Even Alonso's mom has to be questioning why he's constantly batting 4th, while sporting a cool .598 OPS.   

Alonso is approaching Adam Dunn 2011 territory

40 games in is 25% of the season.  I don’t think it’s a slump anymore.  Alonso is just bad.

I'm starting to get excited again about Giolito starts. Not quite @Jack Parkman level but...

10 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Alonso is approaching Adam Dunn 2011 territory

Ugh, he is.

Dunn was historically bad because he was allowed to be.  There was no reason to continually pencil him into the lineup every day being that bad.  Lets hope the org isn't as stubborn/obstinate with Alonso.

 

Give Alonso until the all Star break. Maybe move him down a little in the order to take pressure off him. Maybe he thinks he has to do too much batting 4th.

1 hour ago, Harper2Sox said:

40 games in is 25% of the season.  I don’t think it’s a slump anymore.  Alonso is just bad.

With the whole left side of the infield open a guy should get enough nubbers to hit above the Mendoza line.

Alonso is batting in that spot because R. R. wants a left handed power hitter there. I know that everyone thinks that I'm obsessed with LH middle of the order bats, but it is conventional baseball wisdom that a lineup needs balance. Alonso was expected to help provide that balance, Unfortunately, he isn't delivering. The lineup still needs  a potent, left handed bat, especially after Eloy returns. Eloy needs to bat in the middle of the order, as well, which adds yet one more right handed hitter.

It really irritates me that the front office has not done a better job of obtaining that needed left handed hitting presence. I'm sick of the failed attempts, with guys like Dunn, LaRoche and now Alonso. At this point, they may need to use Moncada at clean up, just to break up the right handed heavy, middle of the order. Against RH pitching, they might try this:

Leury

Anderson

Eloy

Moncada

Abreu

McCann

If Moncada stays in the 2 hole, you end up with 4 consecutive RH hitters. That is not a well constructed line up. How many teams would fill the numbers 3 through 6, in the line up, with all right handed hitters, against RH pitching? Now you know why Alonso keeps showing up, in that spot. Who else do they have? That's why I'm still rooting for Palka to get back to last years production.

Edited May 12, 20196 yr by Lillian

6 minutes ago, Lillian said:

Alonso is batting in that spot because R. R. wants a left handed power hitter there. I know that everyone thinks that I'm obsessed with LH middle of the order bats, but it is conventional baseball wisdom that a lineup needs balance. Alonso was expected to help provide that balance, Unfortunately, he isn't delivering. The lineup still needs  a potent, left handed bat, especially after Eloy returns. Eloy needs to bat in the middle of the order, as well, which adds yet one more right handed hitter.

It really irritates me that the front office has not done a better job of obtaining that needed left handed hitting presence. I'm sick of the failed attempts, with guys like Dunn, LaRoche and now Alonso. At this point, they may need to use Moncada at clean up, just to break up the right handed heavy, middle of the order. Against RH pitching, they might try this:

Leury

Anderson

Eloy

Moncada

Abreu

McCann

If Moncada stays in the 2 hole, you end up with 4 consecutive RH hitters. That is not a well constructed line up. How many teams would bat the numbers 3 through 6, with all right handed hitters, against RH pitching? Now you know why Alonso keeps showing up, in that spot. Who else do they have? That's why I'm still rooting for Palka to get back to last years production.

I would hit Eloy in the 6th spot in that lineup. If Moncada hit 4th for balance, I'd go:

1. Garcia RF (he should probably be in a corner)

2. Anderson SS

3. Abreu 1B/DH

4. Moncada 3B

5. McCann C

6. Eloy LF/DH

7. Delmonico/Cordell DH/1B/LF (Alonso just gone in this scenario)

8. Sanchez 2B

9. Tilson CF (get things going for the top of the order)

Edited May 12, 20196 yr by soxfan2014

2 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

I would hit Eloy in the 6th spot in that lineup. If Moncada hit 4th for balance, I'd go:

1. Garcia RF (he should probably be in a corner)

2. Anderson SS

3. Abreu 1B/DH

4. Moncada 3B

5. McCann C

6. Eloy LF/DH

7. Delmonico/Cordell DH/1B/LF (Alonso just gone in this scenario)

8. Sanchez 2B

9. Tilson CF (get things going for the top of the order)

That would be ok, except there is no protection for Eloy. In that scenario, I could foresee pitchers continuing to throw him sliders, low and away, out of the zone. 

This is kind of a weird question, but how much are left handed power hitters affected by the fact our home park faces southeast instead of the typical northeast?

#TheMoneyWillBeSpent on cutting Alonso at this point

At the game. Second row behind jays dugout. Go Sox.

Yuk angel hernandez behind the plate

Didn't Gio start last year mother's day too?

5 minutes ago, Blackout Friday said:

At the game. Second row behind jays dugout. Go Sox.

What are your thoughts on Rogers Centre? I went in 2010. IMO it's underrated. It looks pretty glum on tv but it was a cool park and it's located directly in the center of Toronto which is a badass city

Sanchez looks tough today. Gio has his work cut out for him. 

Take note Kenny-Hahn, that's what a legitimate #1 prospect looks like. 

They're just hitting rockets off him. They're sitting on his changeup.

Giolito has become change up reliant

Yolmer looks slow in the field. 

Just now, GradMc said:

Take note Kenny-Hahn, that's what a legitimate #1 prospect looks like. 

So Eloy and Moncada weren't legitimate #1 prospects?

1 minute ago, GradMc said:

Take note Kenny-Hahn, that's what a legitimate #1 prospect looks like. 

Yolmer Sanchez has a higher OPS than Vladdy Jr at this point. 

What a strange dig at Eloy. 

Nice recovery there by Gio