This is also what happens when you carry 12 pitchers and you have three guys on the roster (Franco, Easley, and Newhan) who you apparently feel are incapable of ever starting a game (meaning that basically the only guy on the bench who is any good is Endy).
Easley and Newhan have done a good job when they've been givin an opertunity. Also, the season isin't even a month old, not really time to get into the bench spell your regulars.
I hope we can bring it even or take the lead so we can put wagner out there and get him some work in the 9th. guy hasent pitched that much this year.
I get the feeling that hitting Endy in that situation never even entered Willie's mind. I don't think he sees him as a "pinch hitter" but he's who I would've liked to see hit there.
That's my point - neither has even 15 plate appearances in 20 games, so they've hardly been given much of an opportunity. Given that Delgado and Wright have been awful all year, and Valentin was terrible at the beginning of the year, they had plenty of opportunities to get chances, but Willie just won't do it. I'm a big believer in using your bench, even early in the year, to find out if they're any good. If they aren't, you dump them and bring up someone else.
Of course you can - the goal is to win every game. The idea that you can't sit a starter when he's playing poorly is ridiculous. I'm not suggesting that they never play again, but Wright has started every game this year, and he has hurt the team plenty. Happily he doubled here, and a guy who IS playing well, Alou, brings him in. Notice that I've never complained about Endy not playing, even though he is by far the best player on the bench? That's because Alou and Green have been great since opening day.
Green is really operating under the ARod rule this year, his numbers are good but I can't remember one big spot he's come up with a hit.
Well, I think Alou should have gone on the first fly ball, but I accept that it was a close decision. On the other hand, he absolutely should be on third base now, where he could score on a wild pitch, error, or infield hit.
You give your everyday players opportunities to play their way out of their slumps. you cant start giving them days off, especially when the team is winning irregardless.
I'm not going to go through each game, but his OPS with RISP is .899, his OPS with RISP and two outs is 1.333, his OPS with runners on base is .908, and in late inning pressure situations it is .802. Not superstar numbers, but I think he has come through more than occasionally.
We obviously disagree completely on this. I believe that you never give away at bats, and you never give away games. A win in April is worth just as much as a win in September.
This is why small sample sizes are fun, off the top of my head I can recall the 2 out bases clearing double when the Mets were down 11-0 to the Rockies the other day and the 2 out HR B9 against the Braves when the Mets were losing 7-1. Obviously if he keeps up these overall numbers over the course of a full season he'll have some big hits, but over these few games most of his numbers have occurred in either blowout wins or losses.
