Iannetta bats leadoff and Nelson plays everyday
There are some unwritten manager rules in baseball that have been around a long, long time. Some of them are OK, like giving your pitcher the green light to throw at an opposing player when the opposing team plops your stud hitter in the back. Some of them are just plain dumb, like putting the fastest guy in the lineup at the top of the order. And some of them are really dumb, like having anyone sacrifice bunt that doesn’t make a living throwing a baseball sixty feet, six inches.
Unfortunately Jim Tracy has a copy of the Managerial Handbook that was copyrighted in 1917 and he references it on a daily, if not inning-by-inning, basis.
The world was once thought to be flat. Someone once thought the sky was falling. And at one point in our history a coyote thought the use of a slingshot would be beneficial in helping him catch a roadrunner. Some things are dumb and have been proven so.
Here are the Rockies lineups the past three games against the Phillies:
| August 1st | August 2nd | August 3rd |
| E. Young Jr. (7) | E. Young Jr. (7) | E. Young Jr. (7) |
| D. Fowler (8) | D. Fowler (8) | D. Fowler (8) |
| M. Ellis (4) | T. Helton (3) | T. Helton (3) |
| T. Tulowitzki (6) | T. Tulowitzki (6) | T. Tulowitzki (6) |
| T. Wigginton (3) | S. Smith (9) | S. Smith (9) |
| C. Nelson (5) | I. Stewart (5) | I. Stewart (5 |
| S. Smith (9) | M. Ellis (4) | M. Ellis (4) |
| C. Iannetta (2) | C. Iannetta (2) | E. Alfonzo (2) |
Let’s start with the leadoff position and back to referencing that old managerial handbook that Tracy carries in his back pocket; it says that you must put the fastest guy on your team in the leadoff position no matter how awful they are at getting on base. In the rare event that this player does get on base he will automatically wreak havoc on the opposing pitcher and your team will score countless runs. It is written so it is so.
The Rockies front office and its fans would love Eric Young Jr. to blossom into a great leadoff hitter. His speed and his ability to steal bases is very nice but his career on-base percentage in the major leagues is barely over .300. In the minor leagues his OBP is near .390 and if he could somehow produce that at the big league level he would immediately go from fringe player to All-Star. That is the trick, however, that many players can never figure out. And while I don’t like Tracy using EY at the top of the order I really hate that he is the team’s left fielder. This goes back to needing power at the corner positions and EY definitely does not provide that and to top it off his arm is reminiscent of Juan Pierre’s in that he throws rainbows to the cutoff man from left field. There is a reason he has mostly played second base in his career: he has a second baseman’s arm and no power and the combination of the two say he has to play there.
How about the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies and Mark Ellis batting third? I get that Cole Hamels was on the mound and he is a left hand pitcher but Tracy wasn’t looking at the numbers. That stupid manual says you should not start left hand batters against a left hand pitcher but when looking at Hamels’ splits in 2011 left hand batter’s OPS is over 100 points higher than right hand batters. In fact, in Hamels’ career left handed batters have had more success off of him than right hand batters (RHB OPS of .677 vs LHB OPS of .708). Why the void of lefties in the lineup that night? And why, of all people, Ellis batting third?
When Ellis first came to the Rockies he became an immediate fan favorite. In his first five games with the Rockies Ellis batted .500/.522/.955 and fans fell in love with him (including local media and Root Sports). In past 22 games Ellis has batted .190/.227/.238. When the Oakland A’s dealt him to Colorado he was batting .217/.253/.290 and lost playing time to a rookie. If it was me, I would have put Tulowitzki in the third spot in the order but I believe there is a footnote in that handbook that Tracy sleeps with at night that says if a star player is used to a specific spot in the order do not move him. If you move him up or down in the order worlds will collide and your horse drawn buggy will lose an axel.
What really bothers me about Ellis and the Tracy Double Standard Act is that if Nelson, Herrera, Fowler or Stewart had put together a 22 game stretch like Ellis has over the past three weeks they would be sent to AAA and at the very least ride pine three out of four games. But Ellis is a veteran (or at least over 30) and Tracy seems to think he will work himself out of the slump, something the “kids” can’t do unless they are in AAA.
What would I do? I would bat Iannetta leadoff. That’s right, leadoff. He is currently fifth in all of baseball in pitches seen per plate appearance and he is second on the team in on-base percentage. I want a guy at the top of my order that makes the opposing pitcher work, allows his teammates to see what the guy is throwing and gets on-base. Iannetta does that. Unfortunately that book that Tracy reads while on the porcelain thinking pedestal says that catchers have to bat eighth in the lineup.
