Desperate times
Desperate times call for desperate actions.
Judging by the last two games, the Wild Things are a desperate bunch.
That much was obvious Tuesday night when Southern Illinois leadoff hitter Darian Sanford reached third base with one out in the top of the first inning.
Then, Washington brought its infield in.
The entire infield.
Three batters into the game. Three!
If that wasn't a desperate move, then I don't know what one might be in baseball.
It had to send this message to starting pitcher Gary Lee and his fielders: If you give up this one run, then the game might be over because the coaching staff doesn't believe the offense can score more than one run.
That's the only conclusion I can make.
I remarked, at the time, that this was the only instance I can recall of a team playing its infield in only three batters into a game.
I should have waited until Wednesday night.
That's when Sanford led off the game with a triple down the right-field line, and then the Wild Things brought their infield in. Again.
This time, however, only two batters into the game. Two!
Desperate times.
The move might have backfired because Southern Illinois' Jake Kaase hit a groudball that went for a single through the drawn-in infield. If the infield was playing back, first baseman Aaron Guinn would have been able to make the play, and Sanford might not have tried to advance on an infield grounder with no outs. Then again, maybe he would have scored. Kaase's hit, though, was followed by a popout between home plate and first base, then a tapper back to the mound.
It turned out that the run didn't make a difference in the outcome of the game, but it does show how desperate the Wild Things are to make something positive happen for them during this stretch of nine losses in 10 games. It has led to some bizarre strategies. In this homestand, for example, Washington has:
* had its No. 3 hitter try to bunt for a hit with two outs and nobody on base.
* had its No. 5 hitter try to bunt for a hit.
* tried to steal second base when trailing by three runs, and with no outs, in the seventh inning.
In the series last weekend at Joliet, Washington was bunting and using the hit-and-run late in a game it was losing by double figures.
It wasn't surprising that a Washington batter was plunked by a pitch the next day.
Some might say that was a violation of baseball etiquette.
Others might call it desperate times.
Judging by the last two games, the Wild Things are a desperate bunch.
That much was obvious Tuesday night when Southern Illinois leadoff hitter Darian Sanford reached third base with one out in the top of the first inning.
Then, Washington brought its infield in.
The entire infield.
Three batters into the game. Three!
If that wasn't a desperate move, then I don't know what one might be in baseball.
It had to send this message to starting pitcher Gary Lee and his fielders: If you give up this one run, then the game might be over because the coaching staff doesn't believe the offense can score more than one run.
That's the only conclusion I can make.
I remarked, at the time, that this was the only instance I can recall of a team playing its infield in only three batters into a game.
I should have waited until Wednesday night.
That's when Sanford led off the game with a triple down the right-field line, and then the Wild Things brought their infield in. Again.
This time, however, only two batters into the game. Two!
Desperate times.
The move might have backfired because Southern Illinois' Jake Kaase hit a groudball that went for a single through the drawn-in infield. If the infield was playing back, first baseman Aaron Guinn would have been able to make the play, and Sanford might not have tried to advance on an infield grounder with no outs. Then again, maybe he would have scored. Kaase's hit, though, was followed by a popout between home plate and first base, then a tapper back to the mound.
It turned out that the run didn't make a difference in the outcome of the game, but it does show how desperate the Wild Things are to make something positive happen for them during this stretch of nine losses in 10 games. It has led to some bizarre strategies. In this homestand, for example, Washington has:
* had its No. 3 hitter try to bunt for a hit with two outs and nobody on base.
* had its No. 5 hitter try to bunt for a hit.
* tried to steal second base when trailing by three runs, and with no outs, in the seventh inning.
In the series last weekend at Joliet, Washington was bunting and using the hit-and-run late in a game it was losing by double figures.
It wasn't surprising that a Washington batter was plunked by a pitch the next day.
Some might say that was a violation of baseball etiquette.
Others might call it desperate times.
posted by Chris Dugan at
11:18 PM
6 Comments:
I wonder which will happen first?
Firing Chris Bando or a reduction in parking and concession prices!
Washington's team batting average is .198.
The next lowest is Lake Erie at .236.
The highest is Rockford at .284.
Thank goodness Rockford is in the other division.
Ima Fraid and very Disa Pointed the Wild Things have themselvers in quite a "STEW". Maybe they need to hire a shyster to get themselves out of this jam.
We are headed to the game tonight, if I can find a grocery store that will give me some paper bags, I'll cut holes in them for eyes and mouth and we will wear them on our heads. Maybe that is the start to getting back to old time good baseball!
Today in the OR in Sports:
Coach You let experienced return players GO
For Cal inexperience Players
Let make some calls to experience Players
Lets Go Wild Things
A Fan and others
I don’t want to be an “I told you so” BUT: I did tell you so…
All the Season Ticket Advisory Group stuff was just a lot of hot empty air. It wasn’t too long into the meetings that they turned into the Stu and Steve show. Instead of listening to the fans, they began to tell us how it was going to be. The hired this super-dooper group called TSE for about a gazillion dollars and all they did was eat enough pizza during the meetings to wipe out hunger worldwide.
The new Wild Thing contest was just a lot of additional BS; this guy isn’t any better than any of the others that have TRIED to follow in Jason’s footsteps.
Now, the Bando Bunch; NO team can take five years of this nonsense. It has had such negative results as to be sickening. Mental errors, poor hitting in a hitters league, all this on a field of artificial turf and just as artificial dreams. In line with the Wild Things policy of NEVER admitting they made a mistake, don’t look for anything to change. Also, don’t look for promises to be kept. Don’t believe anything you hear from them and only half of what you see because-it’s probably just an allusion
Ima Fraid
Hey, don't forget to stop by my seat with one of those bags!
Giant Eagle, Shop and Save, and Foodland on Henderson Avenue all have paper bags.
Go for it and tell us how it went at Stew's Field.
You might even scare the parking lot attendents. They have a lot of time to text with the low attendence.
It's not about being desperate. It's having no clue about the game of baseball. Playing strategy, treatment of players, and general baseball etiquette. The coaches and ownership don't get it.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home