Apr 6, 2023·edited Apr 6, 2023Liked by Craig Brown
We all know that BA isn't as important as we once thought it was. Still, I have to say that running a lineup out there with only one guy hitting better than .154 was both depressing and embarrassing. When Manoah saw that lineup card he must have been salivating in anticipation.
I was glad that Q left Zack in to clean up his own mess (actually BWJ's mess but I digress) in the 6th inning. I doubt that he would have done that with any other starter. (Maybe with Singer later this year but not right now.)
Note added later: I knew I shouldn't have said anything positive about Q. I jinxed him. Turns out he's just tested positive for covid-19. It was Paul Hoover who (allegedly) made the decision to leave Zack in the game.
Apr 6, 2023·edited Apr 6, 2023Liked by Craig Brown
Patience is normally a good thing in a hitter but he also has to be ready to attack the first hittable pitch he sees even if it's the first pitch of the AB. It appears that nothing has changed from last year in this regard for Nick Pratto who continues to take hittable pitches for strikes, thus getting behind in the count and putting himself in a position where he has to chase.
He may turn out to be the quintessential AAAA player. We know he can hit in the minor leagues but at the MLB level he just seems unable and/or unwilling to pull the trigger. Maybe he simply doesn't see MLB pitches as well as he needs to in order to pull that trigger on hittable pitches.
Pratto is proof that there really is such a thing as too much patience at the plate.
The strikeout rate has always been a concern for Pratto. It’s been too high at Triple-A, which means it’s probably always going to be too high in the majors. There’s too much chase, therefore there’s too much swing and miss, in his game. That’s why of all the prospects in this bunch I figure he’s the least likely to stick in the majors.
These guys CANT HIT. They couldn't hit last year and they can't hit this year. It is going to be one very long season. Not just my opinion but check the facts below. The pitching seems much improved but that only means that instead of losing 6 to 2, we wil now lost 4-2. You can't keep throwning your starters out there and basically them them to throw a shut out or lose with them being comoplete done by all star time
i have been watching baseball since the fifties since the days of Appracio, Reece, Rizutto on thru Ozzie Smith. I have seen lot, and i mean lots, of better fielding shorstops than Bobby Witt. It was obvious last year that he was much better at third. But you know we have to play good old Dozier, when really what we ought to do is put Witt at third, call up Garcia or put Lopez at short and Duffy at second. Still trying to figure out why Massey and Eaton are here. Even if, eventually, Cayden Wallace is the answer at third, Witt seems to be a good enough athlete to pull a Alex Gordon and move to Left Field.
This is a bad team, a very bad team.
BOBBY WITT
2022--,254
2023--.085
MELENDEZ
2022--217
2023--111
PRATTO
2022--,184
2023--,000
MASSEY
2022--243
2023--.125
AND ON AND ON PASQUANTO. 118, LOPEZ .111
Look at these two guys listed below who we made fun of all last year and then compafe them to the above
Thanks for the comment, James. I would just say that it’s still very early days. The batting averages are ugly for sure, but six games doesn’t make a season. Not to regurgitate the company line, but they are hitting the ball hard. They’re having some good plate appearances. The results just haven’t been there.
I’m still behind the Royals’ plan to roll with Witt at SS for the season. It’s entirely possible he will need to be moved off the position. Until then, the Royals need to give him every opportunity.
The error went to Witt, but that was an easy dig. I'm concerned about Vinnie at 1B. I don't care so much about range from my 1B, but he'd better be adept at digging balls out of the dirt.
I did like how Vinnie owned that in the postgame. The throw seemed to handcuff him a bit. But Witt had plenty of time to make that throw. He just rushed it.
It's ironic that Q tested positive for covid, considering that nearly half of the Royals roster took a "principled" stand against vaccinations last year. Of course, we learned that Whit wasn't willing to get vaccinated in order to play for the Royals but was happy to do so in order to play for Toronto.
Turns out that, like almost all professional entertainers, Whit's "principles" were on sale to the highest bidder.
But Craig, I think the burning question in everybody's mind is the identity of "Pasquatch." Hopefully he'll get lots of chances to roam this summer, whoever he (she?) is.
Now, that's saying something considering we're watching a franchise that has had a first baseman cut off a relay throw with his back and a center fielder jumping to "rob a home run" ball that landed five feet in front of him on the warning track!
On the plus side Grienke is getting closer to 3K strikeouts
Also Do u think if he was 10-20 shy of the milestone. Do u think he'd come back next year to get it. I think he would but it's also Grienke so who knows what hes thinking
We all know that BA isn't as important as we once thought it was. Still, I have to say that running a lineup out there with only one guy hitting better than .154 was both depressing and embarrassing. When Manoah saw that lineup card he must have been salivating in anticipation.
