I have a feeling...

[texasdave]

...that even though Willy Taveras has put up the following numbers in his last 234 PA

BA	0.191
OBP	0.212
SLG	0.218
OPS	0.430

that Dusty Baker will have him leading off the game tonight.

Call me crazy but that's what I think is gonna happen.

How does Dusty not pinch hit for Willy Taveras in the 9th inning last night? Why Dusty? What has Willy Taveras shown Dusty Baker in the last 234 PA that would lead Baker to think that Taveras was the right man for the job there?

Fire Dusty Now!

And in the Credit-where-credit-is-due Dept., a tip of the cap to Alex Gonzalez. A double and a home run in two trips to the plate. Basically, the entire Reds offense from last night.

Memo to Harang: Focus. Focus. Focus!!

[bounty37h]

AGon had 2 great at bats at the end of the game. Too bad he is the only one who showed up.

[sivman17]

unbelievable... willy t is absolutely horrible. any other team in the league and he is not on the big league roster. why do we continue to put up with his crap?

[GIDP]

AGon had 2 great at bats at the end of the game. Too bad he is the only one who showed up.

Just probably just means if he plays tonight he will have 4 extra bad ones tonight.

[bounty37h]

prob, God forbid we have 2 batters hit well in the same game....

[GIDP]

"We've been struggling, so I hope to use my speed and help this team win," he said.

[texasdave]

"We've been struggling, so I hope to use my speed and help this team win," he said.

What's he gonna do? Is he gonna run really fast down to Louisville and carry Chris Heisey up here on his back to play CF?

That would help.

On second thought I am really sick and tired of hearing how fast Taveras is. Willy, how about swinging your bat and making solid contact to help the team win a game? Say what? You can't do that? Oh. Well then use your speed and do your best.

[malcontent]

Here's some ancient history (from June 24 By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com):

Forever an optimist, Reds manager Dusty Baker is convinced center fielder Willy Taveras eventually will hit.

Mired in a prolonged slump, Taveras was given another day off on Wednesday and worked before the game one-on-one with Baker in the batting cage.

"He's going to get it, big time," Baker said. "If we have to go down there every day, he's going to get it. We weren't wrong in our assessment of what we needed [when we signed him.]"

He doesn't have his timing," Baker said. "We went to the cage today and tried to help him with his timing and rhythm -- more rhythm than his timing. The rhythm is the key."

Chris Dickerson, the team's hottest hitter, led off and played center field Wednesday in place of the team's coldest hitter. Taveras, who is batting .220 with a .269 on- base percentage, is hitting .104 (11-for-106) over his past 26 games. He has not drawn a walk since May 23, an 18-game span.

"It's really noticeable in two areas when guys don't hit," Baker said. "No. 1 is your leadoff man. If they're not getting walks as non at-bats, the at-bats mount up quicker than anybody else on the team. The other guy is your run producer. When they're not driving in runs and your leadoff man is not getting on, it's highly noticeable."

He's referring, of course, to nights like last night when Taveras went 0-5 because:

(1) he doesn't hit,

(2) he doesn't walk,

(3) he has to lead off.

What's a manager to do?

That is the significance of walks to Toothpick. In a slump, the batting average falls faster if the hitter isn't walking. Zero reference to OBP. Simply incredible that such a buffoon could actually be an MLB manager of one team, much less three.

[texasdave]

Here's some ancient history (from June 24 By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com):

Forever an optimist, Reds manager Dusty Baker is convinced center fielder Willy Taveras eventually will hit.

Mired in a prolonged slump, Taveras was given another day off on Wednesday and worked before the game one-on-one with Baker in the batting cage.

"He's going to get it, big time," Baker said. "If we have to go down there every day, he's going to get it. We weren't wrong in our assessment of what we needed [when we signed him.]"

He doesn't have his timing," Baker said. "We went to the cage today and tried to help him with his timing and rhythm -- more rhythm than his timing. The rhythm is the key."

Chris Dickerson, the team's hottest hitter, led off and played center field Wednesday in place of the team's coldest hitter. Taveras, who is batting .220 with a .269 on- base percentage, is hitting .104 (11-for-106) over his past 26 games. He has not drawn a walk since May 23, an 18-game span.

"It's really noticeable in two areas when guys don't hit," Baker said. "No. 1 is your leadoff man. If they're not getting walks as non at-bats, the at-bats mount up quicker than anybody else on the team. The other guy is your run producer. When they're not driving in runs and your leadoff man is not getting on, it's highly noticeable."

That is the significance of walks to Toothpick. In a slump, the batting average falls faster if the hitter isn't walking. Zero reference to OBP. Simply incredible that such a buffoon could actually be an MLB manager of one team, much less three.

That Dusty is as sharp as a Shamwow. Really. Nothing gets past Dusty. Your leadoff batter gets more at-bats than anyone else on the team. Bigtime epiphany, dude. And your run-producer guy can't drive in runners if they aren't on base. Whoa! If there was a Nobel Prize awarded to baseball managers, Dusty would be challenging Raisor in total number of Nobel Prizes garnered.

Oh yeah, five weeks later Taveras still hasn't gotten it yet. And Votto still doesn't have anyone to drive in. And it is highly noticeable. Maybe even Bob Castellini has noticed. One can only hope.

Dusty, you were wrong in your assessment of WT.

Fire Dusty Now!

[JWP]

That is the significance of walks to Toothpick. In a slump, the batting average falls faster if the hitter isn't walking. Zero reference to OBP. Simply incredible that such a buffoon could actually be an MLB manager of one team, much less three.

I'm no Dusty supporter at this point, but he mentions the importance of the leadoff man getting on base in the same quote. Dusty gets slammed a lot, and rightfully so, for his marginalization of OBP, but this was the wrong quote to make that point with.

Then again, I too often find myself wondering how/why on Earth Dusty was picked to manage this ballclub, so I'm just arguing semantics right now.

[aubashbrother]

and from Fay.

Taveras
Rosales
Votto
Phillips
Gomes
Balentine
Agon
Hanigan
Cueto

but dont worry Willys gonna hit it big time soon

[TheBigLebowski]

Still no Rolen?

[FlyerFanatic]

Still no Rolen?

headed to the DL prob

[JayBruce]

headed to the DL prob

Imagine that.

[Shawn_RedsFan]

WOWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW

NO rolen..jesus