Ok, your the manager, what do you do for offense?

by Hang Man on Apr 21, 2005 7:00 PM PDT

Come on, everyone is whining, but what about a solution. We might be winning tonight but we have had only 4 hits against a nothing pitcher. Everyone agrees our offense is offensive. What action should be taken to improve the situation? What would you do if you were manager for the day?

Would you pat the players on the bottom and say get out there and do what you are capable of doing?

Would you sit Chavez, Byrnes, and Durazo, and play Ginter, Thomas, and Melhuse?

Would you bat Kotsay, Scutaro, and Ellis, 1-2-3 and drop Chavez, Byrnes, and Durazo to 7-9-8?

Something has to be done. As I remember, back in '02 or '03 the A's got off to a slow start and they actually called up some players from the AAA squad to put a shock into the team. It worked then, what would work now?

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Vs righties Durazo in front of Chavez

Macha/BB are basicly telling Chavez he is not the man by letting Chavez decide for Durazo to bat behind him.

The sooner Chavez has a good day at cleanup the sooner we have a clean up batter.

... and I've already heard the "there is no such thing as a cleanup batter, clutch hitter, RBI's don't count..." ...so let's let it go one time ok?

RBI's win a lot more games than walks folks.

Put Chavez at cleanup where he and the A's can both succeed.

Sometimes you just tell a player what the team needs them to do instead of asking what they want to do.

"all a's all the time." xbhaskarx 3/28/05

by A s Eh on Apr 21, 2005 9:08 PM PDT reply actions

I don't think there's anything the manager can do

Our most "proven" hitters aren't doing squat, except for Kotsay. The biggest question marks going into the season (Ellis, Scutaro, Swisher) have been carrying this ballclub. It's not like we're getting burned by playing scrubs in crucial lineup spots. We just have to hope Chavvy and Durazo start hitting like they have been doing for the last 5 or so years.

by OaktownTribesman on Apr 21, 2005 9:52 PM PDT reply actions

The lineup

Everyone is all over Chavez and Durazo for their slumps, but Kendall isn't exactly on fire, either. Maybe it would be better to have Kendall lower in the lineup until he gets a better handle on AL pitching.

Chavez prefers hitting #3 to #4, and since he draws a fair number of walks it's better to have him hit #3 than #4.

I know Swisher is a rookie, but I'd be tempted to put him in the #4 slot against RHP. Put Durazo behind him so he he's sandwiched between two veterans.

I'd play Thomas over Byrnes in LF against RHP. Thomas may not be hitting, but he's a much better fielder than Byrnes who isn't hitting, either.

Ellis and Scutaro both have hot bats, but how long will it last? Both handle the bat pretty well, though, and would do well in the #2 slot.

I'd like to see Macha try these lineups out at least for a short while:

vs RHP
CF Kotsay
2B Ellis
3B Chavez
RF Swisher
DH Durazo
C Kendall
1B Hatteberg
SS Scutaro
LF Thomas

vs LHP
CF Kotsay
2B Ellis
3B Chavez
DH Durazo
LF Byrnes
C Kendall
1B Hatteberg
RF Swisher
SS Scutaro

"The bigger the game, the better he pitched."

by Catfish27 on Apr 21, 2005 10:53 PM PDT reply actions

In this case...

Less is probably more. Last year Kotsay didn't hit a homer (or much else) until June, and Durazo didn't have an RBI until May (he ended the season with a mere 88). Just because Chavez et al haven't been performing doesn't meen that they won't perform. The one thing I'd like to see is a righty -- any righty (Byrnes wuold be fine) -- split up the trio of lefties in the middle of the batting order. That way all those shut down reliever lefties cant pitch an inning uninterrupted. Either that or we should send Chavez down to AAA until he works some of those kinks out.

Just kidding. But seriously if i see one more person bash chavez i might jump off the deep end. You know how billy doesn't watch most of the games to stay objective? I think the exact opposite of that is trying to draw conclusions about someone's entire season every singe bad at bat they have.

by Nick86 on Apr 21, 2005 11:09 PM PDT reply actions

look

We all know that chavy will come around dont get too crazy about the chavy bashers. but we all want him to come around now. Is there anything to make him come around? I think his girlfriend is too hot. somebody throw the guy a real slumpbreaker

by NYC on Apr 22, 2005 6:26 AM PDT reply actions

My main solution

would be to avoid a major lineup shuffle, as it causes players to get tight (when someone gets fired, do employees get more or less comfortable?). That being said...

I wouldn't change Chavy's place in the lineup, but I would give him a day off to clear his head and try to break the pattern/momentum.

I would platoon Thomas and Byrnes, dropping Byrnes (when he starts) between two lefties in the middle third of the order.

I would get Melhuse in more at DH (along with the once-in-a-blue-moon catching assignment); too potent a bat to sit every day for a team struggling to score runs.

And I'd be glad my team could win half its games while it was hitting like Helen Keller on valium.

Nico

by Nico on Apr 22, 2005 4:53 PM PDT reply actions