[Official] Twins @ Astros

Mancini has become a regular starter now. Yuli and Mancini are both getting everyday starts right now outside of rest days with Diaz on the IL.

I'm enjoying the ride on this 2022 Astros ship. Stop waiting for it to crash and burn.

 

You don't think he'd seek a raise? The way his contract was structured he made 6.2 million last season and 7 million this season.

 

Based on the information available, This would have been my preferred line-up:

1. C Vasquez 405 OBP
2. 2B Bregman 370 OBP
3. LF Alvarez 999OPS
4. 2B Altuve 884 OPS
5. 1B/DH Mancini 567 SLG
6. SS Pena 416 SLG
7. 1B/DH Hensley (420 OBP at Sugar Land)
8. RF Dubon 265 OBP
9. CF Meyers 259 OBP

Gurriel and Maldonado available on the Bench
McCormick and Tucker Unavailable on Bench.

I would lean heavily toward Mancini at DH because as versatile as Mancini is, Hensley is even more veratile in the event a replacement is needed and Gurriel to 1B if Hensley needs to move works.

This is just NORMAL line-up management. Not some super stat mind blowing stuff.

But since y'all brought up the circle jerk, look in the mirror when it comes to Saint Dusty..

 

I really don't give a **** what he did with other teams. In Houston, he's managed two teams that in my mind overachieved in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. So far this season he is managing a team that I doubt anyone thought before this season would have the best record in team history to this point in a season. But here you are predicting playoff losses this October/November due to Dusty.

 

So does Mancini pass Gurriel in homers this season as an Astro this coming series?

 

I hope so

 

Normal line up management is leading off with Vazquez? A player who has started a grand total of one game leading off?

 

I was surprised how few catchers there are between 6M AAV and $20M AAV. It is an anomaly with just a few outliers. Some very good C under CC will probably change that soon as they reach Arbitration and Free Agency.

 

Tucker on the bench?!

 

The initial step to a brilliant move or an unmitigated disaster are often the same. If a player hits well, he should hit higher in the BO. I don't know how long it would take to see results, but the reluctance to try things which may be better than the old tried and failed should not be off the table. I personally think Altuve has developed to much power to leave him at the top of the order and it is reflected in his OPS and SLG.

 

Only because of injury. Same with McCormick. These are understandable. But the Pressly move to the IR may foretell similar moves if they do not recover quickly. i think 3 days is as far back as they can backdate an IR stint but recovery time of more than 7 days makes that moot.

 

I'm old enough to crush those egg shells you prefer to walk on.

 

Yep. Nobody has won a championship before their first time, but Dusty has a history of playoff failure. Is he brilliant and just snake bit? I don't think so, but I'd take luck when available.

 

Your Altuve argument was also used for Springer. They are both good leadoff hitters. That high OPS oftentimes leads to HRs or XBH from the leadoff position.

He has plenty of guys who have power hitting after him - Yordan, Tucker, Bregman, Mancini - where they don't need his power farther down in the lineup.

 

I am so over the Dusty bashing.

Is he the best manager ever? No

Is he a lifelong baseball man with infinite more knowledge than me and exceptional respect in the baseball community? Yes

Does he make lineups and decisions that make me scratch my head? Yes

Did he guide a mediocre team w/o Verlander or Alvarez to a game 7 of the ALCS in 2020? Yes

Did he guide the team w/o Verlander to the World Series after it also lost McCullers and Grienke ( for all intent and purposes) in 2021? Yes

*I mention Verlander both years because even if not expected to pitch, his salary counted toward CBT and potentially took away from possibly improving the team.

Is he the only manager this team has or will have in 2022 regardless of how any of us feel? Yes

Has he guided this team to its best record and performance, to date, in team history? Yes

Does stress and frustration cause terrible health issues? Yes

Should baseball be enjoyable? Yes

Come on guys let's just let Dusty be Dusty.

It appears to be working.

It sure feels like this is the year.

Houston Astros 2022 World Series Champions.

Dusty rides into the sunset with a ring and then MLB and Dodger/Yankmee fans will create or think of some new excuse as to why/how the Astros were able to spank their bottoms again.

 

I'd like someone to point out where Dusty's mismanagement has cost the Astros in the last 2 postseasons

 

Dusty's Playoff Series Record

WC 1-1
LDS 4-6
LCS 2-2
WS 0-2

 

Yes. We should ignore his career .312 OBP and just look at his 35 at bats as an Astro to conclude he's an amazing .400+ OBP guy. This is normal lineup management.

 

Every game they won was in spite of Baker. Every game they lost was because of Baker.

 

Im thinking the FO plays a much larger role in the post-season in game planning each game with Dusty. A lot of the more egregiously stupid **** he does noticeably stops in the post-season.