Shouldn't Ed Wade be looking to improve the team??
by AstrosBill on May 17, 2010 4:56 PM CDT
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OK……what the heck is going on??? We have AAA players that are hitting and MLB players that are not and nothing being done. I completely understand they are hitting AAA pitching but.....WHERE DO ALMOST ALL MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS COME FROM?? YES TRIPLE A!!!!
Is it or is it not the Astros organizational goal to win baseball games at the Major League level???
At AAA:
Oswaldo Navarro – SS - .353
Jason Bourgeois – OF - .347
Chris Shelton – 1B - .316
Brian Bogusevic – OF - .314
Matt Kata – 2B - .309
But we have in the majors:
Matsui – 2B - .149
Sullivan – OF - .200
Manzella – SS - .178
Michaels – OF .194
Towles got sent away in part for hitting .191. He’s Ted Williams compared to Matsui and Manzella!!
Maybe I’m wrong but it seems to make sense to outright Manzella and Sullivan to "wherever", let Keppinger take over every day at 2B, put Matsui on the bench and bring up a couple of these AAA guys to see what happens. WE ARE GOING NOWHERE, SO WHAT DOES IT HURT???
I’m starting to really question Ed Wade.
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I understand your frustration
Considering Jason Bourgeois was neck and neck for the last outfield spot in spring training before his untimely injury, I would think Ed Wade should be willing to give him a try.
Having said that, I keep hearing Lance Berkman’s voice in the back of my mind reminding us that it is easier to hit AAA pitching than it is major league pitching. Also Sullivan and Michaels are hamstrung somewhat by being pinch hitters. I understand it is harder to have a good average as a pinch hitter than as a regular starter.
Sooner or later though, something’s got to give. The current formulae is not scoring runs.
As for Tommy Manzella, I think he needs more games. I keep hoping he’ll get more comfortable with his role on the team in the field and at the plate.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on May 17, 2010 5:17 PM CDT reply actions
Like Joe, i understand your frustration, but we knew Manzella was gonna take his lumps. Besides his errors, he’s shown good range and defensively he is the best option. And he’s likely one of the reasons some of our pitchers are doing well. It takes time for guys to transition from AAA to the majors when they aren’t the best of hitters.
I think Matt Kata being on the list of “potential” call ups says all that needs to be said about those options at AAA.
by Timothy De Block on May 17, 2010 5:30 PM CDT reply actions
RIGHT!
Man are you spot on there. But if he perfoms better than what we have…..they have to do something.
Doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result if the definition of insanity. Therefore; if the Astros think things will get better with the guys they run out every day…..they’re crazy.
Doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result if the definition of insanity
I understand where you are coming from, but to some extent that quote really doesn’t apply to baseball, unless you extend the time frame out. Baseball is a game of streaks; and small sample sizes will tell you nothing about future performance. Is Manzella truly a below-the-Mendoza line hitter, like he has shown thus far? Very doubtful. Is Matsui really as bad a hitter as he has shown so far ? Again, not likely. I’m not saying they are good hitters, just that sometimes you do have to keep running guys out there until they get back on track. I’m not against making changes to improve the hitting. But I’m not convinced that the Astros have any alternatives who will hit better. I think it’s pretty likely that some of those guys (like Kata) will hit worse than the guys they would replace in the future. Kata’s small sample size doesn’t override the fact that he has proven himself over many years to be a hitter who doesn’t belong in the majors.
Have the Astros not always been a bad first half team? 2005 they were 15-30 in May, and yet still made the World Series. Not saying this team has any where near the talent level of the 2005 team, but I think it shows that how they play in April and May isn’t necessarily how they’ll play the rest of the season.
Just look at the standings in the NL, the Philly’s, Red’s, Padres are all currently in first place within their respective division, the Giants and Cardinals are fighting for the wild card. I highly doubt these teams will finish out the season in that position.
by Timothy De Block on May 18, 2010 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Bourgeois has hit well enough to justify a reserve outfield slot, but Sullivan is the left handed bat on the bench, and Bourgeois is not lefthanded. Navarro’s career numbers would tell you that he isn’t likely to be a decent hitter in the majors. Most likely he is in a temporary hot streak. The projection systems show him as a poor major league hitter. However, I would keep an eye on Navarro just in case he shows that he can maintain up his current numbers.
I’d be fine with Matsui, Sullivan or Michaels giving way to a Triple-A guy. However, would they play enough in those roles for it to matter? Yes, Oswaldo Navarro is hot right now, but would he still be as good if he’s sitting on the bench for seven innings?
The time to make changes isn’t right now. There hasn’t been enough of a season to get a feel for these guys.
I can understand the impulse by fans to get excited about Navarro. I have to fight that feeling myself. The idea of a 25 year old shortstop hitting like Hanley Ramirez is dream like. But, the reality is that this likely is similar to Yordany Ramirez’s April last year when he started the season .350, .375, .500, .875. Obviously that was a hot streak, rather than an indication that Yordany had an offensive breakthrough. Having said that, I wouldn’t mind calling up Navarro somewhere down the road if the opportunity arises.
Of course, Navarro's career numbers are almost as good as Manzella's
And he may actually be the better defender, as he has always been considered a plus shortstop. Something to think about.
He’s still young and could be improving, no? I mean it’s unlikely that he suddenly just figured it all out, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Release Matsui and Sullivan replace them with Navarro and Bogusevic. Bourgeios, Shelton, and Kata have proven they are not MLB caliber guys and are strictly there in case of injury.
I got my wish!
Navarro is in and Matsui is out. Even if it doesn’t work we are no worse off than before. Now to get Feliz out and Johnson in. Making changes in the Astros situation makes a lot more sense to me than standing pat. At least watching young guys develope is better than watching this horrible offense scuffle day in and day out with the old guys.
Well done Ed!! We appreciate the effort!!
AAA ain't that much easier to hit...
I think AstroBill is right on the money here.
If you have 5 guys in AAA hitting well above .300 on a daily basis and you sit on worn out .200 hitters on your big league club, it is time to call one or two of them up.
The Astro’s offense is pathetic right now and if you dig around I think you will find very little actual drop off in batting average for a guy moving up from AAA to MLB.
It sure beats the idea that Ed Wade could trade away Oswalt for veterans…
Studies have shown that there is usually a substantial drop off in batting stats from AAA to the majors. The website minorleaguesplits.com has a major league equivalent (mle) calculator to show you what a particular player’s minor league batting statistic is comparable to at the major league level. For example, Brian Bogusevic’s current .301 batting average and .805 OPS at Round Rock is equivalent to a .252 batting average and .659 OPS at the major league level.
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