I was talking with my bro-in-law at the game and just wondering “Why are we carrying Kubel?”
If Kubel can’t hit for Punto (or Bartlett or Tyner) at the end of the game, what exactly is his purpose? I’m not necessarily arguing that he should be hitting, what with his performance in the second half. I’m just saying the only reason to carry Kubel in the playoffs would be if he could hit for someone, since obviously he isn’t running or replacing someone in the field.
But even yesterday, with Nevin due up in the ninth against righty Street, Tyner was in the on-deck circle ready to pinch hit.
Since it is clear that the only attributes Gardy values more than the current default starters are speed/defense (for late substitutions) or the only platoon he has (Nevin/Tyner), then he should have been carrying Casilla over Rodriguez and Heintz over Kubel. The only way I can see Gardy inserting Rodriguez or Kubel is in the case of an injury. I’m sorry, but this is the playoffs - you can’t be carrying dead weight only for injury reasons. Nor can you be sitting Redmond against a lefty only for concerns that Mauer gets injured at catch during the game. Carrying Heintz would have resolved this issue for Gardy.
(I suppose Kubel could get in if, say, Tyner starts vs a righty, Nevin PH’s vs a lefty, the game goes to extra innings and Kubel pinch hits vs a righty. Maybe that’s worth filling a roster spot, but I’d argue it isn’t.)
So either a) Gardy needs to loosen his management style from the restrictions of “sticking with what got us here” (and sooner than we got here) or b) Gardy needs to build his playoff roster to actually fit with his somewhat suspect management style.
(Note: I’ve been to both games and I really have toned down complaining. The regular season is different because poor team management decisions can really disrupt the entire season. Playoffs are so quick and nearly arbitrary. Game management comes under the microscope, though. But for the most part I’ve just watched the games and let them become water under the bridge.)
Comments (2)
I saw this comment at AG a lot the past two days, but the thing that irritated me the most about the two games was all the swinging at first pitches. And I have yet to see Nevin swing at a ball that wasn’t in the dirt.
Maybe if Nevin would have gotten more playing time he’d still be hitting like he was in July and August before we traded for him? His post-All-Star-break performance would place him as the fifth best hitter on the Twins roster after Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, and Hunter in terms of OPS. That’s including his fairly icky September. (I’d put White ahead of him, too, given his torrid last couple months.)
Incidentally, Tyner is the 9th best hitter on the Twins roster in terms of OPS if you exclude Rabe, Casilla, Stewart, and Tiffee. Right above Tony Batista. Well, 10th if you include Nevin. And Rondell is below him due to his first half.
Nevin took three more walks in the month he has been with the Twins than Hunter has since the All-Star break. Four more than Rondell White. You read that right.
Personally I think Minnesota fans generally just don’t support a player unless he has been with the team for most of the year. That is unless the player pulls some miraculous play out of his ass, ala Shannon Stewart in 2003, in which case we we push for signing the player to a too-large extended contract.
Although it is true, he hasn’t really performed when he has been in the lineup, so it is hard to defend him.