Carry on. This guy offers nothing that can't be replaced by any number of minor league free agents, and he's getting the most at-bats of anyone on the team.

 

Step right up to claim your prize. I came here to say that. To pile on, Wise is a 31 year old journeyman I had not heard of until last year. If you bat him 9th, fine, whatever I'll complain less. But nothing is more irritating than the "you need the fastest guy leading off" argument. It's baseball stupid.

Yeah, why be a good manager when you can be lucky? Ozzie has made some of the dumbest moves I've ever seen watching baseball. usually the (poor) excuse made for him is that many other managers in the league are as bad, if not worse. I really need to start watching more teams because I can't imagine many managers being much worse in-game (not that that's an excuse of ANY kind, anyway).

All you have to do is watch when we play the Angels. I'm actually an Ozzie fan because I believe the most important thing a manager can do is motivate players, but when it comes to managing in a game, just watch Scoscia. Plus whoever else they've got on the bench does a fine job as well because they must steal on average of 1 sign per game in a series.

 

That said, I'd still rather have Ozzie because I love the passion he brings to the club. I'm hopeful he'll continue to improve in the future. BTW Ozzie is also a great manager when it comes to developing starting pitchers. He has confidence when a lot of managers wouldn't. He's not afraid to let a guy work out of a jam. Case in point: today. Even though Burls is the most consistent veteran in the Central and one of the most consistent in the AL, how many managers would have pulled him in the 5th after that HBP?

Step right up to claim your prize. I came here to say that. To pile on, Wise is a 31 year old journeyman I had not heard of until last year. If you bat him 9th, fine, whatever I'll complain less. But nothing is more irritating than the "you need the fastest guy leading off" argument. It's baseball stupid.

He's not even the fastest. Getz is faster and smarter on the basepaths.

 

And yeah, it's banging a broken drum by this point, but it's just such a mind-bogglingly bad idea to have Wise playing CF every day, much less bat him leadoff, that I think the broken-record complaints are warranted.

 

I really won't be surprised if Getz is already leading off tomorrow with Fields in the 2-hole.

For a playoff team, Wise can't hit leadoff and see more than 1/4 of a team's games.

 

Wise is in at leadoff so that Getz doesn't come into the year with the extra pressure and burden of leading off. Ozzie and the coaching staff no doubt agreed on that route, so that Getz can work himself up to it. Getz sure looks like he's ready for the bigs, from today's games and in spring training.

 

Getz will probably replace Wise in the leadoff spot with BA seeing 3/4 of the time in CF. I give it a few weeks. BA hitting .250 and playing solid defense would be fine for 2009. Yet BA has to prove he can even do that. This should be the year the sox give BA extended time to prove himself, provided Getz can hit leadoff.

I really won't be surprised if Getz is already leading off tomorrow with Fields in the 2-hole.

Man, I hope you're right. Wise just looked completely over matched in his first 3 at bats. As far as the bunt goes, yes it is inexcusable, but bunting has been downright awful on this team for four years or so now.

All you have to do is watch when we play the Angels. I'm actually an Ozzie fan because I believe the most important thing a manager can do is motivate players, but when it comes to managing in a game, just watch Scoscia. Plus whoever else they've got on the bench does a fine job as well because they must steal on average of 1 sign per game in a series.

 

That said, I'd still rather have Ozzie because I love the passion he brings to the club. I'm hopeful he'll continue to improve in the future. BTW Ozzie is also a great manager when it comes to developing starting pitchers. He has confidence when a lot of managers wouldn't. He's not afraid to let a guy work out of a jam. Case in point: today. Even though Burls is the most consistent veteran in the Central and one of the most consistent in the AL, how many managers would have pulled him in the 5th after that HBP?

 

Sure, but as I said that isn't a defensive excuse. That doesn't make me feel any better. Sure, he makes great moves here and there as any manager does, ut in general his in-game managing is atrocious.

All you have to do is watch when we play the Angels. I'm actually an Ozzie fan because I believe the most important thing a manager can do is motivate players, but when it comes to managing in a game, just watch Scoscia. Plus whoever else they've got on the bench does a fine job as well because they must steal on average of 1 sign per game in a series.

 

That said, I'd still rather have Ozzie because I love the passion he brings to the club. I'm hopeful he'll continue to improve in the future. BTW Ozzie is also a great manager when it comes to developing starting pitchers. He has confidence when a lot of managers wouldn't. He's not afraid to let a guy work out of a jam. Case in point: today. Even though Burls is the most consistent veteran in the Central and one of the most consistent in the AL, how many managers would have pulled him in the 5th after that HBP?

Yeah, that's something I'll never take away from him. He gives the guy the ball and lets them pitch.

Do we really need to make a thread like this after one game?

No, just keep this 1 thread and watch it grow exponentially.

Wise should be happy he's getting a chance to be an everyday player and that the Sox have let him play some baseball. At the same time, he's in a position where he can do nothing but fail. There is absolutely zero chance that Wise should be starting and leading off for any baseball team, let alone one that intends on contending. Its not his fault he's in a spot where he can't succeed nor is it Ozzie's fault that he was given zero options for the top of the order.

 

I understand he wants to keep Getz out of a pressure situation early, but ultimately Ozzie might not have that leeway and I really can't blame Ozzie for not wanting BA to leadoff cause he's still got a long ways to go as well. I don't blame Ozzie, I don't blame Wise, I blame Kenny. I still like Kenny though, but the in-house options were plain bad.

