Is David Bell up to the task?

[redinla]

Op-Ed

The FO is spending millions to try to become competitive, but is the Manager a champion?

I had some questions about David Bell last year and I wonder if he can mold the new players with the hold overs to create a winning team. I have heard all the arguments about the Manager's limited ability to generate wins,and I hope Bell wins Manager of the Year, but he seemed to have some setbacks last year.

He had to fire (or his Boss did) his hitting Coach all the while hitters en mass had down years. He went all 2019 without small ball. And he didn't seem to agree with his Starting Pitchers on how long a rope they should get.

Theses are my memories. The may have been more difficulties.

Thoughts?

[Wonderful Monds]

He went all 2019 without small ball.

You say that like it’s a bad thing.

[adkindo]

I am not confident in Bell at all....hopefully that changes this season.

[westofyou]

I can't wait until platoons the crap out of the game and gets peak performance from his players as well as peak derision from the fans

[Tom Servo]

I can't wait until platoons the crap out of the game and gets peak performance from his players as well as peak derision from the fans

The anger he received for sticking to strict platoons and pitching matchups was very bizarre. Years of "Dusty is too old school listening to his gut, he needs to look at numbers" followed up by "Bell is too devoted to numbers he needs to trust his gut".

I was fine with Bell's performance as manager last year, but that was last year. We'll see how this year unfolds.

[Wonderful Monds]

The anger he received for sticking to strict platoons and pitching matchups was very bizarre. Years of "Dusty is too old school listening to his gut, he needs to look at numbers" followed up by "Bell is too devoted to numbers he needs to trust his gut".

I was fine with Bell's performance as manager last year, but that was last year. We'll see how this year unfolds.

That is actually one of the things that I really couldn’t stand about Bell in his first season. I know the splits at the time might’ve justified it somewhat, but there was still no good reason to start the likes of Jose Peraza in LF over Winker, basically ever. They didn’t even really give the guy a chance to turn into anything more than a platoon bat, and for the opportunity of having a guy in the lineup who couldn’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag against any handed pitcher.

If he does less of that stuff, and less stuff he did like batting Jose Iglesias cleanup based on extremely limited matchup sample sizes, I will be more in favor of him.

[westofyou]

That is actually one of the things that I really couldn’t stand about Bell in his first season. I know the splits at the time might’ve justified it somewhat, but there was still no good reason to start the likes of Jose Peraza in LF over Winker, basically ever. They didn’t even really give the guy a chance to turn into anything more than a platoon bat, and for the opportunity of having a guy in the lineup who couldn’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag against any handed pitcher.

If he does less of that stuff, and less stuff he did like batting Jose Iglesias cleanup based on extremely limited matchup sample sizes, I will be more in favor of him.

There is a reason Jesse Winker has only seen a LH 17% of the time he has batted in MLB and it's not David Bell .176/.295/.248/.543 is putrid, I'd start Peraza's .297/.333/.406/.738 vs LH's every day of the summer over Winker

[GADawg]

There is a reason Jesse Winker has only seen a LH 17% of the time he has batted in MLB and it's not David Bell .176/.295/.248/.543 is putrid, I'd start Peraza's .297/.333/.406/.738 vs LH's every day of the summer over Winker

I get it and I didn’t look I’ll his minor league splits but I’m guessing unless he gets a few looks at lefties he’ll never figure it out even if it’s possible.....u fee like the bench is too small to be yanking hitters out in the early to mid part of games

[Musketeer22]

Who the hell is Davtd Bell?

[HammerTime]

I get it and I didn’t look I’ll his minor league splits but I’m guessing unless he gets a few looks at lefties he’ll never figure it out even if it’s possible.....u fee like the bench is too small to be yanking hitters out in the early to mid part of games

He actually had pretty decent numbers Vs Lefties in 17 and 18 in the minors.

[Tom Servo]

That is actually one of the things that I really couldn’t stand about Bell in his first season. I know the splits at the time might’ve justified it somewhat, but there was still no good reason to start the likes of Jose Peraza in LF over Winker, basically ever. They didn’t even really give the guy a chance to turn into anything more than a platoon bat, and for the opportunity of having a guy in the lineup who couldn’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag against any handed pitcher.

If he does less of that stuff, and less stuff he did like batting Jose Iglesias cleanup based on extremely limited matchup sample sizes, I will be more in favor of him.

Was his job last year though to win games or to develop guys? I think it was pretty clear Bell was attempting to win games, and the numbers are pretty clear that just about any right handed batter would do better against lefthanders than Winker.

Price could never decide if he was trying to win or trying to develop. I appreciate that Bell had a strategy to win games and didn't deviate from it because of hot hands or throwing darts at a board, regardless of how it ultimately shook out.

[Wonderful Monds]

There is a reason Jesse Winker has only seen a LH 17% of the time he has batted in MLB and it's not David Bell .176/.295/.248/.543 is putrid, I'd start Peraza's .297/.333/.406/.738 vs LH's every day of the summer over Winker

It’s bad, but as mentioned, he’ll never get better at it if he never has a chance to face them in the first place, and Bell seemed to concede Winker to being strictly a platoon guy, which drove me up a wall. If it had been for someone who actually hit well against them I could see it, but not for Peraza’s middling at best .738 vs LHP.

[alwaysawarrior]

Was his job last year though to win games or to develop guys? I think it was pretty clear Bell was attempting to win games, and the numbers are pretty clear that just about any right handed batter would do better against lefthanders than Winker.

Price could never decide if he was trying to win or trying to develop. I appreciate that Bell had a strategy to win games and didn't deviate from it because of hot hands or throwing darts at a board, regardless of how it ultimately shook out.

It is his job to manage players personalities and egos though as it helps him win games. There were times last year where I thought he lost Winker with some of the platooning. So is he better off following that strict platoon? I don't know. I think that's something Dusty did well that was often overlooked. Maybe it doesn't matter overall though and you are better off playing the numbers every time. My guess is the best solution is an intertwining of both.

[Wonderful Monds]

Was his job last year though to win games or to develop guys? I think it was pretty clear Bell was attempting to win games, and the numbers are pretty clear that just about any right handed batter would do better against lefthanders than Winker.

Price could never decide if he was trying to win or trying to develop. I appreciate that Bell had a strategy to win games and didn't deviate from it because of hot hands or throwing darts at a board, regardless of how it ultimately shook out.

I think you kind of always have to be doing both, especially if a guy is potentially the cornerstone of your lineup going into the future. I doubt Winker will ever mash LHP, but I could see him getting that OPS at least up to the .725-750 range that Peraza was sitting at there. Just as I wouldn’t want them to platoon Senzel or stunt his development by making him a part timer, I was not a fan of how Bell utilized Winker last season.

And he didn’t ride the hot hand based on guys having hot streaks per se, but his penchant for putting awful hitters in key lineup spots or benching them based on super small sample sizes drove me crazy too.

I’m generally positive on the guy anyway, but if we’re throwing out criticisms of the guy, that’s just what my issues with him are. I think for the most part he is fine as the manager and they could be doing a lot worse to say the least.

[westofyou]

It’s bad, but as mentioned, he’ll never get better at it if he never has a chance to face them in the first place, and Bell seemed to concede Winker to being strictly a platoon guy, which drove me up a wall. If it had been for someone who actually hit well against them I could see it, but not for Peraza’s middling at best .738 vs LHP.

What's wrong with being a platoon guy? Earl Weaver and Stengel thrived on platoon guys, winning match-ups hurts feelings and wins games.