Gameday Thread: 10/1 vs. Rangers - No Murphy Again

[tomsred]

I completely agree Gia should have been in until the 8th inning

 

I agree that Featherston should have never sniffed the roster this year, but how is Giavatella's error any better than Featherston's error.  They both turned out to be devastating.  And the Trout/Cron show coughed up another run.  All the dorking around with second baseman reminds me of the Nolan Ryan, i.e. two pitchers are as effective as the one, LOL.  In this case we started the season with 4 second basemen.  As it turns out three of them couldn't field, and the fourth one couldn't hit outside of Coors field, and hardly there.  Excuse me, but I'm so in love with Zobrist right now I can't contain myself.  Giavotella is a great spark plug, love it, but I can't learn to trust him in the field, especially with his medical issues.  I can see the Kansas City fans seeing the three unearned runs scoring after his boot, and saying I told you so, he can hit but can't field.  I definitely want to keep him, but he needs some help from Alfredo Griffin.

 

As for Featherston, he's a AA player until he can prove otherwise.  Morin, Gott and Featherston last night reminded me of why veterans are important in crunch time.  The pressure will eat the rookies alive.

 

The part of replacing Giovotella with Featherston is on Scioscia, the replacement of Giovotella for defense part I can understand, but he's putting too much faith in a young inexperienced rookie at the wrong time.

[Stradling]

Well I wouldn't be surprised if Napoli and Hamilton do more than they did last time we played them, considering they did absolutely nothing against us.

I also think that Murphy not starting has as much to do with run prevention than it does lefty lefty thing. We have Heaney, a lefty, going in a ball park that has a pretty big left field. I would rather have Murhpy playing but I understand the reasoning behind it. Also, Victorino was on base twice yesterday, for whatever that is worth.

[Ray McKigney]

Won't be seeing Murphy tomorrow either with another lefty on the mound for Texas

 

Same thing on Sunday. Murphy will be on the bench three out of the last four games.

[Troll Daddy]

Well I wouldn't be surprised if Napoli and Hamilton do more than they did last time we played them, considering they did absolutely nothing against us.

I also think that Murphy not starting has as much to do with run prevention than it does lefty lefty thing. We have Heaney, a lefty, going in a ball park that has a pretty big left field. I would rather have Murhpy playing but I understand the reasoning behind it. Also, Victorino was on base twice yesterday, for whatever that is worth.

You start off with a strong argument ... then you back down. Edited October 1, 2015 by Troll Daddy

[Adam]

Murphy has a .656 career OPS vs. LHP. Under normal circumstances I'm fine with him sitting, but there isn't a righty on our bench that is better vs LHP

[Stradling]

You start off with a strong argument ... then you back down.

If I thought you meant what you said I was ask you to explain it. But you don't and you can't so I won't.

[Second Base]

Scioscia's dumb, now let's go win this freakin' division, shall we?

[Pucknut22]

One thing we need to do is let Dsar go after the season.  He has been horrible as a 3rd base coach.  What is surprising is he was never a fast runner but a very smart base runner when he played.
As for Scioscia dream on guys he is here for as long as he wants to be the Angel manager.  I didn't agree with taking Gio out because it was only a 2 run lead after 6 and would bat again in the 8th or 9th.  If he would have hit in the 7th then maybe. Anyways I don't blame the loss on Featherston though he does seem to be a little bit of a jinx.  One thing that amazes me about Featherston is his cockiness for a guy hitting .150 and as a fielder who does not have soft hands and susceptible to errors.

 

Last thing the Angels had Josh Rutledge sitting around in the minors. He was the leader to start the season at 2B but had a uneventful spring. Why was he never recalled to be that SS/2B/3B utility?
He hit .269 last year and has over 800 MLB at bats. Boston got him for I think Victorino he has hit .300 though small sample size.  But with Rutledge you at least get quality at bats compared to Featherston where he was basically a pitcher hitting. You cannot have a C/2B/3B all hitting around .150 for a month and expect to win many games and they didn't.  If Angels don't make the playoffs you can point to that time when it would have been so easy to tweak that position instead of getting a bunch a left fielders to replace Joyce.

Edited October 1, 2015 by PSI

[Blarg]

I can only imagine the damage Napoli and Hamilton will inflict these last 4 games.

 

For the last month Hamilton is hitting .167/.231/.167/.398

 

Napoli is on a hormone rage hitting like Trout on a hot streak.

 

The answer, don't pitch to Napoli.

[Dreams]

Go. Away. Fatman.

[Oz27]

How many homers for Napoli this season. I'm thinking 6.

Also, Aybar's OBP is only .300? lol

[Second Base]

Holland's game plan so far: throw sliders. 

[Second Base]

This team is so pathetic against a left hander with a breaking ball, which pretty much means all left handed pitchers. 

[kingsosha]

great start Heandip

[beatlesrule]

You know things are bad when Scioscia supporters start agreeing with what most of us have been saying all along about him.

[Angels Lifer]

For all the Scioscia haters, who do you want in his place?

[Second Base]

Heaney's getting squeezed already.  #TexasUmps

[Angels Lifer]

I don't agree with everything he does, but there are many many worse out there.

[wpghalo]

Lets Go ANGELS

[wpghalo]

Freese. Come on

[KCal]

Victorino better not **** this up

[Ochocinco!]

Victorino for the love of God just hit the ball to the outfield

[tdawg87]

Victorino better not **** this up

 

He won't.

[KCal]

What. The. ****.

[Ochocinco!]

Pujols is that ****ing slow Jesus