Helton wouldn’t sit just because a left hand pitcher is on the mound, he would sit maybe once a week and always a day game. When he does sit Tulo bats third. The Los Angeles Dodgers are not on to something when they bat their small, light hitting, second basemen in a run producing spot (how many times this year has Aaron Miles batted fifth for that team?).
As a matter of fact, Ellis isn’t playing the rest of the year except late in games in a pinch hitting type of role (and when Jason Giambi returns I am DFA’ing Ellis). Nelson is my second basemen for the rest of the year, everyday. I want to see if some of that power he has shown is legit because if we have Seth Smith in right field, Helton at first and lord knows who at third the Rockies need power somewhere. They have slowly transformed into a team with no punch. Last year the Rockies were eighth in baseball in home runs hit and in 2011 they are 10th and it feels like they should be even lower. Other than Tulo and Carlos Gonzalez who can hit 20 or more home runs on this team? Maybe Iannetta gets close to 20 dingers, but I can’t think of anyone else.
And back to Gonzalez, when he returns he goes to the fourth spot in the order behind Helton and Tulo bats fifth. I want to keep as many high on-base guys near the top of my order as I can and let the guys with power try to drive them in. Helton’s OBP is much higher than CarGo’s and Tulo needs to drop in the order a bit because, well, because I think he puts entirely too much pressure on himself. I am taking some of that pressure away by dropping him a slot in the order.
CarGo is supposed to return this weekend and here is what my order looks like six out of every seven days the rest of the season barring injuries and the occasional day off.
Iannetta (2)
Fowler (8)
Helton (3)
Gonzalez (7)
Tulowitzki (6)
Smith (9)
Nelson (4)
Stewart (5)
I would like to see Magellan dispute that lineup!
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21 comments
Logan Burdine
August 4, 2011 at 11:38 AM (UTC -6)
Now Travis, batting Iannetta anywhere other than eighth spot would be a moral sin.
Tracy drives me nuts with his notions of “respect”. Like it’s some sort of insult to ask a player of Tulo’s caliber to mover from fourth to third in the batting order. Or when he was playing EY in center after Dex was demoted because Cargo should only have to play left. Apparently that was about respect as well.
All I want for Christmas is Joe Madden.
CodenameDuchess
August 4, 2011 at 11:58 AM (UTC -6)
Speaking of Madden, if Tracey happens to get the ax who would you like to see the Rockies pursue? Also do you think Carney Lansford is a good fit?
Logan Burdine
August 4, 2011 at 1:34 PM (UTC -6)
No I don’t think Carney would be a decent option, but this is coming from a guy who wants a Joe Madden type. Giving me forward thinking.
CodenameDuchess
August 4, 2011 at 3:37 PM (UTC -6)
I meant as a hitting coach. I’ve had enough of the guy and personally think just about every player on the team has regressed with the stick.
Logan Burdine
August 4, 2011 at 6:15 PM (UTC -6)
Oh, yeah, not of fan of him there either. I mean, he used to hit like this…
Travis Lay
August 4, 2011 at 9:06 PM (UTC -6)
Logan broke the HTML
T.O. Owens
August 4, 2011 at 11:46 AM (UTC -6)
Tracy’s act is tired. When does he get shown the door?
Travis Lay
August 4, 2011 at 12:26 PM (UTC -6)
I would be good with hiring anyone from the Rays organization. At least they think outside of the old school box (John Jaso led off for Maddon quite a bit last year). I dont want an old retread like whats-his-face who is on MLBN now. I dont want someone who quotes pitchers wins when discussing his starters, I want new blood. O’Dowd probably wont hire new blood.
Tracy is here for another year, I am sure. How many sub .500 years was Hurdle allowed before he was canned?
CodenameDuchess
August 4, 2011 at 1:15 PM (UTC -6)
Not much after they showed some success. Hurdle took them to the world series in ’07, disappointed in ’08 was canned half way through a disappointing ’09.
Tracey made the great run to finish ’09, an up and down ’10 and the dumpster fire that is this year.
I’ve seen all I need to see. The man never would have been given the job if the team didn’t go crazy in ’09.
Travis Lay
August 4, 2011 at 1:19 PM (UTC -6)
No argument from me. Just think O’Dowd will give him at least one more year.
Logan Burdine
August 4, 2011 at 1:33 PM (UTC -6)
I wish the owners would ask themselves one simple question — “Is this working?”
