Gameday 4/27 Angels @ Royals

[Make Angels Great Again]

 

[Chuck]

Can La Stella play 3B effectively? I know he's played there a couple times this season, but I haven't seen him there defensively. 

Fletcher could use a day off, but damn I love this kid. He hits everything hard and makes good contact, plays great D. 

[Slegnaac]

I'm really hoping the opener helps to turn the pitching around.  I like that it removes the current need to try and get a starter through the 5th inning to record the W.  If I understand the rules correctly, the starter could still get credit for the W while recording less than 15 outs.

 

 

[Slegnaac]

6 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Can La Stella play 3B effectively? I know he's played there a couple times this season, but I haven't seen him there defensively. 

Fletcher could use a day off, but damn I love this kid. He hits everything hard and makes good contact, plays great D. 

Fletcher is exciting to watch.

[DMVol]

Absolutely no logical reason not to have Fletcher in the lineup...None....

[floplag]

There is literally nothing thats going to get me to come around to the opener when you follow with a starter.  For the occasional bullpen game i get it, but not when a starter follows. 
This just feels like doing shit to do shit.  I dont care for it at all.

I get the whole not have them face them the first time thru thing but how is that any different than then not facing them the third time in the grand scheme of things or facing them for the first time in the third inning? 

There is an old native american saying about daylight savings that says "only white man can take an hour off the start of a day and put it on the end and think it makes the day longer"... well, i guess only an analytics is everything person can think this makes sense as far as im concerned. 

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, floplag said:

I get the whole not have them face them the first time thru thing but how is that any different than then not facing them the third time in the grand scheme of things or facing them for the first time in the third inning? 

it's not about when they face the top of the order, but rather how many times they face it. 

[gurn67]

Glad to see Bour's in there behind Trout. That will definitely keep Trout's OBP over .500. Because of zero protection behind him,Trout's OBP with runners in scoring position is .722 with only 6 actual at bats! In comparison, Simmons has 35 at bats with runners in scoring position. Where are you Shohei? Please come back!

[fan_since79]

I don't get Calhoun in the leadoff spot, but then again, he is hot at the moment. 

Not a terrible lineup.

 

[krAbs]

28 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Can La Stella play 3B effectively? I know he's played there a couple times this season, but I haven't seen him there defensively. 

Fletcher could use a day off, but damn I love this kid. He hits everything hard and makes good contact, plays great D. 

I, too, love his D.

[Docwaukee]

3 minutes ago, floplag said:

There is literally nothing thats going to get me to come around to the opener when you follow with a starter.  For the occasional bullpen game i get it, but not when a starter follows. 
This just feels like doing shit to do shit.  I dont care for it at all.

I get the whole not have them face them the first time thru thing but how is that any different than then not facing them the third time in the grand scheme of things or facing them for the first time in the third inning? 

There is an old native american saying about daylight savings that says "only white man can take an hour off the start of a day and put it on the end and think it makes the day longer"... well, i guess only an analytics is everything person can think this makes sense as far as im concerned. 

I don't really care to be honest, but the concept is pretty simple.  the first three guys in the lineup are better.  facing 4-9 for a third time gives the starter a better chance to get deeper in the game than facing 1-6 three times.  

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, fan_since79 said:

I don't get Calhoun in the leadoff spot, but then again, he is hot at the moment. 

Not a terrible lineup.

 

how about an .876 ops and 133 ops+ this year?  

[Second Base]

I'll wait until more data can be collected on the opener phenomenon, but at its early outset, it appears to be an effective strategy. 

And as for the lineup, we have three infielders you don't want out of the lineup so much and only two natural slots to line them up at. 

I think the only way to pull it off would be to put one of them at DH over Bour or Pujols, which definitely works for me.

[Docwaukee]

I actually don't mind the idea of someone like Fletcher or La Stella coming off the bench in the right spot.   

I feel like this lineup has a lot more depth at 6-9 and off the bench than in awhile and it's only going to improve with Ohtani and Upton coming back.  

[floplag]

8 minutes ago, Lou said:

it's not about when they face the top of the order, but rather how many times they face it. 

Yea, i get it, dont agree with it.  so it matters if its innings 1-5 or 3-7 somehow?  They need to try to get thru 3 times thru, what innings that happens in makes zero difference. 

[floplag]

7 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I don't really care to be honest, but the concept is pretty simple.  the first three guys in the lineup are better.  facing 4-9 for a third time gives the starter a better chance to get deeper in the game than facing 1-6 three times.  

Not of the receiver you use isnt likely to get thru them unscathed. 

[Broad Street]

2 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I actually don't mind the idea of someone like Fletcher or La Stella coming off the bench in the right spot.   

I feel like this lineup has a lot more depth at 6-9 and off the bench than in awhile and it's only going to improve with Ohtani and Upton coming back.  

Exactly. Who would have thunk that La Stella would be leading the team in home runs? He's been a pleasant surprise since the first week or so.

[Broad Street]

I would rather still have Fletcher, Rengifo, and Simba on the infield though.

[Docwaukee]

2 minutes ago, floplag said:

Yea, i get it, dont agree with it.  so it matters if its innings 1-5 or 3-7 somehow?  They need to try to get thru 3 times thru, what innings that happens in makes zero difference. 

but if you're not going to get through three times completely, your last batters are 4-9.  or if you do get through three times then you can go for a fourth and the 4th time through you're further down in the order.  

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, Kody Mac said:

Exactly. Who would have thunk that La Stella would be leading the team in home runs? He's been a pleasant surprise since the first week or so.

me.  

He's a defensive liability although that has improved a bit but he's a good hitter.  As long as his defense stays avg or slightly below, he needs to get consistent at bats.  

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Dochalo said:

but if you're not going to get through three times completely, your last batters are 4-9.  or if you do get through three times then you can go for a fourth and the 4th time through you're further down in the order.  

I honestly don't get how he fails to understand the concept 

[stormngt]

54 minutes ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

 

Barria was arguably our best pitcher last year.  Why does he need an opener?

[Lou]

8 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

me.  

He's a defensive liability although that has improved a bit but he's a good hitter.  As long as his defense stays avg or slightly below, he needs to get consistent at bats.  

he should DH

 

 

and be the closer 

[jordan]

47 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

I'm really hoping the opener helps to turn the pitching around.  I like that it removes the current need to try and get a starter through the 5th inning to record the W.  If I understand the rules correctly, the starter could still get credit for the W while recording less than 15 outs.

 

 

Well the starter as you mean it wouldn’t be called the starter anymore. As Jeff Fletcher says, the “follower”.  

[DMVol]

3 minutes ago, stormngt said:

Barrier was arguably our best pitcher last year.  Why does he need an opener?

Same reason Fletcher sits...it’s analytics....gotta do what others are doing....