Comments on: Two for Tuesday http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/28/two-for-tuesday-5/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Craddock http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/28/two-for-tuesday-5/comment-page-1/#comment-64390 Jim Craddock Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:12:29 +0000 http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2578#comment-64390 Let's face it: when a team blatantly underperforms in a specific area, the coach responsible for that area is target number one. Sometimes justifiably so. In this case, as Doug says, it's justified. This isn't just a 2009 problem. Dating back to the second half of 2007, they've been horrible with men in scoring position, and go through long strtches of futility in games. Witness the 15 straight batters that went down last night. I usually hate the scapegoating of coaches, but look at what firing the hitting coach did for the Cubs. Let’s face it: when a team blatantly underperforms in a specific area, the coach responsible for that area is target number one. Sometimes justifiably so. In this case, as Doug says, it’s justified. This isn’t just a 2009 problem. Dating back to the second half of 2007, they’ve been horrible with men in scoring position, and go through long strtches of futility in games. Witness the 15 straight batters that went down last night. I usually hate the scapegoating of coaches, but look at what firing the hitting coach did for the Cubs.

]]> By: Doug http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/28/two-for-tuesday-5/comment-page-1/#comment-64383 Doug Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:22:34 +0000 http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2578#comment-64383 I'm ready to open the FireLloydMcClendon.com site (it'll be side-by-side with FireJimPrice.com). My beef isn't with the team's inability to hit with runners in scoring position, it's more with their inability to hit as the game moves forward. They've had great success mounting an early rally (see last night's tilt in Texas or last week's early uprising against King Felix) only to not do a bloody thing the rest of the game. And this hasn't just been a recent occurance but rather one that's dated back several seasons now -- especially when the team is facing a quality big-league pitcher. The reason Lloyd should be in the crosshairs is the fact the players don't make adjustments as the game moves forward. That, in my opinion, falls on the coach who is observing what adjustments the pitchers are making. I believe we fans were justified in calling for Hernandez to go and as we've seen from this year's staff's performance (basically the same save E-Jack and Porcello) I don't think Chuck worked with the pitchers on adjustments and approaches. If the job performance of the hitting coach is measured by how his team is producing offensively, then we should certainly be calling McClendon's performance into question. In my opinion it's a no-brainer. I’m ready to open the FireLloydMcClendon.com site (it’ll be side-by-side with FireJimPrice.com).

My beef isn’t with the team’s inability to hit with runners in scoring position, it’s more with their inability to hit as the game moves forward. They’ve had great success mounting an early rally (see last night’s tilt in Texas or last week’s early uprising against King Felix) only to not do a bloody thing the rest of the game. And this hasn’t just been a recent occurance but rather one that’s dated back several seasons now — especially when the team is facing a quality big-league pitcher.

The reason Lloyd should be in the crosshairs is the fact the players don’t make adjustments as the game moves forward. That, in my opinion, falls on the coach who is observing what adjustments the pitchers are making.

I believe we fans were justified in calling for Hernandez to go and as we’ve seen from this year’s staff’s performance (basically the same save E-Jack and Porcello) I don’t think Chuck worked with the pitchers on adjustments and approaches.

If the job performance of the hitting coach is measured by how his team is producing offensively, then we should certainly be calling McClendon’s performance into question.

In my opinion it’s a no-brainer.

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