Defense.

[oldroundballer]

Goold has a good article on how bad the defense has been so far. It's bad. We've been spoiled in the past with good defense. Those good teams not only hit and scored they also defended. Not only can we not hit and score now we also can't catch and throw. We just don't have good enough players anymore. Obviously not putting Adams in LF is one thing but I'm not really sure how much more Mike can do about it at this point. They are what they are. They can improve some but I don't see anyone capable of challenging for a gold glove at some point.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/base...al&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

 

[Duck_walk]

We have no real 3B or SS.
Wong, Gyorko, Garcia, Diaz are all second basemen. Piscotty is a super guy but limited range. Carp is a DH.
I like most of those guys and in the right situation you could win with a subset of them.

 

[you_dont_know_me]

let us not forget baserunning...we miss Oquendo!

 

[3Rfan]

let us not forget baserunning...we miss Oquendo!

Put Carp back at 3rd and hitting leadoff, the only spot he has ever hit well, put Martinez at 1st hitting 2nd with Fowler in the 3 hole.

 

[Neutron Monster]

Ew at playing Martinez every day. ew

 

[3Rfan]

Ew at playing Martinez every day. ew

He's hitting better than anybody else right now and he plays 1st base better than Carp for sure. Maybe he and skinny Big City could platoon.

 

[hb1025]

Bat Waino 4th after his big night lol

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Put Carp back at 3rd and hitting leadoff, the only spot he has ever hit well, put Martinez at 1st hitting 2nd with Fowler in the 3 hole.

Extremely small sample size with Marp. 2015 was the last time they really committed to him anywhere but leadoff, and that was in the #2 spot. He'll be fine in the #3 spot, and that's where he needs to be. Fowler/Diaz/Marp are perfect 1-3. All high OBP guys that have good gap power. Don't forget, Marp's been battling through some back issues early on. That probably has more to do with his semi slow start than his position in the batting order.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Put Carp back at 3rd and hitting leadoff, the only spot he has ever hit well, put Martinez at 1st hitting 2nd with Fowler in the 3 hole.

Rex Hudler, John Rodriguez, Bo Hart, and Jeremy Hazelbaker. Martinez is no different than these guys. There's a reason he's 30ish and never really stuck. He's a nice 4th OF'er and super sub type. But I think he'd get overexposed on a daily basis. But I'm all for playing him now while he's hot and Grichuck and Fowler are struggling. I know this, the offense certainly looks better with him and Gyorko in the lineup currently. Like Hazelbaker last year, might as well ride him until he bucks you off.

 

[3Rfan]

Rex Hudler, John Rodriguez, Bo Hart, and Jeremy Hazelbaker. Martinez is no different than these guys. There's a reason he's 30ish and never really stuck. He's a nice 4th OF'er and super sub type. But I think he'd get overexposed on a daily basis. But I'm all for playing him now while he's hot and Grichuck and Fowler are struggling. I know this, the offense certainly looks better with him and Gyorko in the lineup currently. Like Hazelbaker last year, might as well ride him until he bucks you off.

Martinez has hit at every level he's played, how do you know he can't keep doing that? He was not given a chance anywhere else in the bigs for some reason. He was told by others he would get a chance with the Cardinals, her did in SP and pushed them into keeping him on the roster when the time cameo make decisions. Last night he hit a 2 strike outside pitch to RF for a hit, when many of our hitters would have taken it and hoped it was a ball or swung and missed. He may not be great but he's about 200 points better in all the offensive stats for all the guys not named Jedd.
Now Fowler is out with bursitis in his heel when they thought he got hurt on the slide at 3rd?

 

[Neutron Monster]

Every level he's ever played at? That's beyond stretching the truth. The guy's 2016 AAA stats suggest he is, at best, a 5th outfielder. The guy took three seasons to get through AA in his mid 20s. He is not a hitter

 

[3Rfan]

Every level he's ever played at? That's beyond stretching the truth. The guy's 2016 AAA stats suggest he is, at best, a 5th outfielder. The guy took three seasons to get through AA in his mid 20s. He is not a hitter

Then the Fox Sports guys gave some very wrong stats on him. All I know about him is what he's done here this season and it's better than anybody else on this team. I don't expect him to hit .400 and keep the OBP where it is now but if he keeps out hitting everybody else he should be in this lineup. It ain't like he's a liability on defense compared to his competition. BTW he has had some injury issues that slowed his progress in the minors.

 

[Duck_walk]

Good to see Lance Lynn pitching well again.
And Oh looked better. Fun game to watch.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Then the Fox Sports guys gave some very wrong stats on him. All I know about him is what he's done here this season and it's better than anybody else on this team. I don't expect him to hit .400 and keep the OBP where it is now but if he keeps out hitting everybody else he should be in this lineup. It ain't like he's a liability on defense compared to his competition. BTW he has had some injury issues that slowed his progress in the minors.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=martin030jos

It's a stretch for sure to say he's hit at every level. .275 in the minors isn't exactly raking. He's had some anomaly good years, and some normal AAA years. He is what he is, this year's Hazelbaker. Ride him until he bucks. If his OPS is .900 in July, great. He'd be a decent option as a 4th OF'er if he could actually play a decent OF. My guess is, that's why he never materialized as a legitimate MLB player. No power for DH or corner OF spot. And the defense isn't good enough to makeup for the lack of power.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

let us not forget baserunning...we miss Oquendo!

Looked good Sunday though. Oh wait...

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Good to see Lance Lynn pitching well again.
And Oh looked better. Fun game to watch.

Saturday and Sunday were fun to watch, from a pitching standpoint. Nauseating from about every other aspect. I might age 10 years this summer if they somehow stay close.

 

[you_dont_know_me]

i have to say, our pitching is carrying us recently.

 

[3Rfan]

Saturday and Sunday were fun to watch, from a pitching standpoint. Nauseating from about every other aspect. I might age 10 years this summer if they somehow stay close.

Why in the world are guys like Carp getting picked off? He ain't stealing bases so what the heck is he doing out there in la la land?

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Why in the world are guys like Carp getting picked off? He ain't stealing bases so what the heck is he doing out there in la la land?

EVERYBODY is getting picked off. Surely it's not a sign of bad coaching. More back picks than you can shake a stick at.