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Saturday, August 04, 2007

AP: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa bats pitcher eighth against Nationals

In an attempt to jump start his sagging offense, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa decided to bat his pitcher, Joel Pineiro eighth on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Adam Kennedy, the Cardinals’ second baseman will bat ninth.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Our offense has been very erratic,” La Russa said. “We’re just not getting enough guys on base. (What) we’re trying to do is get a legitimate position player in the lineup.”
...
La Russa has done this before; in 1998, he batted his pitcher in the eighth slot 76 times. He hasn’t done it since.

The player La Russa chose to bat ninth wasn’t thrilled about it—even if he had batted ninth regularly last year with the Los Angeles Angels. “It’s what (La Russa) wants to do,” Kennedy said. “We all have egos, so definitely, that comes into play.”

It’s BACK!

NTNgod Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:01 PM | 35 comment(s)
Related News: General, St Louis

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1. greenback345397SM6 Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:06 PM (#2471157)

I believe this is TLR's way of saying he isn't mailing it in this year.

Now, if only I could figure out what purpose Mike Maroth is supposed to serve on this roster.

2. Latnam is busy defending the Public. One at a time Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:06 PM (#2471158)

Didn't Dontrelle Willis bat 8th a couple of times for the Marlins a couple of years ago?

3. Urban Faber Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:09 PM (#2471160)

I think Willis hit seventh once or twice as well.

4. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:13 PM (#2471161)

Hey, Kennedy is hitting 9th instead, and he's certainly earned it. I guess TLR had a revelation yesterday after Kippers had two hits.

5. Justin Zeth Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:18 PM (#2471166)

The Astros could probably get away with batting their pitcher about sixth...

6. jamcadbury Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:20 PM (#2471168)

I'm going to assume TLR missed the part where Pineiro has a career .083/.083/.125 batting line.

7. Walt Davis Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:23 PM (#2471171)

I'm going to assume TLR missed the part where Pineiro has a career .083/.083/.125 batting line.

It's not about "my 2B hits so badly, he should hit behind my pitcher." It's an attempt to get more guys on-base in front of the #3 and #4 hitters. It may or may not make sense (if memory serves, Tango's not deadset against it), but the logic isn't about showing up Kennedy.

8. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:23 PM (#2471172)

The pitcher should bat eighth. You want somebody with some ability to reach base batting in front of the top of the order.

9. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:26 PM (#2471175)

It may or may not make sense (if memory serves, Tango's not deadset against it)

I think The Book was explicitly for this.

10. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:38 PM (#2471180)

Kennedy just hit a HR, so TLR is probably going to do this for the rest of the year. Not the worst idea, I suppose.

11. Balkroth Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:38 PM (#2471181)

Well, Kennedy homered in his first AB.

12. Srul Itza Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:46 PM (#2471184)

Oh Great. Now everybody is going to ask to bat ninth.

13. Gold Star for Robot Boy Posted: August 04, 2007 at 07:55 PM (#2471187)

Just Tony being Tony.

14. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 08:22 PM (#2471207)

The problem in the early returns has not been the pitcher batting 8th, it's that Joel Pineiro is that pitcher.

15. mgl Posted: August 04, 2007 at 08:49 PM (#2471227)

It IS correct to bat your worst hitter (the pitcher) 8th but not by much. Of course not for the reason that TLR thinks it is, not that a 'person" can figure that out anyway. If TLR thinks it is correct now, why not all year, last year, etc. The problem of course is picking up and using stiffs like Maroth, Piniero, et al., not where the pitcher bats. That makes almost no difference. If managers spent the time they spend on constructing their lineups every day on other productive things, their teams would do a lot better.

16. Craig K Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:08 PM (#2471238)

My team sucks.

17. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:11 PM (#2471242)

I definitely concur that Maroth and Pineiro have contributed more to the Cards' woes this year than the order of the lineup.

18. sunnyday2 Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:19 PM (#2471251)

It would be interesting to see if in the AL they bat their worst hitter 8th. Probably by accident. Though I would guess in the AL they probably bat their worst hitter 2nd as much or more than 8th or 9th.

19. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:32 PM (#2471264)

"Now, if only I could figure out what purpose Mike Maroth is supposed to serve on this roster."

Mopup?

20. NTNgod Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:40 PM (#2471272)

Aaron Miles is now pitching. (Seriously)

21. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 09:44 PM (#2471279)

Mopup?

TLR brought Maroth in for mopup, and he got lit up. Badly.

Miles pitched much better than any actual Cardinals pitcher tonight.

22. Stinky Pile of Neifi Posted: August 04, 2007 at 10:04 PM (#2471289)

Please tell me Guts is being sarcastic, cuz' otherwise I'm too much of a simpleton to get it. I doubt Piniero's first appearance has been a real contributor to the Cards' woes this season.

23. Guts Posted: August 04, 2007 at 10:09 PM (#2471296)

I was mainly tossing him in there with Maroth, who is cupable.

24. greenback345397SM6 Posted: August 04, 2007 at 11:45 PM (#2471604)

If TLR thinks it is correct now, why not all year, last year, etc.

Because there's a huge political barrier, which for some reason was brought down by the presence of a 75-pitch pitcher after a hitting slump.

I wish I had seen Miles pitch before I re-did the sponsorship tag at B-R.

25. Rough Carrigan Posted: August 05, 2007 at 12:25 AM (#2471692)

Am I trying to make too much of a logical shortcut in saying that the biggest problem in not having anyone on for the #3 and #4 hitters is the obp of the #1 and #2 hitters?

26. DCW3 * Posted: August 05, 2007 at 12:27 AM (#2471700)

Mike Maroth has now allowed 46 runs in his last 24 1/3 innings.

I wonder what the worst such stretch ever for a pitcher is.

27. Misirlou hasn't payed the phone bill in 300 years Posted: August 05, 2007 at 09:46 AM (#2471817)

Mike Maroth has now allowed 46 runs in his last 24 1/3 innings.

I wonder what the worst such stretch ever for a pitcher is.

Wow. Even Jeff Weaver wasn't that bad at the start of the season; 35 ER in his first 22 IP.

28. Tim Lincecum doesn't Wang Chung tonite (GGC) Posted: August 05, 2007 at 10:30 AM (#2471831)

Mike Maroth has now allowed 46 runs in his last 24 1/3 innings.

I wonder what the worst such stretch ever for a pitcher is.

Kevin Ritz

It's a good thing only a few academics had access to the internet back then. Some wags would've been calling for the slaughter of his entire family.

Jaret Wright

Have fun with this list.

29. Tim Lincecum doesn't Wang Chung tonite (GGC) Posted: August 05, 2007 at 11:09 AM (#2471850)

How soon DCW3 forgets. Mark Mulder had a stretch last year where he gave up 49 in 26 IP: 2006-05-28 to 2006-08-29

30. Tim Lincecum doesn't Wang Chung tonite (GGC) Posted: August 05, 2007 at 11:20 AM (#2471863)

Ten Days In July starring Rick Matula should get some sort of an award; a Purple Heart, perhaps.

31. Tim Lincecum doesn't Wang Chung tonite (GGC) Posted: August 06, 2007 at 12:22 PM (#2473813)

I'm surprised the discussion about awful pitching stretches didn't get any play.

32. Bunny Vincennes Posted: August 06, 2007 at 12:49 PM (#2473850)

Wow, a Rick Matula reference, nice work there GGC. I had totally forgot about him.

33. Vrhovnik Posted: August 06, 2007 at 12:59 PM (#2473860)

Wow, a Rick Matula reference, nice work there GGC. I had totally forgot about him.

Me too. Thanks for the memories. Who's next? Preston Hanna, Rick Camp?

34. Moses Taylor: armed with a will, the past, a brick Posted: August 06, 2007 at 01:00 PM (#2473861)

Ten Days In July starring Rick Matula should get some sort of an award; a Purple Heart, perhaps.

Spectacular. And only 2hrs allowed!

35. Vrhovnik Posted: August 06, 2007 at 01:02 PM (#2473866)

Who first called him Matula Oblongata?

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AP: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa bats pitcher eighth against Nationals

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