What is up with 610 and The SportsRadio 610 Clubhouse Xtra? I don't hear it. Is this a real show or is it something they only do if the game happens to end before 10pm? Their site says they do it after every home game but I've only heard it maybe two times and neither have been very long. http://www.sportsradio610.com/Article.asp?id=195724 Did it suck and they canceled it?
was at the game. Lidge's slider looked pretty good. He got his fastball to 98 mph. I was excited to see Lidge come out for the 9th. Defensively, the astros played like crap. Especially in the outfield. Preston Wilson is a piece of crap fielder.
Good to see Lidge work out some of his mechanics. Anybody else wondering if Garner's lineup changes are as good as they can be? He flip-flops Willy and Biggio... and unless Willy is somehow gonna get on base more by hitting in front of Bidge instead of Berkman (ie - unlikely), I'm not sure I get it. I do, however, like seeing Ausmus bat in Lane's spot, and Lamb getting some playing time with Berkman... although I thought the reason why we rested him the ENTIRE last series was so he could get that leg healthy (and then we put him in the non-stop running outfield?!?). But maximizing Ausmus's ability to get on-base, and make contact, is KEY right now... I'd prefer he bat 2nd, but batting him 5th could be just as effective a decision (for now). In the long run, however, I feel one of the three has to happen for this offense to be sufficient: 1.) Lamb has to continue his torrid hitting, as he becomes our everyday first-baseman. 2.) Lane gets at least the same production he got LAST year. 3.) Wilson hits his 25-30 HR's that he's been used to doing. Out of all three, I really think #2 is the safest bet... because Lane doesn't suck as badly as he looks right now. Also, not having Lamb's lefty power off the bench could be a problem, given the amount of close games this team normally plays in.
problem is though, when's it going to come? last year lane turned it around after april, and really came alive around mid-may. this year, it's still mid-may and while lane might be drawing walks, he's not forcing managers to adjust anything in the lineup card with a .207 batting avg. all i hear about lane is potential potential potential. time for lane to start showing that 40 hr , 90-100 rbi mold instead of coupling walks with a .207 avg.
Purpura supposedly re-wrote the organizational hitting philosophy to emphasize on base percentage and taking pitches. Lane adjusts admirably to this, and gets rewarded with a bench spot. I think he should get more time to bring his power numbers up. I also think we need a lefty power bat in the middle of the lineup, if that means Lamb so be it.
Last year, Lane had as terrible a May as any major league player can possibly have. He hit 0.295 with an OPS near 0.900 in April (4 HRs, 13 RBI). Then in May, it all fell apart - he batted 0.118 with an OPS of 0.366 and drove in 4 runs all month. In June, he was back to a 0.900+ OPS and then was consistent the rest of the year.
Agreed... that's what I thought. He's starting to show that his MO is getting off to mediocre starts... but once he gets in a groove, he can help carry some of the offensive load tremendously. Also, his defense and OBP are still solid enough to warrant everyday play... and if Preston Wilson isn't hitting HR's, he's definitely a better option than that guy if Lamb is gonna be a fixture in this lineup.
I mentioned it a couple days ago, but batting Wily in front of Berkman/Ensberg took away his base stealing ability. The first time he reached base last night, he was able to put a ton of pressure on the pitcher and stole 2nd.
I dont think Jason Lane is ever going to be a .300 hitter.However if he can get his batting average up to around .265 with his power he can turn into a very serviceable corner outfielder. Looking at Preston Wilson so far Jason Lane is a better version of Wilson.Lets not forget that Lane was big for us in the playoffs last year. He got some big time clutch hits. Lets just hope that he starts hitting for a little bit higher average.
lol it's funny, the last time pettite pitched i was ""out of my mind"" to say that pettitte finally came together, and pitched a good game. yet, everyone kept pointing back to ol , "don't worry, it's another slow start by andy" when's this slow start going to end then? his era's still 5 and he's still very very hittable these days. somehow, this "slow start" from andy concerns me a lot more than any of his others in the past.
