Agree with Cumberland. This team is really bad right now. They'll be lucky to win 70 games.
Agree with Cumberland. This team is really bad right now. They'll be lucky to win 70 games.
The meeting that needs to happen is the come-to-Jesus with Dusty that addresses his complete inability to cast his players into successful situations. Batting Griffey 3rd all year. Giving Patterson a completely unacceptable amount of ab's earlier in the year. Having complete disdain for past performance when creating lineups. Having a team not ready to play the game on a daily basis.
Guess what Duster, it is your job to have these guys ready to play. And here's where leadership comes in. If you don't want to be motivated by the salary you make, responsibility to your teammates and fans, or even self pride.....that is totally ok. Just sit your butt down on that bench and let us know when you are ready to come to the game every day and be physically AND mentally prepared.
Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand
Who's dead wood on this team. You mean a catcher, Patterson - really this team has done that. Injuries have hurt this year and the fact this team is young. Not a whole lot you can do at this point except give the team some experience and wait for the Sept call ups. I would agree it's time the 3 catcher thing goes bye bye.
Now that the playoffs aren't even possible on peyote, Valentin can become Hanigan and Patterson can become Dickerson. Both may turn out to be terrible, but it's not a known. We know about the other two.
Fogg can become Maloney, who can become Thompson, who can become Masset...Homer stays (if he's pitching largely the same in both the bigs and AAA, there's no need for him to be in AAA).
That is going young.
Well, as I said I agree the catcher and the Patterson, but both Maloney and Thompson are hurt so you can't change that now. I expect Masset to get some opportunity and I figure Homer stays in at least 1 more start until Harang comes back. I actually believe Harang needs to come back and have some success for next year. A pitcher needs his confidence. I'd personally like to see Votta in LF and Dunn at 1B. Both could be upgrades in defense as Dunn is a true lefty and has better size to catch EE balls and Votto a better athlete, speed, etc. for LF.
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Players call "players only" meeting.
Thats impossible! All year we've been reading and hearing that they don't even care , why would they call a players only meeting?
I’ve come across the transcript of the meeting. Enjoy…
David Weathers: “Alright guys, this losing has to stop and stop now.”
Jay Bruce: “But the losing is going to stop. Mr. Castellini said so.”
Weathers: “Rook, shut it.”
Bruce: “But Mr. Castellini said…”
Weathers: “Adam…”
<Dunn drags Bruce out of the clubhouse>
Weathers: “Ok. Now we need to figure out something.”
Edwin Encarnacion: “Yeah. Like where the effing couch went…”
Aaron Harang: “No, Eddie. That’s a miss. Reminds me of your throws from third.”
<Encarnacion glares>
Weathers: “Look, stop the snippy crap! We’re here to figure out how to put an end to this losing streak.”
Brandon Phillips: “Wait. So you mean this meeting isn’t about ME?”
Weathers: “No. No, Brandon. It’s not about you.”
Phillips: “Ok. Well then I’m out…”
<Phillips wanders off to find a reporter who’d like to talk about Phillips>
Joey Votto: “That didn’t go so good, eh?”
Bronson Arroyo: “Joey, stop that. The next time you finish a sentence with “eh” I start singing. We just broke you out of calling a cap a “toque” so don’t freakin’ relapse on us.”
Weathers: “Look guys, can we please get this meeting back on track?”
<Weathers’ cell phone rings>
Weathers: “Hello?”
Caller: “Hello. This is Adam from…uh…Boston…”
Weathers: “Adam from where? Who are you?”
Caller: “Adam from Boston. So…like…do you have your pants on?”
Weathers: “Pants? What are you…waitaminit! Adam! Get your butt back in here. We’re having a meeting for gosh sakes.”
Caller: “I’m not coming if you’re not wearing pants…”
Weathers: <click>
Jeff Keppinger: “Y’know, David is right. We should all be bustin’ our butts right now and show that we’re happy to be here! It was only a couple years ago that I was in triple-A ball hittin’ weak grounders to the right side. And now here I am doing it in the Show!”
<Team collectively wonders if Keppinger should speak at all>
Weathers: “Alright. Now back to what we were talking….”
<Corey Patterson bursts into the clubhouse>
Patterson: “Guys! GUYS! I was just talking to Dusty and he gave me these!! <Patterson holds out his hand>
Josh Fogg: “Corey, what are those??”
Patterson: “They’re toothpicks!”
David Ross: “Why do they look all chewed up?”
Patterson: “Dusty says they’re MAGIC toothpicks! He chewed on ‘em in San Francisco. Says they were given to him by Hank Aaron himself!”
Fogg: "Really?? Can I have one? I need all the magic I can get. Sorry Gary, no offense, but I didn't mean you."
Gary Majewski: "No offense taken, Josh. I'm sure at this point it hurts to watch me even relieve myself. By the way, has anyone seen the trainer?"
Patterson: "Sorry, Josh, but you can't have one. Dusty said something about how folks like you..."
<Weathers’ cell phone rings>
Weathers: “Hello? Hellooooo??? Adam if this is you again, I’m not…”
Caller: “No. This is Jay! Put me on speaker!!”
<Weathers enables speakerphone>
Caller: “Hey guys! This is Jay. Adam and I found the couch!!! And while we were looking, we found a couple of leather recliners. Adam and Brandon moved ‘em to the visitors clubhouse and are playing NCAA 2009 on the PS3! You all can come watch, but don't pay too much attention to Adam because Brandon doesn't like it.”
<Entire team rushes from the clubhouse to watch. Weathers sits dejected at his locker. Dusty Baker strolls in.>
Baker: “So how’d the meeting go?”
Weathers: “About as expected…”
Baker: “Good. So Corey didn’t give you one of those toothpicks, did he?”
Weathers: “Uh…no. Why do you ask?”
Baker: “Well, because white folks…”
<END OF TRANSCRIPT>
"The problem with strikeouts isn't that they hurt your team, it's that they hurt your feelings..." --Rob Neyer
"The single most important thing for a hitter is to get a good pitch to hit. A good hitter can hit a pitch that’s over the plate three times better than a great hitter with a ball in a tough spot.”
--Ted Williams
Good stuff as always Steel
Go Gators!
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
I laughed and then I realized this isn't too far off--except for the tootpick story, of course.
Woe is us?
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"You only have to bat a thousand in two things; flying and heart transplants. Everything else you can go 4-for-5."
-Beano Cook
Steel, that made me laugh. A lot. Thanks.
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