 

Agree 100% and I still like Kenny, but people should be taking shots at Kenny, not Wise, for not finding a better option.

Edited April 7, 200916 yr by sweatpants

All you have to do is watch when we play the Angels. I'm actually an Ozzie fan because I believe the most important thing a manager can do is motivate players, but when it comes to managing in a game, just watch Scoscia. Plus whoever else they've got on the bench does a fine job as well because they must steal on average of 1 sign per game in a series.

I find Scoscia to be one of the most overrated managers in the game, his offensive philosophy is swing like hell at everything, and too often is he giving away too many outs on the base paths. Their playoff series versus the Red Sox is a fantastic example of this. Meanwhile, while I don’t think Ozzie is a great X’s and O’s guy, I think he has a fantastic ability to get the most out of players when he needs it the most. Unfortunately, too often he goes by gut feelings, ala Wise is a good player. Swisher needs to sit, ETC/

Just so people realize, once getz take over leading off, our two hole will also be very bad, not wise bad, but bad. Pierzynski is far from ideal and definitely not someone you want getting the second most at-bats on the team. What it comes down to though...

 

Getz Wise

Pierznyski > Getz

Just so people realize, once getz take over leading off, our two hole will also be very bad, not wise bad, but bad. Pierzynski is far from ideal and definitely not someone you want getting the second most at-bats on the team. What it comes down to though...

 

Getz Wise

Pierznyski > Getz

Put Alexei 2nd. Problem solved.

I dont care for him very much as a baseball player.

Sorry to be so vulgar.

Just so people realize, once getz take over leading off, our two hole will also be very bad, not wise bad, but bad. Pierzynski is far from ideal and definitely not someone you want getting the second most at-bats on the team. What it comes down to though...

 

Getz Wise

Pierznyski > Getz

I can't imagine why anyone would do that, yet I know you're right, because Ozzie would be immensely pleased with himself for filling out an LRLRLR lineup card.

 

YOU WILL ALL EAT CROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Wise at leadoff is a sparkplug..........an oil-fouled sparkplug that bogs down the engine.

Put Alexei 2nd. Problem solved.

 

They will not bat him second, at least from what they have hinted at.

 

Also ramirez would be wasted there, pierzynski and ramirez will get on at similar paces, both fairly high contact, neither walk, ramirez has more power, and also ramirez is much more likely to get exposed in the two hole.

They will not bat him second, at least from what they have hinted at.

 

Also ramirez would be wasted there, pierzynski and ramirez will get on at similar paces, both fairly high contact, neither walk, ramirez has more power, and also ramirez is much more likely to get exposed in the two hole.

 

You would think that Ramirez would get more fastballs to hit in the 2-hole, and he crushes the fastball. I would have absolutely no problem with Alexei in the 2-hole.

Agree 100% and I still like Kenny, but people should be taking shots at Kenny, not Wise, for not finding a better option.

 

 

Perhaps it's just because of my thoughts on what I would've done had I been in attendance, but I firmly believe that those "booos" were aimed as much at the front office as they were at Dewayne Wise.

 

 

 

 

You would think that Ramirez would get more fastballs to hit in the 2-hole, and he crushes the fastball. I would have absolutely no problem with Alexei in the 2-hole.

In an ideal world, I think Alexei profiles best as a #9 hitter. I wouldn't mind seeing him hit second, though. If Orlando Cabrera can do it, Alexei can do it better.

 

In an ideal world, I think Alexei profiles best as a #9 hitter. I wouldn't mind seeing him hit second, though. If Orlando Cabrera can do it, Alexei can do it better.

Why would the ideal world have Alexei getting the least at-bats of all the starters?

They will not bat him second, at least from what they have hinted at.

 

Also ramirez would be wasted there, pierzynski and ramirez will get on at similar paces, both fairly high contact, neither walk, ramirez has more power, and also ramirez is much more likely to get exposed in the two hole.

Good pitchers will bury him with breaking pitches if they can locate them. But some would counter that argument with he might see more fastballs. Either way though, Ramirez would be better suited for the two hole than Wise, assuming you move Getz up to leadoff.

 

Who else on this team can hit number two? Uggh make it stop, please.

Why would the ideal world have Alexei getting the least at-bats of all the starters?

This ideal world is also, sadly, a Twins-ruled world.

Ramirez will be fine at #2. Even if Alisay and AJ had an identical OBP, it wouldn't be a tough decision, because Ramirez can fly around the basepaths, whereas AJ is one of our basecloggers. I heard KW say that getting more athletic from 1-2 and 8-9 in the order is his objective. Well, that's fine, as long as those four players are Ramirez, Getz, Anderson and Fields (and eventually Beckham).

 

Someday soon, Beckham will be there in the leadoff spot, because he has all the confidence in the world to do almost anything on the diamond...we might have to move Ramirez out to CF if KW can't come up with a better solution.

 

Getz should be left alone in the 2 hole if at all possible (but it doesn't look like it will be possible).

 

AJ should be at the bottom of the order. If Josh Fields is hitting 9th, Alexei should have plenty of opportunities to drive in Fields and Getz.

 

Would rather have Fields batting 2nd than AJ, fwiw.

Edited April 7, 200916 yr by caulfield12