When did Brantley ever play 1B? When did Alvarez? Why is one unplayable there according to some, and the other is just being penciled in as "hell, he'll be ok"?
Don't know how his momma says it, but typically in Cuba it's not a hard J and not a hard Y, and not a Z like in Castillian. Didn't read the whole thread of 75 speculative lineup permutations, but I would really like to know how *he* wants it pronounced. I heard it about 4 different ways in RR.
If Brantley can play first, someone should have told Hinch a couple of weeks ago. On Alvarez, I haven't seen him play first, but the Astros lack of use of him at first makes me skeptical of his talents there. I'm not sure how bad these guys would be a 1B, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out.
I think Tucker is going to force their hand at some point. He deserves another call up. As far as the playoffs, here’s how I see it shaking out: Outfield: Springer, Reddick, Brantley, Marisnick, Alvarez, Straw Infield: Altuve, Correa, Bregman, Gurriel, Kemp Catcher: Chirinos, catcher #2 SP: Verlander, Cole, Miley, trade for #4 Bullpen: Osuna, Pressly, Harris, Peacock, McHugh, Rondon, James, Valdez I can’t see how we trade Tucker. Tucker, Straw, Springer & Alvarez looks like the future out there, and it’s just too juicy to pass up. Gurriel could move to the bench in the playoffs if that allows us to get the best bats in the lineup. I WOULD NOT trade Gurriel or Reddick, regardless of how crowded the roster gets. Good, reliable players are always worth it in big moments. What a curse of blessings Hinch has. In the playoffs, he could throw darts on the lineup and field an elite offense every time. Go get a #3 or #4 starter and roll with it.
Just for fun, based on current health, the Astros all offense/we don't give a **** about defense lineup: Straw SS Reddick CF Bregman SS Brantley LF Gurriel 3B Alvarez 1B Chirinos C Tucker RF Kemp 2B
I think Luhnow said it was something like Zjordan. Like Zsa Zsa Gabor. The booth has gone HARD Y on YORdan, but it's definitely not that. And it's not hard J like Jordan. It's like a soft J. I think. They need to lock this down pretty quickly.
Agree with others that Alvarez’ future could be at 1st. May be a year or two, but given our overloaded outfield, his limitations and Gurriel only being signed through next year, it could be a logical fit. Crossing my fingers that Straw gets on base enough to be an every day starter eventually.
Alvarez has on many occasions played 1B. He's not terrible but not great, he can catch what is hit and thrown at him. Brantley has never in his life played 1B. Yet people say "hell, he can play there" Sorry if my earlier post was unclear.
Brantley HAS played some 1B in the minors. Never in the majors, or in recent Spring Training, but he has 464.1 innings at first in the minors, and a 0.994 fielding percent, per Baseball Reference. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brantl001mic Would he be rusty if he tried to pick it up again? Of course. But is it something he's never done before? No.
HE said he could play there: https://www.neosportsinsiders.com/report-michael-brantley-open-to-playing-first-base/ Cleveland also considered it last year: https://believelandball.com/2017/11...-will-michael-brantley-start-first-base-2018/
You are correct, he played some there a decade ago. The Astros and Brantley talked about him playing 1B in the Spring. Have you seen Michael Brantley play 1B? What does that tell you? Has he practiced there? When's the last time? It's not like you can just throw somebody there and all will be ok? I don't get this part. Hell, "anybody can do it". We've seen that not to be the case. Yuli couldn't when he first moved there, he was terrible, and he was a career infielder. eta: and corner IF is a lot harder on your body than LF
Kind of unrelated, but I would like Brantley to learn RF. Should be an easier adjustment than a move to 1B, but shockingly, he's never played RF in the minors or majors, only a little in ST. Would allow us to have him and Alvarez both in the same outfield, and thus more flexibility.
Luhnow said that's what they seem to call him, but he wasn't entirely sure he was getting it right. I'd like to here it from Yordan's lips. Or his mother's. This reminds me of being in Prague a couple years and never being able to say "dobrý den" ("Hello!") the same way twice, because it has one of those intermediate, layered consonant things. And then I asked our Czech tour guide, and she told me, and I still couldn't do it consisently. And don't get me started on Ls and Rs in Japanese.
Awesome! In Poland and Slovakia it's "dob-zhah". Then "doo-zhay" Then "pee-vo". That's "Large beer, please" Don't ask me to spell their words, I'd need a whole new special keyboard.
I have no idea - but it's not something fans made up. Presumably, if he volunteered that he could do it and Cleveland considered doing it, then some people more knowledgeable than you or I think it's a viable option. It's not like he's volunteering to play SS or catcher - there's some reason he said he could play first base.