Sciosia manages an NL style...something DBB tries to do also with his sacbunts and multiple double switches per game. Well, this team we have is as incapable of that style as the Angels. We cannot hit and run, we cannot sac bunt, we cannot make productive outs, we we cannot manufacture runs. We have a power hitting team that has lost it's power...that's what we have right now. No manager can fix this shit....the players have to....and they will.
I used to defend him, argue for him and gave him a big chance... not anymore... DBB is clueless at how to write down a lineup. Maybe he's over managing right now, but he's blowing it... and here the list of errors from yesterday (just the main ones): 1. hit Crawford 1 and Dee 2: if you are going to move Dee in the lineup, it has to be to #1. Dee has no power, not even doubles power. Lets say CC gets on base with a walk, he wont score on anything Dee will hit, other than a gapper that could go for 3, but the odds are low. Also, if lets say Dee also gets on base (a walk) now you have CC at second and Dee at first. You would rather have them the other way for a double steal, as stealing 3B is harder. 2. bat Hernandez 6th:really??? a guy that has no hits as a Dodger and only 1 all year??? that's your protection for Adrian and Ethier??? and as shown during the game, he failed. 3. leaving Hernandez to hit with man on 1st and 2nd: the result was obvious. Send Ellis out there, even if he has to catch for 3 innings. The way this team hits, it was now or never Im joining the "fire DBB" bandwagon...
It doesn't matter what Mattingly was as a player....nothing to do with being a guy who hardly ever pushes the right buttons, with with the lineups, PH, or RP. The last thing I liked that he did was keep CK in the game, back at the start of the season. But it's not that difficult to deal with greatness like CK. What's tough, and makes a good manager, is winning and holding it together when there are injuries, etc. Like Bochy did and does. LaSorda was a fringe player at best....barely a MLer...and he made move after move that were brilliant. He was basically a winner, with a winner's mentality. Donnie is not, plain and simple. What he did with the New York Yankees doesn't mean shit.
To be honest, it's not even like the moves he's making are outrageous, they're just ALL not working. Last night, I understand that PHing AJ Ellis for Ramon Hernandez would leave you without a catcher if AJ were to get hurt, and 95 out of 100 times you let Ramon hit. But with the way this team is playing, it would been really nice for the psyche to finally win one. It would have been really nice to get into the 9th with the game tied, but again, League came in after Jansen blew everyone away in the 8th, for whatever reason. He has no feel for it. It's like he's using a Dummies Guide to Managing Baseball to make his decisions, instead of letting the situation dictate the move.
Both 4everblue and Fordie each make good points... 1) Mattingly might be a HoF hitter but he's still a rookie manager 2) At least some of his plays and resultant Dodger failures are a result of 1) 3) The Dodgers, injured as they might be, still have plenty of talent to be expected to perform better. Our hitters have been successful hitters around the MLB for years, they will likely hit well again. Maybe even this season. 4) Dodger front office is still crippled by Ned making short sighted decisions. 5) The front office are proven morons by sending Puig down to save $$ and then having error prone anemic hitting shit for outfielders. The fucker was hitting .500+ and that had to end... but it could have continued for 'some' longer period of time. If I'm DBB I'd ride the hot hand. No way I let them send Puig 'anywhere' while he's hitting over .400, I don't care how many errors he gets. Even CC can be forgiven his fielding blunders and incompetent throwing arm because at least he's hitting the ball once in a while. Ned's stupidly trumps DBB to the detriment of the team. Oh goodie who fucking cares if we saved $6M in 7 years by sending the kid off to AA to lose his mojo
great posts, both of these mattingly's moves boggle the mind its not just the losing, its how we're losing we're not even competitive and the thing that gets to me, over and over is the lack of patience/plate discipline this is something we were told mcgwire would be emphasizing/implementing something that worked for the cardinals but watching an struggling assclown like cruz (continue to) not work the count and often swing at first pitches... the players are clearly not listening to mcgwire and/or buying into his approach and it is mattingly's job to make sure they do bluezoo's right... donnie is not a winner nor does he possess a winner's mentality and vrp coined it perfectly -- he has no feel for it the end :soapbox:
They get themselves in plenty of favorable counts. They take a lot of pitches. They are near the top of the league in OBP and hitting. The problem is they have virtually no power or clutch hitting (yes, I believe that exists boys). They can't expect to string together 4 singles every inning to score runs. Look how we get beat. Homeruns, doubles, etc. Their approach is fine aside from certain cases (Kemp's pitch recognition and increase of swinging at the first pitch)...it's the EXECUTION. They get plenty of favorable counts, get a cookie, and just miss it.
I for one, feel bad about Mattingly. I don't have animosity towards him...like Torre, a guy who mailed it in like Pacino in most of his movies lately. DBB's a good man I think, and a decent enough fellow; maybe Bruce Bochy is an annoying douchebag, IDK. I don't think so. But when you compare the two, Donnie is just miles behind on the "knows the thing to do" in most situations. It helps to have talented, competent players for sure, but if you're the kind of guy that wins wherever you go, then it reflects on you. There's some guys that inspire players to play over their head...to come through when needed...to have a winning attitude at all times. I just don't think DBB has it. I suppose the real litmus test will be if the whole team is back as a unit. I don't know if that will ever happen; I hope so. Then we'll be able to see more clearly, even though it may be too late to salvage the season. The hole is really getting deeper and deeper. Will they perform? Will League stop sucking? Will Capuano...will Beckett...will (insert your favorite LAD non-achiever) ? So many to choose from. Will Ned be tossed into the mud like the Scum Queen he is?
