The Braves title was so rigged.
[Reply]

694 for the Machine
[Reply]

3 more to pass A-Rod. 6 to reach 700. 34 games left.
[Reply]

I think he gets to A-Rod.

6 more in 34 games when he can really only hit lefties is a tall ask.

But the 3 batter minimum will help him. And man, he is KILLING lefties.

Marmol absolutely needs to stop starting him against righties. It allows teams to just not throw a lefty at him in relief. Whereas if they just sit him against any righty starter, the second a lefty comes into the game, with the amount of versatile parts this team has defensively, you can almost always find a way to get him in and get him a swing against a lefty middle reliever.

Ollie's just...being Ollie. Because he's an idiot.
[Reply]

We have a really really easy schedule though. Pujols could easily hit another 6 against garbage pitching.

Once the playoffs start that’s a different animal. Lefties only.

I think Marmol has done fine. Granted I’m willing to admit the gap between him and a Schildt isn’t a large gap. They are pretty much the same but he seems to be more consistent. Doesn’t seem like the team has had as many dead spots this season.

Maybe I’m still pissed about Reyes in the playoffs last year. Might be recency bias as well.
[Reply]

He doesn't hit righties. Not even garbage righties.

He's more likely to hit a HR in a single AB against a lefty than he is in 3 ABs against a righty. He's popping 1 homer every 10 PAs against lefty pitching this year. He' hitting 1 every 31 against righties. He simply doesn't hit righthanded pitching worth a shit.

Keep him on the bench and use him against that one lefty every other game. You figure in 36 games that's probably another 11ish starts against lefties; 3 PAs/gm. So that's 33 PAs against lefties in those games. In the other 25 starts you can probably get him another 20.

He has a better chance of hitting 6 homers in 50 PAs against lefties than he does starting every day. Especially since it allows him to keep his eye angle and his timing centered exclusively on lefty pitchers. He can simply focus on that one thing.

This run of lefty mauling has everyone saying "He's 25 again!!!" but he isn't. He's a lefty killer - let him be that.
[Reply]

Has to be a vision thing doesn’t it? Hand eye coordination is faster agains lefties because he has a half second better look?

If we keep gaining on the Brewers you might get to a point you just run him out there and let him sing away. Fuck it.
[Reply]

It's a timing thing, IMO.

Young Albert has incredible hands so he could adjust. He also had excellent athleticism and dexterity in his lower half so he could explode through with a great deal of force and drive balls he doesn't hit square.

He's not that guy anymore. Now when he hits one, it's because he's timed it right. Not necessarily that he's caught it out in front and pulled it, but that he got his foot down, his hips through and his hands inside the barrel. He's synced up mechanically and it's just inertia that does the work.

Well when he is less worried about some slider breaking out of the zone anda way from him, he can be more assertive in all that. He can keep his timing relatively static.

It's just a damn sight easier for him.

Just watch his front foot and it'll tell you the story. It's coming down RIGHT on time against lefties. And as soon as it's coming down, his hands are coming right behind it. As soon as you see that coming down a bit early or a bit late, then the hot streak is over.

And remember - historically great players don't typically just collapse. What happens is that their hot streaks aren't quite as hot as they used to be, their cold streaks are colder than they used to be, the hot streaks are shorter and the cold streaks are longer. Over large numbers it looks like they just got 20% worse or whatever. But that's not entirely true. A great player is still capable of looking great for periods of time even when he's not what he once was.
[Reply]

Man, Montas hasn’t looked good since he went to NY. Maybe dodged a bullet there
[Reply]

I know he’s not the next Larussa. I still like Ollie more than Schildt. Schildt would leave players in the same position in the lineup even if they are 3-30 in their last AB’s. He will move underperforming players. He will put players into the lineup to keep everyone excited and feel they are a contributor and they usually do something positive. 10-10 luck or wisdom? ��

He’s handled Pujols fantastically. He knows most of the fans in the road and at home want Pujols in there starting to see another Pujols moment.

Bullpen management is better. He will put his best pitcher in regardless if game is in the 8th inning if 2/3/4 are due up. Not every move is correct. But, in my just a fan analysis, he seems better at it than Schildt.
[Reply]

If he passes that shit stain A-Rod it's all gravy after that.
[Reply]

Pujols got hit by a 99MPH fastball near his hands. He was fine. But, we all want to see him chase 700 not finish his career on the bench with a broken bone is his hand.
[Reply]

Yea my mind tells me he seems better then Schildt, thats a separate matter to whether Schildt should have been fired. Not that he has done himself any favors since leaving STL.

I can only think of a few times all season I have wondered WTF Ollie was doing. He seems to have a good grasp of the team and the parts.
[Reply]

Saw a YouTube of a MLB now segement on the Cardinals. Remember that video of Mikolas burning sage around the field at Bush? If not that really happened.

Anyway, since he did that on July 10th, they are 32-10.
[Reply]

Maybe he oughta burn some sage around his locker.

Dude's got an ERA over 5 since then and 36 Ks in 55 innings. He's not fooling anyone right now.
[Reply]