Lefties have 197 ABs & righties 174 against Gallo in his career. Not exactly the disparity you're saying. His .327 OBP to LHB last season ain't too shabby either. He's been crap so far this year, but to say he hasn't been good in the past or can't be in the future is silly. It's even more silly to try and hold Mike Gallo accountable for the vast, vast majority of of the reasons why the Astros aren't winning games right now. Is he great? No. Will he ever be? No. If he can get back to pitching like he did last season, he can help this team. Some of the hyperbole here is comical.
In crucial situations, yes. Garner usually lets him go an inning or so when the game has already been decided (or the starter is gone after 4-5 innings), and I don't mind that. But in crucial situations (i.e. 8th inning, tie game), he's used as a lefty-specialist for one or two batters, and his track record against them does not even come close to justify leaving a pitcher such as Qualls, Wheeler or Lidge on the bench.
Gallo's career OBP to LHB, while not completely awful, isn't as good as Qualls, Wheeler and Lidge in that area. I don't mind Gallo being on the team as one of the last relievers, in a role such as the one Springer holds. My problem is with him taking on key batters in a situation where one of the significantly more talented pitchers should be in the game.
It seems like Nomar has hit all his HR's this season off us. He only has 3, IIRC, and I'm pretty sure 2 of them are off us. This team is having one hell of a bad start on the road. I hope they can turn it around. I guess we'll be ok though if they can win all their home games.
Pettite is sucking pretty good so far this season. This team has problems. We'll be lucky to remain above .500 at this rate. Gallo is good for one thing...facing one batter and giving up a hit. When it rains...it pours! Turn the damn crap around before it's too late.
This year's sample size is far too small for you to draw meaningful analysis from it. As for past seasons, have you considered the possibility that the lefties he's facing are not your typical lefty in the lineup. He's looking at lefthanded pinch hitting specialists as well as the best of the lefthanded everyday hitters who can smack lefties and righties alike. The weaker lefty hitters who cant hit lefthanded pitching are often pulled out against a lefty like Gallo, where they might be left in versus a righthanded reliever. Further, "Lefty specialists", as has been demonstrated, do not face only lefties. With Gallo, you have a guy who's not a stiff against righthanders. So that when you sub him in and then they bring up a righty pinch hitter, or the batter is a switch hitter, he still has a good chance of getting the out. He can also face 2 good lefties sandwiched around a right handed bat. Finally, Qualls, Lidge, and Wheeler can't face every batter. The rest of the bullpen might not be as good, but you still need to put them in at times. But then again, maybe you know better than Phil Garner regarding the right way to use relief pitchers.
I don't know more than Phil Garner concerning how to use relievers. In theory, he has the right approach. But there are tons of other left-handed specialists in the league, and they all face the same stiff circumstances that you spoke of with Gallo. But they don't have a median BAA of around .278 and they don't have an average OPS allowed of more than .800. Phil Garner is using the role correctly; it's not a matter of him not knowing how to use the pitchers. He's just not adjusting to the fact that this individual pitcher isn't good enough to perform this role. And I understand that Qualls, Lidge and Wheeler can't face every batter. As I said, I have no issues with having Gallo take a role like the one Springer has in our bullpen. My issue is with him facing key batters in crucial situations - and when Qualls, Wheeler and Lidge are rested, there's no reason why they can't each pitch an inning. It's not as if you're risking fatigue by asking Wheeler to go a full inning instead of 2/3 of one.
I'm not sure; I know he hit Lidge well his last appearance. But it's more than just last night and just one batter; it's a regular occurence, and I don't understand why.
Lots of good points there, sam. I'll answer my own question from earlier: Kenny Lofton was 1-7 (single) against Mike Gallo going into last night. Phil Garner knew this, Cat - when he wrote the following "It's very clear that, for whatever bizarre reason, Garner ignores all statistics and logic when it comes to Gallo and faithfully puts him in on a nightly basis in key situations." did not. To argue that Garner doesn't have a reason for what he does is incredibly arrogant.
That's one batter with an incredibly small sample size. That doesn't excuse every other appearance with every other batter Gallo's faced this season. I wouldn't mind it if it happened once; it's baseball. But when it's a pattern, it's a problem, and this is a pattern. And I'd consider Gallo's track record against lefties over previous years more of a potential indicator for the result of the AB than a sample size as small as seven.
so much promise, but man, we can't pitch worth sh*t...I suspect Roger would have to say a big fat no before coming here...
Man, that probably sums up Garner's mentality on the matter to a "t". and it's completely flawed, awful logic. the same mentality that kept brandon duckworth on our team for 3 years longer than he should have been, the same mentality that keeps springer on this team, the same mentality that kept Gar going to miceli disastrous outing after disastrous outing, and the same mentality that's going to buy trever miller a good 2 seasons+ in our system, etc. i could go on forever.
It's a loooong season and right now - at least until Miller comes back - they don't have any other viable options. What do you propose they do?
No, it's not the same logic. Gallo was OK last year, and has been OK since he came into the league. He was nails in the postseason, but he's not that good. He's not being asked to become something he's not, he's just expected to return to career averages. By contrast, Springer and Duckworth have been bad pitchers in their careers, they were being asked to perform well in situations they hadn't successfully performed in before. By YOUR logic, we should dump Lidge and Wheeler and Wilson, because they're off to poor starts.
I find it amazing Duckworth was on our team for 3 years longer than he should have been, when he wasn't even on our team for more than 2 years total. I also wish we didn't have Springer. I'd much better we be pitching Astacio and his 13.50 ERA over Springer's 3.7 ERA.
keep arguing just for the sake of arguing dude. are you telling me you really think gallo is a pitcher that you want on this staff? you think his awful pitching is a fluke, and it's just a matter of time before Cy Gallo emerges?? you are just agreeing with every move the astros' brass makes unconditionally, and assuming they are all correct. there is no other explanation for it. nobody in their right mind who knows anything about baseball (which i believe you do) can honestly think that throwing him out there and watching him fail night in and night out on a major league team with aspirations of making the playoffs, just in the hopes that he will one day assume some consistency, can possibly be of any benefit. what if gallo gets sent down tomorrow? are you going to say "yeah, that was the right move. it was time. he's terrible"? give us all a break dude. gallo should not be in the major leagues.
The team is struggling to be sure, but when they're playing good, they're really good. I don't think it's a fluke they beat the Cards twice in a row last week and got off to a good start. They've hit a wall which most teams do. Now is the time to see if they show the same resiliencey they've had for the past few seasons.
