Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Have I Just Watched the Same Game

for the last week or so or what? It sure seems that way. Seven losses in eight games, all scoring fewer than three runs. Of course, old Lou says that sooner or later these guys are going to start to hit. Of course, sooner or later, many of the guys who are hitting way over their career averages, like, for example, Marlon Byrd, are going to stop hitting and then we'll be complaining about them not carrying their weight.

It just seems to me that this team has a lot of bad habits and virtually no discipline or concentration. For example, in the eighth inning when Fukudome coaxes a walk and Theriot hits the ball the right to set up a rally, you have a struggling reliever who is having control problems, so, of course, Byrd swings at the first pitch and hits a routine fly to right. OK, they score a run, but now there are two outs and you have the clutch twins Lee and Ramirez ready back to back to kill the rally. Lee unaccountably hits the ball hard to left for a double, but don't worry, Ramirez comes through with a clutch strikeout to save the day.

Now I don't pretend that this is a great team or that changes are unnecessary, but to play with such a lack of concentration day in and day out means there must be something wrong in the clubhouse. Last year, they fired the hitting coach. A cowardly move, for sure. Justly or unjustly, somebody gets fired, and, in this case, it has to be Piniella.

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