Getting offensive
The rock group Blue Oyster Cult had a hit in 1977 with its song "Goin' Through the Motions." The Wild Things, their manager suggested, had not hits over the last six innings Thursday night against River City in part because they went through the motions at the plate."We need to become more offensive and be able to make adjustments throughout the game, not just go through the motions with our swings," Everson said following the 7-1 loss to the West Division-leading Rascals.
Thirty-seven games into the Frontier League's 96-game schedule, the Wild Things' offense is producing at a rate clip. But it's the wrong kind of record pace.
Washington is batting an anemic .225 as a team. The league record for lowest batting average for a season was set by Lake Erie last year at .229. That the Wild Things are even five games from .500 with that kind of offense is a credit to its pitching staff. Despite losing two lefties to affiliated ball, Washington is second in the league in ERA (3.35) and quality starts (21). The pitching staff deserves better support than it's getting.
The Wild Things' offense has been so poor this season that it would take their first 39 batters reaching base via hits tonight just to raise the team batting average to tie Rockford (.249) for 11th place in the 12-team league.
I don't think that's going to happen.
Second baseman Scott Lawson (.310) and center fielder Chris Sidick (.283) have been the only consistent threats in the lineup, and the former has had trouble staying on base because of baserunning mistakes. Other than those two, the offense has struggled mightily all seasson.
Even the designated hitter position has been a bust. Washington's DHs are hitting .191 with one home run, seven RBI and 41 strikeouts in 136 at-bats.
So what is manager Darin Everson to do about his offense? He brought in DH Bryan Fogle (.292) and third baseman Ryan Ditthardt (.143) last week. Does Everson continue to make changes or hope that his current players can fight their way out of what has been a collective funk?
Labels: Bryan Fogle, Chris Sidick, Darin Everson, Ryan Ditthardt, Scott Lawson
posted by Chris Dugan at
8:45 AM
10 Comments:
You've got to be kidding.
Tonight has to be the most bizarre loss I've watched since......I guess I've got to go back to the 1972 N.L.C.S. when Pirates pitcher Bob Moose uncorked that wild pitch that sent the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series.
The Wild Things, after battling back in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game (GREAT play by Chris Sidick, diving head first into the first base bag to beat out that grounder) lose in the 9th when closer Taylor Wulf walks the bases loaded, and then throws away Josh Banda's weak tapper to the mound.
You've got to be kidding me.
Yes, the same Josh Banda who hit .127 with 1 RBI for the Wild Things. (that's only 1 more RBI than I have this year, and I haven't even taken a swing yet!) The same Josh Banda who we brought in to supply the lumber this season after swatting 14 homers last season for River City. The same guy who we just released and who subsequently re-signed with his old team.
So he hits a weak tapper to the mound, and Wulf, who could have run and tagged first base himself, tosses a throw to Ernie Banks that Wilt Chamberlain couldn't have caught. All 3 runs score and we lose.
What a deflating loss. (But still a fun night at the ballpark :) )
After the game last night Darin Everson said, “It is what it is” That’s the biggest, most often used cop out in sports. I’m sick of hearing that line. Can’t he come up with something more original than that? HE ‘is what HE is’ – a terrible manager! Manages to lose and he is very good at that!
None other than Bill Lee has told me, that the Frontier League plays using “all the rules of Major League Baseball”. Now, I don’t carry around a rulebook in my pocket but I thought that if a game was being played under protest, such as last night’s game, it was supposed to be announced to the crowd as such. I never heard one word from Bill DeFabio. I’m I incorrect about the rule?
Along those lines, I did hear Big Bill announce the attendance like this; “Tonight’s attendance is 2877, give yourselves a hand” WHAT FOR, BILL? I should applaud myself for coming out to watch fireworks?
Is he kidding? That doesn’t make any sense at all. Also, I thought that the attendance at ALL games is supposed to be announced according to the MLB rules. Am I wrong about that too? This season at CEP,
the low attendance figures have NOT been announced at all, only the larger attendance figures have been announced.- guess they just ‘forget’ on those 800-900 figure nights but always remember when there is a larger crowd. Hummmm! I just can’t figure out why that would be, can you?
Ima Fraid
BTW: What is the basis for the game being player under protest? A balk is no pitch. The runner advanced one base as he should so there must be something I missed about the call in question.
Diving into first base looks great but it actually cost you speed the instant your feet leave the ground. It's just the laws of momentum Truth is Sidick would have been safe in either case. But it was fun to watch!
As for the protest, I belive home-plate umpire Ron Whiting never made the signal -- making a motion as if to be writing the letter 'P' and then pointing to the Wild Things' dugout -- to the press box, notifying the PA announcer that the game was being played under protest. It was only after the game that I found out that the protest was made. Washington protested, saying the hitting team has the choice of taking the balk or the result of the play, which was a hit batsman. The protest was meaningless when, on the next pitch, the batter drew a walk.
Chris Dugan said:
“Washington protested, saying the hitting team has the choice of taking the balk or the result of the play, which was a hit batsman”.
Chris,
After reading the rulebook I think the Wild Things probably had it right. But, I don’t think they had a ‘choice’.
Section 8.05 (m) of the rule states; “
The ball is dead, and each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, UNLESS the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, A HIT BATTER, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk.
So, it appears the umpires just may have erred. What do think, Chris? I know Ron Whiting is the subject
of a lot of ridicule, especially because of his ‘strike zone’ which seems to change with every pitch. I think it just may be because of his first name. LOL! Can’t be thin skinned with a name like that!
Ima Fraid
i have quit listening already tonight. four errors, two by pitcher, one by third, one by centerfield--and it's only the second inning.
"if you can't execute, you can't execute." "it is what it is."
good bye, mr. smily.
yet another strikeout with a runner at third and less than two outs. talked with one of the radio guys about this...it happens over and over and over again.
and the quote just keeps on speaking: "if you can't execute, you can't execute." four strikeouts, two now with runner at third and less than two outs.....
disgusting, offensive display on top of the joke defense in the first two innings...
A typical 2011 Wild Things game tonight.
Need I say more!
The umpires did botch the enforcement of the balk. The batter should have been permitted to take first base because of the hit batsman. A balk call does not automatically stop play.
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