Phillips

[xsteve1]

Without a doubt he is the most important player on this team. The Reds most likely win on Sunday and tonight if he's in the lineup. The heart and soul of this baseball team.

[LexRedsFan]

Don't know about Sunday, but I think you're right about tonight. I think he probably gets a run across with 1st and 2nd where Bruce whiffed.

[maestrohound]

I love him but he always makes me nervous when he bats with a runner on first. Some days I want to call him "Drandon" so that his initials would spell DP...

[gfas]

I'd rather have BP up with a runner on first than Cozart at this point

[holster10]

Team has struggled to score big time with him in a slump exposing weakness of offense.

[REDSD]

Without Phillips hitting well, this offense seems even more sluggish and seems to have difficulty getting runs in with 2 outs or less. This team has been facing some tough pitching, but the offense seems to be struggling.

[Thisyear]

It is time for Phillips to go where he belongs, the two hole. He is the type of hitter who adjusts his approach depending on where he bats in the line-up. He needs to worry about getting on base like he did in the ninth last night. If he was in the two hole, I think we would see more quality AB's from him. Jay Bruce needs to be put in the 4 hole. Phillips has been good in the four hole, but it is not where he belongs.

[jhu1321]

It is time for Phillips to go where he belongs, the two hole. He is the type of hitter who adjusts his approach depending on where he bats in the line-up. He needs to worry about getting on base like he did in the ninth last night. If he was in the two hole, I think we would see more quality AB's from him. Jay Bruce needs to be put in the 4 hole. Phillips has been good in the four hole, but it is not where he belongs.

Dusty logic says you've got to split up those lefties...... which is asinine since Bruce is crushing left handed pitching this year.

[UC_Ken]

Dusty logic says you've got to split up those lefties...... which is asinine since Bruce is crushing left handed pitching this year.

Kind of tough to follow Dusty logic re: splitting up leftys. He has no problem putting Choo/Votto back to back and Choo is a terrible hitter vs. LHP. Bruce has the most home runs vs. LHP in the league over the last 2-3 years and Votto is our best hitter vs LHP. Common sense would dictate that it's much more important to split Choo from other lefty hitters than Joey or Jay.

[EMAW]

this thread gives the baseball experts yet another opportunity to bash Dusty Baker

[gfas]

this thread gives the baseball experts yet another opportunity to bash Dusty Baker

What? Everyone knows that the manager determines whether or not a player can hit well or pitch well!

[Don Cameron]

I think it would be a fantastic idea to move Phillips out of the four spot in the line up. I mean he is only second in the league in rbis. The baseball season is a marathon. The Reds have a solid three four five, but sometimes players do have slumps. There is absolutely no need to Bob Boone the line-up on a inning by inning basis. A great manager and baseball man such as Dusty Baker recognizes this.

Don Cameron
Fully rested from a week's rest, and anxious for guidance

[Vottomatic]

Dusty logic says you've got to split up those lefties...... which is asinine since Bruce is crushing left handed pitching this year.

Dusty is more concerned about playing it by the book to silence his critics and protect his rear end, than he is about thinking outside the box to win ball games.

[Old school 1983]

Phillips should be batting second....if the reds had another legitimate 4 hole hitter that could be consistent and be right handed. That's pretty much the way it is with dusty. Bruce is hot now but next week he could go back to cold Bruce. Dusty likes stability and generally doesn't make temporary changes. To top it off I don't think he'd go back to back lefties in Bruce and Votto. So Phillips will probably bat 4 unless someone else is brought in.

[Jmiller21kg]

Yeah unless we get a solid #4 hitter I don't think BP will move back to the 2 spot.

[Don Cameron]

I do not think that is the case at all. Baker does not play it by the book all of the time, he goes by instinct and TRUSTS his players. Some people are not comfortable in the clean-up spot, or other parts of the line-up... for whatever reason. There are players that thrive in that spot and some that do not. These are humans... not computer chips or ridiculous saber stats. The GREAT managers manage humans not stat sheets.

Don Cameron
A man that is getting close to 50 posts. Booyah