Braves at Rockies, 4/27 - 4/29

[RMF]

I'm sorry Hi, I thought you enjoyed going by the "Scientist." I will try and stop. I really enjoyed thinking of you in your white lab coat sitting at your breakfast bar, mixing your baking soda and vinegar while pouring over Rockies statistics.

One thing about the scientific method. It's generally open for peer review. So we all get to rip each other to shreds in the name of science. I don't want to offend anyone personally. (That just isn't nice) so I'll do my best to stop.

You may call me the washed up Student used car salesman. It has a nice ring to it. I also suffer from a nasty case of Shingles. I've really got to call a roofer this summer. BTW does anyone want to buy a low mileage Cutlass?

We've got some good baseball on TV today. I'll be watching the Yankees then Rockies. I've been watching some D-backs games lately. I love their new uniforms. They've got a very exciting young team. Something like what the Rockies were supposed to be. Lots of tremendous pitching in the NL West.

Tulowitzki has had much better results lately. I'm happy the swing changes seem to be working for him. I'm of the opinion that moving a player up in the batting order doesn't make that hitter more selective. Nor does it mean you get better pitches to hit. When you swing at everything, pitchers don't just start grooving you fastballs.

Pitchers have their own unique plans/strategies/thoughts about how to best attack hitters consistently individually and pertaining too. Why would a pitcher change their mix of successful strategic planning functions because a hitter who is not yet at the plate may be there sometime? I guess you could make an argument for why a player who isn't playing is affecting the game in terms of the hitter who is hitting goes. But it wouldn't make very much sense to me. If a player has no patience but power it makes perfect sense to then start throwing the worse player BP Fastballs just because the guy who is up to bat next is a better hitter but not at the plate. Do you see? I'm glad. No I think this might be a case of us holding to old wives tales and humans finding or identifying patterns in the randomness of events.


I 100% support the swing changes to Tulowitzki. He's shrinking his strikezone and keeping his weight back. Although he's been getting more and more upright. I just wouldn't have done it at the big league level. (But I'm really happy things seem to be working for him) I'm sure we all know it's a very small sample size and that we wouldn't want to get carried away with the new results.

[Heltonfan]

Tulo has a triple and an unassisted triple play in the same game. Fun.

[DieHardRoxFan]

It seems to me the last couple of years Holliday stinks late in the game with runners on base.

[Roxpert]

It does seem that way, DHRF, and it's not just on offense. He missed a diving catch attempt on a Texas leaguer to short left center field. True, it would have been a nice play, but we rarely see Holliday make such plays. Eventually, the lead run scored due to an error by Atkins.

I was optimistic we'd win this game given the pitching matchup, and given how Cook was pitching compared to Davies in the early innings. Right now, this looks like another possible close and late loss. Even a triple play may not prevent that!

[Roxpert]

WHY is Hurdle making Iannetta bunt with a runner on 1st in the 8th? I have confidence in his being able to work the count, and possibly get a walk here. He walked twice earlier in the game, and I don't think Chris is practiced in bunting much. Hurdle late game tactics blow.

[hiaspire]

Originally Posted by RMF

So we all get to rip each other to shreds in the name of science. I don't want to offend anyone personally. ...Tulowitzki has had much better results lately. I'm happy the swing changes seem to be working for him. I'm of the opinion that moving a player up in the batting order doesn't make that hitter more selective. Nor does it mean you get better pitches to hit. When you swing at everything, pitchers don't just start grooving you fastballs.... I'm sure we all know it's a very small sample size and that we wouldn't want to get carried away with the new results.

I like ripping theories, just trying to get it more on that than people. My focus has been on trying to get attention away from emotional releases and more toward objective analysis and theories. No offense taken, but just trying to continue steering that way.

A good point about the small sample with Tulo, but I'm speaking much as you do in regards to looking better at the plate and his approach seeming to change which was the goal of the work they did with him. It would be a shame not to recognize the positive changes with him, but time will tell if those are lasting or not.

