Indians would tack on an insurance run in the fourth on an RBI single by 1B Matt Hague that scored C Tony Sanchez, who led off the frame with a double. In the lineup for Lehigh Valley was former Indiana University star outfielder Kevin Mahar, who signed on with the Philadelphia Phillies organization back in 2008.  Mahar, who lived in the Indianapolis area this past winter, was named second-team All-Big Ten as a Hoosier in 2004 after he led the conference with 14 home runs and a .652 slugging percentage.

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3. BUZZZZZ .. Duke throws five scoreless
4. Ohlendorf lit up
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