ok, here's a question for those who thinks Jimy simply rewards production: Ensberg's stats over the past 3 games: 4/13 with a homer, a triple, and a double. Ensberg's season stats: .267/.353/.400 Blum's stats in the last week: 1/14 with no extra base hits, and no walks. Blum's season stats: .235/.319/.353 Looks like Ensberg is winning the battle, hands down, so far. Especially recently. But he gets benched, after a nice 3 game streak? Ensberg looks to win the battle for playing time on all fronts now: he's younger, he has more potential, he's projected to play better, and he is playing better. Giving Blum more than utility at-bats is inexplicable and foolish.
To me it was frustrating that Esberg seemed to finally get into a hitting groove with 4 hits in his previous two games, plus his first HR 3 games ago and he sat out tonight. Perhaps Williams wanted another left handed bat in the lineup. Oh well, as I always say, every decision made in a winning game was the right one .
Haven: I can tell you why Blum started. It was because and I'm paraphrasing the announcers, Blum was 6 for 13 vs dempster lifetime and its not like hes any slouch of a pitcher. Jimy played the percentages versus a very good young righthander, what can I say.
The Astros won, didn't they. That's the most important thing considering the lackluster first month of this season.
timing: HOLY ****! I can't believe this. The anti-stat man tries to post a stat to prove a point! I just love teh way that people embrace stats when they're convenient, but claim that "stats don't matter" when they're not. Either they're important, or they're not. Don't be a hypocrite as well as foolish. Too bad it doesn't do it. 6/13 isn't statistically significant. Oops. Blum went 0/3, btw. Same logic as those who said after Ensberg had all of 20 at-bats, "Ensberg isn't hitting as well! Blum is the man!" Incidentally, it's good to remember that sometimes there's a reason a batter will hit a particular pitcher well... like, if the pitcher throws to the guys sweet spot, etc... or if he hits a particular type of pitch well. AFAIK, this wasn't the case, here.
Same logic as those who said after Ensberg had all of 20 at-bats, "Ensberg isn't hitting as well! Blum is the man!" On the other hand, being benched for a few days didn't seem to hurt Ensberg's development or psyche any either.
major: I wasn't sure it would. But it's not worth the risk when Blum sucks as much as he does. Besides, you're still losing that production. oski: Vladimir Guerrero is possibly the best pure hitter in baseball. Is it his fault the Expos lost all those games? Shane Spencer was one of the worst starting OFs in baseball. Was he good simply because the Yankees won? Of course not. More than in any other sport, except maybe football, individual players (except a starting pitcher in a single game) just don't have that kind of impact, normally.