I disagree about the batting position effects. If you are hitting in front of the pitcher, that certainly can impact game strategy toward that hitter does it not? Tulo may have been struggling but he's not without pop or the ability to hit a mistake pitch. Same is true of a lot of #8 guys possibly who just maybe aren't as consistent but still have the ability to hurt you at times. If you have a tight game and a #8 hitter coming up with 2 outs, we've seen many a pitcher pitch around the hitter and prefer to go after the pitcher naturally to get the easier out. Or at least not give the #8 guy anything too good because you can always go after the easy out pitcher. That doesn't always come into play, of course, but such game strategy can often within the corse of 9 innings in close ballgames.

And absolutely hitting #2 can change the demands the manager places upon a hitter IMO - especially if you have a basestealer as leadoff. Many a manager and big leaguer have spoken to this throughout time. You can't just go up hacking if the plan is to let the guy on first base have an opportunity to run. #2 hitters often in those situations have to be flexible in allowing the basestealer to utilize his strengths. They have to take a couple pitches. They have to protect the runner at times. They have to be able to hit behind in the count better than some of their teammates because they'll be in that position more often probably throughout the year if part of their job is to take pitches when the runner is on.

There probably are numbers to back the position you take, and some of the actual amateur scientists here have probably spoken to that before, but those are entirely general in nature IMO on average and don't speak to the circumstances for which those real experiences are described. No, it probably doesn't matter as much or have as much impact unless you are in situations that match that prevailing common knowledge. In our situation here, we do have a basestealer leading off and the team does want him to run and that does require a change in approach for the #2 hitter in reality IMO, no matter what generalized numbers might say that include different sitautions entirely.

I would be nice to pull out a late win this afternoon....

[Heltonfan]

Why the heck is Fuentes not pitching the top of the ninth? This is pathetic.

[Roxpert]

Why the heck isn't Helton guarding the line to protect against a triple into the corner? That's exactly what happened with Kelly Johnson scoring the insurance run after tripling into the corner. Barmes should have fielded that Renteria ball too. Actually, he shouldn't have fielded it since Hurdle shouldn't have pulled Carroll for Mabry in the bottom of the 8th, a waste of a pinch hitter when Jamie can draw walks and has hit at Coors. Does Clint decide to bench hitters or hit for them with small samples? Carroll is sub .200 but can get on base at Coors.

Another Hurdle loss, if we don't come back.

[Roxpert]

Originally Posted by Heltonfan

Why the heck is Fuentes not pitching the top of the ninth? This is pathetic.

HF, Clint had to use Fuentes in mopup work yesterday, a more valuable assignment than keeping this a 1-run game with the heart of our order due up in the bottom of the 9th. What are you THINKING?!?!?

[hiaspire]

Originally Posted by Roxpert

HF, Clint had to use Fuentes in mopup work yesterday, a more valuable assignment than keeping this a 1-run game with the heart of our order due up in the bottom of the 9th.

That's a cheap shot. Fuentes pitched yesterday in part because of the day off earlier and having last pitched on the 24th.

[Heltonfan]

Another Hurdle loss, if we don't come back.

Absolutely. Of course, that comes with the caveat that any "Hurdle loss" really means that Hurdle was maybe .2 wins below average (or something like that) for the day... it's hard to give him the lion's share of the blame when the team gets outhit 15-6 and benefits from an immensely rare event of pure luck (the triple play). But I'm certainly not going to attempt to defend his "performance" today.

[Roxpert]

Almost as rare as the triple play was our receiving 12 walks today. How many teams have walked 10+ times in a game and lost?

And, of course, a "Hurdle loss" doesn't mean he lost it singlehandedly, and never does. Atkins and Holliday had a lot more to do with today's loss, if it happens.

[hiaspire]

Originally Posted by Roxpert

And, of course, a "Hurdle loss" doesn't mean he lost it singlehandedly, and never does. Atkins and Holliday had a lot more to do with today's loss, if it happens.

Thankfully we prefer to be more quiet on that, though, despite it meaning more. For whatever reason. Players usually have the bigger impact even if we don't like talking about that.

Rox look like they are going to pull this one out...

[Roxpert]

Somehow, I'd rather have Carroll coming to the plate right now instead of Barmes, with the bases loaded. Bases loaded game winning walk would be a very fitting way to win this game.

[Roxpert]

Nice try by Barmes. Second time we've been robbed by the rightfielder in this series.