The Church of the Eternal Bleacher # 6: My Kingdom for a Walk

The Church of the Eternal Bleacher

All Southpaws Welcome

My Kingdom for a Walk

Welcome to the Church of the Eternal Bleacher, in the name of Timmy, Buster and Nate the Great, now and forever, you’re safe.  We are gathered here together today to welcome new additions to the Orange and Black.  One is a returning member, namely Pat the Bat, Pat Burrel, and the other is a new member of the team, Brett Pill, recently playing in Fresno, with the Grizzlies.

   

On the other side of the coin, we are also bidding two members of our family adios, as they head to greener diamonds in the sky.  Sadly, Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada, have been designated for assignment, a polite way of telling them their services are no longer required.

“I thought we would simply open the floor up to questions, and see if we can’t just hash it out.  Yes?”

“What took them so long?  To get rid of Rowand?  That batting stance of his was embarrassing.”

“Whoa, I don’t think he was let go of because of his stance. Did you know that he developed that stance as a result of an injury he suffered in the early part of his career?  No?  I thought not.”

“But still, he hasn’t done anything since the first month of the season.”

“”Wasn’t that when he was still playing every day?  Back when both Torres and Cody Ross were on the disabled list?  He won a couple ball games for us early on, and then players started to come off the DL, and his playing time got reduced.”

“Well, good.”

“Maybe yes, but maybe no.  Some players are not willing to play part-time, if they feel their skills are still such that being on the bench is counter-productive.  Aaron is just one of those guys who could not settle into the slot.  That’s not what got him designated for reassignment, though.”

“What did?”

“I think one telling point would be that since July 6, he has struck out twenty-three times...without drawing a walk.  Though there sometimes can be alternate explanations, I think it points to a guy who was trying desperately to do too much, without making the connection that his actions were not very team-oriented.  How can a guy not draw a walk for two months of the season, even in a part-time capacity?”

“What about Miggy?”

“Well, that’s got some of the same stuff there that we saw with Aaron.  He doesn’t like sitting on the bench, so it comes out in not-so-good ways.’

“Like what happened on Sunday?”

“Well, Bochy says it didn’t have any impact on his status, but the timing is suspiciously close.  You just don’t dis on the coaches in front of the world.

“Why didn’t he want to bunt?”

“Hey, no one wants to bunt, but you do what’s required.”

“What’s wrong with bunting?”

“Exactly.  But what Miggy was thinking was that he was going to save the day, and knock in the go-ahead run, and then Wotus ordered him to bunt.”

“So wouldn’t a game-winning base hit be better than a lousy bunt?”

“You think?  But which one is more likely to produce a run?  Miggy was batting .231 when they released him; that means about twice in nine at-bats, he reaches safely. If he bunts successfully, he accomplishes a goal of advancing a runner, and he leaves it up to the next guy to finish the job.  It’s the same as taking a pitch to draw a walk, in order to get on base, and leave it to the next guy.”

  

“Baseball cannot be played by guys trying to stack their stats.  It doesn’t work, or at least it becomes apparent after a while what’s happening.”

“So what’s it all mean?”

“It means that guys who play part time might have a tendency to overplay their hand, instead of being able to effectively play their role.”

“Their role?  What role?”

“On the Phillies’ team, Charlie Manual, their manager, trots out the starting nine, if they’re so much as able to crawl out onto the field.  Bochy plays the hot hand(s).  That means that you play when the base hits are popping off your bat, and you sit when the pop flies are popping off your bat.  Everyone wins, including the Giants.”

“Oh, I remember that from last year.”

“Exactly.  If you liked last year, and we loved it, then you have to accept that Bochy has his own unique style, that brought it all home to San Francisco.  This year, you can’t expect him to change his style because we are struggling.  It can’t work that way.”

“Do you think it will matter that we are in September now?”

“August?  September? It all boils down to the end of the season rapidly approaching, with the Diamondbacks five games in the lead.  Bochy knows there is no time.  Common logic dictates that a team can make up one game a week.  Not enough weeks left.  Since we gained one full game on Friday, we cannot reasonably expect to pick up another game for a week.”

“What?”

“Throw common logic out the window, and let common sense take its place.  We won last night; we have to win again today.  Every game is a must win game.  There is no time to wait for something to happen.  Cody?  Aubrey?  Pat?Just win, kiddos.  Everyone wants to win and everyone wants to play.  Does everyone want share playing time?  Yes?  I thought so.  Good-bye Rowand.  Good-bye Miggy.  It has to be this way, here, in order to maintain the fear, and we’re not talking about beards.  

We are the World Champions and, despite our offensive woes, we are not out of contention.  If the D-backs think that’s so, then let the feeling grow, and we may be the last ones left to crow, in the name of Timmy, Buster and Nate the Great, now and forever, you’re safe.  Nice bunt, Carlos.