What is Black Thinking?

Saturday June 19, 2010

I really do not understand what Bud Black is thinking.

Why is Eckstein leading off and Headley hitting 2nd?

Eckstein is hitting .296 with men on base this season and .297 career. He is the prototypical #2 hitter. He hits 24 points lower career with bases empty. So WTF is he doing hitting leadoff?

Headley is hitting under the Mendoza line with RISP this season (.253 career) and just .216 with men on base at all. That is the exact opposite of what you need for a batter in the #2 slot.Headley simply cannot get the job done when it counts this year. So why is he there?

Doesn't Black pay attention to situational stats?

Guess not.

From this point on I am only going to refer to Tony Gwynn as Jr. I was sitting in section 102 tonight and when I yelled "Tooonnnnyyyy" early in the game he struck out or hit a lazy fly ball and then when I yelled Junior, he got a hit. From now on he is simply Jr. until he proves he can consistently hit over .275.

The Orioles are the worst team in baseball. They win about one game a week. If the Padres struggle against them, and they have two straight games, then they don't deserve to win the pennant.

Tonight was Millwood's first win in the past 8 decisions. If the Padres can't beat him, they don't deserve to win the pennant. They had a chance to win the game tonight, but Headley did what he has done with men on base all year. He looked over matched and struck out on a pitch a foot off the plate.

The Kouzmanoff trade is looking worse and worse.Kouzmanoff is playing better defense, hitting better AND for more power right now. Maybe the Padres should have traded Headley.

Ok the rant is over and it time to go to bed with the Padres still in 1st place..