Monday, February 22, 2010

Clarence Relents


According to the Mayor of Dunedin, Cito finally backed off his pledge to hit Hill and Lind in the 3/4 slots, instead returning them to their familiar 2 and 3 holes. Says the zen master:
Even though I said I would try it in spring training, then I'm messing with their minds. Hill would do it in a second, but he's just going to put more pressure on himself. I want him to be himself. When Lind gets here I'll make sure I talk to him.
Professor Griff then awesomely points out that Adam Lind arrived in camp a few weeks ago. Cito doesn't need a lot of help looking out to lunch on just about everything, but it's nice to see Griffin get in on the act.

Speaking of out to lunch, the blog post I lifted that quote from is called "Top Four in batting order set." Guess who's hitting cleanup? Vernon Wells, that's who. With Bautista holding the inside track on the leadoff spot. Hill, Wells, and Bautista taking the most at bats in the lineup? That's a lot of outs being made right there. News like that and pictures like this aren't exactly creating a lot of baseball excitement deep in belly these days.

Thank God I've got Ichiro around to keep me going.

Image courtesy of these awesome dudes.
Posted by Drew
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11 comments:

  1. This is precisely why my bobblehead of The Manager has been relegated to the back of my shelf, facing backwards into a corner, in shame.

    I'm really not certain that my heart will be able to take another year of this.
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  2. Oh Cito ... on the ball, as always.

    I guess Vernon in the cleanup spot isn't the worst idea in the world. But the top of that lineup card is all kinds of beautiful and ugly all at once.

    And since when did Ichiro start wearing bicycle shorts to Spring Training?
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  3. I suggest to AA that he forces Cito into taking his consultant role a little quicker, and let Butters run the team for the year? Butters seems like a smart enough fellow and can do the job.

    ICHIRO! picture is win.
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  4. Whats the problem with having someone leading off that drew 56 walks and 13 hr in 400 pa last year? im more worried about hill and wells learning to take a walk more often.
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  5. It's true, Bautista did relatively well in the leadoff spot last year. Taking walks is something that can be learned, and planned for. Ask Scutaro. I bet Gene Tenace had a lot to do with Scutaro's success in earning walks, and hopefully was behind JoBau's .349 OBP with such a low average. Too bad he's gone.

    JoBau has a great eye, and I am confident that given the chance, he will post an OBP over .350, which isn't ideal, but isn't too bad.

    Wells, on the other hand, should be hitting 6-7 until he proves he still knows how to play baseball. Hill should be hitting 4th, with Overbay in the 2 hole, maybe EE.

    Clarence, shut up.
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  6. There are all kinds of things wrong with this - of course, much of it having to do with having Clarence as the manager at all, but also having him first stick to his guns then completely switch at the last minute. Move him along.

    There was talk of having Overbay near the top -- slot Overbay into the #2 slot, then Hill and Lind. Does Lind really feel that hitting #3 is a low pressure spot and hitting #4 is high pressure -- there is a part of me that feels an ounce of disrespect for a batter that says "I'd rather bat in the 1st inning with the bases empty than EVER have to lead off the 2nd."
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  7. To be honest, I think Clarence has made a much bigger deal out of the "Lind doesn't want to hit fourth!!!!!11" thing than Lind himself has. Lind basically said "Yeah, I've never done well in the cleanup spot but I'll hit wherever they put me" and ever since then, The Manager has created this story and has been carrying on about what a big deal it is. All this constant talk about "confidence" probably messes with his players' heads more than anything else.
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  8. Clarence's quotes are certainly inspiring, aren't they?

    "That's not my team out there, so I don't know."

    The fucking guy didn't even bother to keep up with transactions over the winter. Why is is that bloggers and fans who follow the team for free on their own time know more about the 40-man than the fucking manager?

    FUCK.

    And he like Tallet in the rotation over giving innings to the plethora of young arms available? FUCK.
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  9. gotta love wells in the 4th spot "don't want to spoil his confidence"... like Wells won't notice that he sucks as long as he doesn't get moved down the card. That's like continually telling matt stajan he's a number one center
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  10. The part where Clarence didn't know Lind had been in Dunedin for weeks is totally awesome. I love Feb/March Griffin.
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  11. swing your lumber round and round
    when the music stops your place is found
    ReplyDelete

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