There’s always going to be one or two ugly BAs on the scoreboard early in the season. But with this team they’re all ugly.
I was glad that Q left Zack in to clean up his own mess (actually BWJ's mess but I digress) in the 6th inning. I doubt that he would have done that with any other starter. (Maybe with Singer later this year but not right now.)
Note added later: I knew I shouldn't have said anything positive about Q. I jinxed him. Turns out he's just tested positive for covid-19. It was Paul Hoover who (allegedly) made the decision to leave Zack in the game.
Patience is normally a good thing in a hitter but he also has to be ready to attack the first hittable pitch he sees even if it's the first pitch of the AB. It appears that nothing has changed from last year in this regard for Nick Pratto who continues to take hittable pitches for strikes, thus getting behind in the count and putting himself in a position where he has to chase.
He may turn out to be the quintessential AAAA player. We know he can hit in the minor leagues but at the MLB level he just seems unable and/or unwilling to pull the trigger. Maybe he simply doesn't see MLB pitches as well as he needs to in order to pull that trigger on hittable pitches.
Pratto is proof that there really is such a thing as too much patience at the plate.
The strikeout rate has always been a concern for Pratto. It’s been too high at Triple-A, which means it’s probably always going to be too high in the majors. There’s too much chase, therefore there’s too much swing and miss, in his game. That’s why of all the prospects in this bunch I figure he’s the least likely to stick in the majors.
These guys CANT HIT. They couldn't hit last year and they can't hit this year. It is going to be one very long season. Not just my opinion but check the facts below. The pitching seems much improved but that only means that instead of losing 6 to 2, we wil now lost 4-2. You can't keep throwning your starters out there and basically them them to throw a shut out or lose with them being comoplete done by all star time
i have been watching baseball since the fifties since the days of Appracio, Reece, Rizutto on thru Ozzie Smith. I have seen lot, and i mean lots, of better fielding shorstops than Bobby Witt. It was obvious last year that he was much better at third. But you know we have to play good old Dozier, when really what we ought to do is put Witt at third, call up Garcia or put Lopez at short and Duffy at second. Still trying to figure out why Massey and Eaton are here. Even if, eventually, Cayden Wallace is the answer at third, Witt seems to be a good enough athlete to pull a Alex Gordon and move to Left Field.
This is a bad team, a very bad team.
BOBBY WITT
2022--,254
2023--.085
MELENDEZ
2022--217
2023--111
PRATTO
2022--,184
2023--,000
MASSEY
2022--243
2023--.125
AND ON AND ON PASQUANTO. 118, LOPEZ .111
Look at these two guys listed below who we made fun of all last year and then compafe them to the above
DOZIER--.236
O'HEARN--,239
i H
Thanks for the comment, James. I would just say that it’s still very early days. The batting averages are ugly for sure, but six games doesn’t make a season. Not to regurgitate the company line, but they are hitting the ball hard. They’re having some good plate appearances. The results just haven’t been there.
I’m still behind the Royals’ plan to roll with Witt at SS for the season. It’s entirely possible he will need to be moved off the position. Until then, the Royals need to give him every opportunity.
The error went to Witt, but that was an easy dig. I'm concerned about Vinnie at 1B. I don't care so much about range from my 1B, but he'd better be adept at digging balls out of the dirt.
I did like how Vinnie owned that in the postgame. The throw seemed to handcuff him a bit. But Witt had plenty of time to make that throw. He just rushed it.
It's ironic that Q tested positive for covid, considering that nearly half of the Royals roster took a "principled" stand against vaccinations last year. Of course, we learned that Whit wasn't willing to get vaccinated in order to play for the Royals but was happy to do so in order to play for Toronto.
Turns out that, like almost all professional entertainers, Whit's "principles" were on sale to the highest bidder.
Ironyman strikes when you expect him least.
But Craig, I think the burning question in everybody's mind is the identity of "Pasquatch." Hopefully he'll get lots of chances to roam this summer, whoever he (she?) is.
That qualifies as one of the more bizarre things I’ve seen at a Royals game. And I watched nearly every game Yuniesky Betancourt played.
Now, that's saying something considering we're watching a franchise that has had a first baseman cut off a relay throw with his back and a center fielder jumping to "rob a home run" ball that landed five feet in front of him on the warning track!
😸 Yeah but they meant well, right?
Wait there was a second broadcast of the game?
Where can i find it
On the plus side Grienke is getting closer to 3K strikeouts
Also Do u think if he was 10-20 shy of the milestone. Do u think he'd come back next year to get it. I think he would but it's also Grienke so who knows what hes thinking