Doug Mientkiewicz Starts At Third

by Charlie on Apr 12, 2008 10:30 PM EDT Comment 5 comments

Regrettably, I have to leave before the end of the game and won't be back until tomorrow morning, but I wanted to post a few thoughts about tonight's game, or at least the seven innings I saw.

-P- Doug Mientkiewicz started at third and looked perfectly good there, making an on-target throw in the one attempt I saw at a toss across the diamond and ranging far to his left to make another play. I'm not sure this should mean anything, given that it was just one game and the Pirates are better served in the long run by continuing to play Jose Bautista at third, but if the Pirates want to let Mientkiewicz play third every once in a while against a righty, I'm fine with that.

-P- Brian Bixler started at shortstop and wasn't nearly as bad as 0-for-3vas, but he managed to make an error, too, on an off-target throw. By the way, Trogglodite thinks we should call Bixler "Bambi," which isn't very nice but I think is kind of funny, given his boyish look.

-P- Ronny Paulino made a play on a throw from the plate. In other news, Linkin Park made a good album, Kevin Trudeau gave some good medical advice, and the Pope converted to Islam. Actually, Paulino didn't have a bad game at all - he drew a walk (although Bronson Arroyo was kind of pitching around him) and drove in two runs with a single.

-P- Nate McLouth is just awesome. He's been so good that when he comes to the plate in an important situation, my default expectation is that he'll come through. Today he had two hits through the first seven innings, including an RBI single to give the Bucs the lead in the sixth.

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Morgan and Paulino

You should lay off Paulino. There are a lot of teams that would be thrilled to have him. Reds included.

Last night you wondered why Morgan was considered so highly. From a fan perspective I can tell you that he is popular because when he plays he interacts with the center field fans constantly throughout the game (i sat in center field friday night). Talking, making hand gestures, reacting to their cat-calls, etc....(McLouth never reacts). So much so, in that in this curmudgeon's opinion he just seems unprofessional. I'm not suggesting that is the reason he seems to struggle with routine plays, but if you are thinking/behaving like an amatuer you'll play like one.

by Blyleven Curve Ball on Apr 12, 2008 10:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's good news.

If there are, in fact, a lot of teams that'd be thrilled to have Paulino, then we might be able to flip him for something useful.

That said, I remain skeptical. The Rangers haven't had any luck moving Laird for value, and there wasn't any interest in Ramon Hernandez when the Orioles shopped him over the offseason.

by Vlad on Apr 14, 2008 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Morgan

I like Morgan. I think he brings some much needed spirit to the team. He always seems greatful just to be here. He's just too excited so far this season, from sliding over bases to taking wrong routes to fly balls(but still catching them though, jason bay). Just give a young guy a break. Just like Bix, he's got some early nerves too but hopefully they both work it out. Its not the New York Yank me's or the Redsox but they may still be anxious to play infront of 10,000 fans or so that boo every time you screw up ( Jason Bay).

by gorillakilla34 on Apr 13, 2008 4:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't want spirit

I want good baseball players. Morgan is not, and never will be, one.

by matskralc on Apr 13, 2008 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blyleven

If Nyjer Morgan is so interested in what the fans are doing and saying in the stands behind him, instead of focusing his attention completely on his job, then this is another example of the amateur that he really is.

Conversely, if McClouth never reacts to the fans as you say, it is because he has worked so hard every step of the way to earn his starting CF job and knows what it takes to keep it. He is all business-as he should be.

I once saw a Pirates game at Wrigley with a Bucs OF of Bonilla, Van Slyke and Bonds. I sat directly behind Bonilla and the fans were giving him hell. He occasionally turned around and joked with the fans between pitches. Van Slyke never paid attention as far as I could tell to anything the fans said or did.

The point here is that Bonilla was an established big league standout at the time. If he was comfortable with a little interaction with the fans during breaks, so be it.

However, Nyjer Morgan has no business paying attention to anything but what is happening in front of him on the field.

gorillakilla34: Morgan "taking wrong routes to fly balls" has nothing to do with him being overexcited. It is simply because he is not a fundamentally sound OF, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Also, he is not such a young guy. He will be 28 in July. If he doesn`t know how to play the OF or run the bases by now, he probably never will.

He should be a fine candidate to solidify the Indy OF later this summer.

by patthatt on Apr 13, 2008 9:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs