Lineups

[klaiggeb]

It took me awhile to figure out how kapler makes out his lineups.

He puts all the names in a hat, pulls out 9 names, what's all the names in a different hat, and then as he picks them out, that becomes his lineup.

It has to be that, because his lineups are so incomprehensible, they defy all common sense, and understanding.

[Islandboagie]

They seem to be working ok.

[klaiggeb]

I disagree, boagie.

This team has struggled to score runs.

Last night was an aberration.

9 runs?

Seriously?

I grant you that 8 games is a small sample size, but if Kapler's going to do stuff like hit Solano in the 3 hole, Pablo in the 2 hole, Crawford in the 5 hole, and Ruf, against a LHP, in the 7 hole, we are going to be seeing a lot of potential rallies coming up short.

We are not a team with average, or even decent speed.

Yaz and Slater can run some, Dubon is above average, but Langoria, Belt, Pablo, Crawford, and Heineman/Tromp are base cloggers, and Solano and Flores are just average.

We need to maximize where we put the guys who can run, and NOT have base cloggers at 1, 2 or 3.

Yaz in the 1 hole makes sense.

Belt in the 2 hole makes sense.

Solano in the 2 hole makes MORE sense.

Pablo, Belt or Longoria in the 4 or 5 hole makes sense.

But that aside, he's hit Flores and Solano 3 hole, and when he does that, I just scratch my head.

You likely won't agree with me, boagie, and that's okay.

At first, when Alou, then Baker were hired, I loved the hires.

But both eventually wore out their welcomes with their REFUSAL to give kids a chance.

Kapler I didn't want in the first place.

I think it was the wrong move.

Wrong guy.

For me, for ME, having to put up with Kapler, his face buried in an analytics book, and his antics, are going to make this a long, long... long season for me.

I watch the games, but really, I have little interest, and Kapler is the main reason. And for some reason, I simply cannot get past that.

Like I said, a long, long... long season for me.

[Islandboagie]

They've scored 7 or more runs in the last 3 games. The first two games of the season were not good, but since, their offense has looked pretty solid. That's not to say I wouldn't put up a different lineup than Kapler. But I can't really say his lineups have failed to do the job.

I believe I'd put Solano and Flores 1-2 (in no specific order) and Yastremski would be solidified in the 3rd spot. Dickerson, Ruf (or Pablo) as DH and Longoria would fill the 4-6 spots (again in no specific order.) Follow them up with Belt, whoever is catching (I forget their names) and end with Crawford.

I'd platoon Dubon between Solano, Flores and Crawford.

Pence and Slater would get playing time, mainly against left handers.

That would be my traditional lineup, and I'm sure if you ask Kapler he would probably put together something similar, traditionally.

What you're failing to recognize here Boly, is that this is being treated as an extended spring training. Kapler and Zaidi are testing the versatility of these guys and finding out where the holes are and trying to decide how to move toward the future. They're at the drawing board right now, this is not the finished product. They're getting the team ready for when Bart, Ramos and Luciano arrive. When that happens, I think we'll look fairly competitive.

I dont like Kapler any more than you do, but i think hes doing a decent job of getting everyone some playing time. Now if he could just figure out how to manage a bullpen late in games.

[klaiggeb]

Actually, boagie, we really agree.

In fact, as Mary Wells once sang: "you beat me to the punch."

I was getting ready to post that, as much as I can't stand Kapler, I have to give him credit when that credit is due.

I really, really like that he keeps everyone on the bench involved.

No one sits for days and days at a time.

And he's not afraid to make in game moves.

Like last night; he hit Hunter for Dickerson, and later on, Ruf for Belt.

Those were, IMHO, solid, solid moves.

I also agree, I'd be hitting Flores and Solano 1-2 somewhere in the lineup, but NOT 3-4.

Based upon Flores' history, he's a better hitter when he isn't being run out there for 400+ at bats.

Last 3 years when his ab's have been less than that, he's hit: .271, .267, and last year, .317.

We also agree about Pence and Slater playing mostly against LHP


This is a testing period, that's for sure. We agree on that.

Thing is, yes, we've scored a lot of runs recently, but that doesn't mean that what Kapler's doing with the line up is a good thing.

Sometimes good things happen in spite of leadership, and I think this is one of those periods.

I reference Don Zimmer during the 1989 season.

Zim was never considered a particularly good manager, but during that 1989 season, virtually every move he made turned up smelling good.

His Cubs were expected to contend and be very good in 1990, with Zimmer being one of the reasons.

But that didn't happen in 1991.

The team fell flat when his "off the cuff" moves stopped paying off.

He always managed by his gut, in his words, so I guess his "gut" must have turned sour.


For me, that's where I see Kapler.

His questionable moves are, for the moment, paying off.

But over a 162 game season, IMHO, they would not.

We'll see if the season even finishes, and I say that because I just read where Lorenzo Cain just opted to sit out the rest of the year.

[Islandboagie]

Boly- I also agree, I'd be hitting Flores and Solano 1-2 somewhere in the lineup, but NOT 3-4.

Boagie- I would agree, they're not the prototypical middle of the order hitters, but thus far this season they've both displayed power, and I think I heard last night Solano was leading the NL in RBIs, although I haven't checked for myself. Based on that I might bat Solano deeper, maybe 5th or 6th.

[Islandboagie]

I just checked for myself, I was wrong, he's not just leading the NL in RBIs, he's leading ALL of baseball in RBIs. He's also second in average and hits. At this point, it's kind of hard to say he doesn't belong hitting 3rd or 4th. But that brings me back to my original point, we don't really know enough about these guys to give a definitive opinion yet, which is why Kapler and Zaidi are playing this like an extending spring training. And I think that's the right move.

We don't even know enough about Yastrzemski to know if he's the real deal or not. He would appear to be, and he's certainly making a name for himself with other teams. They're starting to pitch around him, and he's showing the discipline it takes to be a legitimate 3 hole hitter, which we haven't had in some time.

[klaiggeb]

I can't disagree with anything you said, boagie.

Maybe hitting Solano 3 hole in the short term is a good thing.


But all of this begs the question: How could so many people have been so BLEEDIN' wrong about Yaz and Solano?

I'm glad we have them both, and I'm glad that Kapler, unlike Bochy, is giving Solano a fair shot.

[garyd4sf]

I agree with a lot stated in posts above. Here's additional takes...

RP Rogers with his rising pitch could be effective if used like 'one batter' Javier Lopez. But in a 3 batter minimum he's a detriment on this club.

At 6-4 with a win yesterday this club would seem a pleasant surprise but the loss dampened it to 5-5. The use of Tibbs in an important situation rankles me. They needed to checkout his stuff in lesser games first.

From the movie Scarface ... 'Meet my little friend"... in this case the HR, which gives SF, a formerly bereft team in homers, at least a fighting chance. Going to Colorado will show if that's a mirage or not.

Pitchers usually dominate batters early in the season, but not this one. On the Giants, Smyly showed promise but now is on the IL (I think). The lack of a MLB fully experienced catcher is costing SF in the early going regarding pitching via good game plans IMO.