There is no way to answer that in the affirmative. But, the Monforts seem to have little time for self evaluation.
Ken
August 4, 2011 at 1:48 PM (UTC -6)
This seems to be the painful truth. The word arrogance comes to mind when describing ownership and management.
Ken
August 4, 2011 at 1:54 PM (UTC -6)
I would love to see Maddon here. He played for the Boulder Collegians back in ’75. http://tinyurl.com/3jthujx Perhaps he can be persuaded to return because of his fondness for the Dark Horse…
Simone
August 4, 2011 at 1:39 PM (UTC -6)
I’d swap Nelson and Stewart around. His BA has come up considerably (i know, still sub-.200) and I think if Tracy would actually PLAY STEWART EVERY DAY that his numbers would go up above .200 again.
Simone
August 5, 2011 at 4:12 PM (UTC -6)
Hey Travis, can you analize some numbers?
How about the Rockies record when Ty Wigginton is starting vs not starting, and how about the Rockies record when Ian Stewart is starting vs not starting.
Maybe we’ll see a difference?
Travis Lay
August 5, 2011 at 4:27 PM (UTC -6)
Wigginton starting (not just at 3rd) the Rockies are 33-36
Stewart starting the Rockies are 15-15
1. Dont quote me on those totals…they could easily be off one or two games…
2. Not really sure this means a whole lot. Assigning a w/l record to a position player makes less sense than assigning one to a starting pitcher
Forsythe P Jones
August 5, 2011 at 10:07 PM (UTC -6)
I’m intensely frustrated with Tracy’s lineup shenanigans, and really hope that he is shown the door after this season ( I don’t see any way this happens, as the excuses, some legit and some not, are already written in blood ), but I have to say that the idea of Iannetta batting leadoff is beyond ridiculous. I understand the OBP argument and all that, but how many of those walks does he draw simply because he is batting in the spot before the pitcher. More than a few, I’d wager. Sadly, I don’t see any real answers at leadoff, and would assume CarGo will just move back into the spot, even though it does seem a total waste of his bat, and his indifference to taking four balls. But I can say without much compunction that Iannetta ain’t the answer, no matter how many boxes you want to think out of.
What a frustrating season this has been. If I have to see Street give up another long homerun, or handful of doubles, in a close game in the ninth I may have a fit. There has to be someone else to try in that slot, as there are starting pitchers who haven’t given up as many homers as Street has this season. It’s maddening that the ‘book’ insists that this mediocre reliever must close games just because he has some cheap saves.
Travis Lay
August 6, 2011 at 4:16 PM (UTC -6)
In today’s pregame press conference Jim Tracy said Helton is staying in the #5 spot.
He feels he would rather him bat fifth so he has more at-bats with the potential of hitting with more guys on base….seems a little strange with the OBP of the guys in front of Helton.
Also Tracy said, OUT OF RESPECT, he is not moving Helton the rest of the year. It is not right to move Helton, or some junk, is what Tracy said. I guess it is not respectful to move people in the lineup? Why does he always move Smith? Smith doesn’t deserve respect?
Michael
August 7, 2011 at 12:01 AM (UTC -6)
I agree with everything you said about lineups and Tracy’s inability to understand how to generate runs with the startling clint hurdle like idea of dropping Tulo in the lineup. I agree Tulo puts to much on his shoulders but he is our best hitter and under no circumstances should we be taking at-bats away from him. (Granted moving from 4th to 5th in the lineup is only about 10-20 AB’s a year it is still important he gets those as he has the best chance to use them well)
Simone
August 7, 2011 at 1:14 PM (UTC -6)
Every day Tracy doesn’t play Stewart he just pisses me off even more.
Neither Wigginton nor Nelson are producing enough to justify the horrible defense at third. Since the break Ian isn’t doing nearly as bad at the plate…but we NEED his glove at 3rd!
Adam
August 7, 2011 at 10:27 PM (UTC -6)
Tulowitzki needs to be placed in a spot in the line up that will hide him from clutch situations. He’s never been good when it counts. Even Wigginton is more successful in Late Inning Pressure situations then “Tulo”. When your Avg. in Late inning pressure situations is below the mendoza line and that guy is your “best hitter” your team is a joke. Everytime he comes up in a meaningful at-bat in a close game after the 6th you’d be stupid to bet that Tulowitzki will come through. He won’t. Today was no different. Oh and you know the season’s been horrible when some guy is sucking Stewart soooooo hard. But yeah Tracy should play Stewart. We really have nothing to lose.