Wow... unbelievable comeback. My satellite radio was getting bad reception. I heard Rasmus make the final out in the 8th, then reception returns and the Astros were up 2 bottom of the 9th. Would you guys take 3-4 vs TEX right now if it was offered? Still have that game DVR'd. #clutchcity
Have you not been watching all year? The Astros have had a number of last at bat wins and comeback wins.
And had Lowrie and Tucker started, they may not have been in position for their 9th inning heroics. Hinch doesn't get any credit for getting them at bats late in the game?
I agree. Really the Astros should not play Correa and Altuve so that they can be used for 9th inning heroics. I hear the Angels are thinking about doing that with Trout as well. You are better than this. No, Hinch doesn't get any credit for limiting the number of at bats by superior players. Hinch isn't the worse manager in baseball but he hasn't been anything special strategically. Perhaps he is amazing in the clubhouse.
I left after the Rasmus out in the 8th I went to go see The Visit then in the movie my phone started blowing up : )
I agree with you 100 percent about Hinch. Some people, well, FEW here love Hinch but what has he done? Look at this game: Many here want Tucker playing more, who started all? Tucker with a homer. Many here questioned why Lowrie was not playing? Well, he hit the 3 run homer. Why did Valbuena pinch hit for Conger??? There is NOT one number that gives that move any logic, not ONE. Why he did not play defense in the 9th and kept Villar at 3b??? Why????? Did not cost us, but those little things makes team lose 1 run games. Why Qualls? It worked, but Qualls is struggling, why not Feliz??? Now, what i liked? No Carter. The use of Sipps. Playing Rasmus. But Hinch continues to make mistakes, a few here don't see it, but is a reality.
Baseball is the only sport where you can pick up some homeless guy off the street to be the manager and the players wouldn't miss a beat.
Joe Maddon is one. The Angels manager for instance, made a change yesterday that may have saved the game Saturday. In a 1 run game, he change Cron for defensive purpose, and the guy playing saved a double. That was leading off the 9th inning. That move was the difference. Now, lets see our manager. Valbuena pinch hits for Conger, no idea why. But the problem does not ends there. We take the lead, so of course Valbuena stays at 3b and Stassi takes the spot of Villar in the lineup and plays catcher, right????? Nooooooooo, that is too complicated for Hinch. Good managers make those kind of moves.
It is t a matter of doing "special strategic stuff". It is a matter of putting your best players out there and putting players in a position to do well. For as much a phoney as I think he can be, Joe Madden comes to mind. Living in Chicago I am blanketed with the Cubs.
There was no way Tucker was going to start today based on his performance against LHP (check out his slash line). Lowrie (while still recovering from his wrist injury) continues to get the occasional rest. So, not starting Tucker was a moot point. Lowrie was mired in an 0-17 slump, so today was a reasonable day to give him some rest. So, again, does Hinch get any credit for using them as pinch hitters? Or does he only get blame for not starting them.
I wouldn't go that far. As I said earlier, Hinch doesn't hit or pitch.... but he does make the line up card, handle the pitching decisions and other strategic areas. I personally think Hinch is mediocre at this part of the game. Managers evolve, he may become a fantastic manager. However there have been some odd moves/decisions this season. Most likely Hinch gets a chance to improve. By all accounts he is very progressive and bright and I believe the Astros will hold off the Rangers. Come the post season, anything can happen.
I wasn't the one that said this manager isn't doing anything "special strategically", so I was curious as to what you feel those special things are... and who is doing them. I knew everybody would bring up Maddon... who I guess happened to forget how to do these special things last year.... and is now winning again when the talent picked up. Was there anybody else? To me, a manager's most important job is cultivating the bullpen and getting guys set in the appropriate roles. Day-to-day lineup stuff should be pretty consistent, if you have the players who are talented enough... if not, its really not going to end up mattering much in the long run. I suppose a manager that knows the DH rules and doesn't put pitchers in the OF to "keep him in the game" is also a plus.... but in the end, all these guys are only as good as the teams they have. That is all. I'd just really like to know who ISN'T a mediocre manager... based on your criteria, they're all going to be pretty much the same with similar talent.
