Gameday Thread 5/28/14 Ibanez @ DH

[fan_since79]

Batting average and OPS this year against right-handed pitching:

 

Cron  .286, .846

Green  .286, .824

 

Ibanez  .182, .631

 

Did you get that, Scioscia?!?!

 

 

[eligrba]

Regardless of how close the Angels are to the A's, I have hard time believing there is a chance to win the West when their record is horrible within their division and Ibanez continues to get regular playing time.

 

Have a nice day.

[Jeff M]

I hope Ibanez has a good game.

[Taylor]

Freese/Ibanez has to be the worst 4/5 in baseball.

[CaliAngel]

Ibanez just needs to step the heck up.

 

Will he do it? Probably not.

[IEAngelsfan]

Ibanez needs to slap some balls the other way.

The rare times he hits the ball hard turn out to be outs with the shift

Is this some sort of gay ritual to end a slump?

[krAbs]

Freese/Ibanez has to be the worst 4/5 in baseball.

freese has been doing fine recently- hitting about 350 in the last 4 games (sample size, but he appears to be getting his timing back).

[Quinlanforthewin]

We need to stop being upset with Ibanez.  It's like being upset with Burnett.  It's neither of their faults. Ibanez is 42 freaking years old.  We shouldn't expect him to hit.  It's Scioscia and DiPoto's fault for expecting that.  As for Burnett...be mad at DiPoto for signing him.  

[Inside Pitch]

So the benefit of doubt due to last year excuse seems played out now.  Ibanez posted a .570 OPS in April, and is below that so far in May.   I really hope the only reason he's still here is because they are waiting on Hamilton's LH bat.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[Quinlanforthewin]

freese has been doing fine recently- hitting about 350 in the last 4 games (sample size, but he appears to be getting his timing back).

 

He's still not a good cleanup hitter even if he's playing at his best.  We need Hamilton back or we need to shuffle this lineup.  

[Butcher'd]

We need to stop being upset with Ibanez.  It's like being upset with Burnett.  It's neither of their faults. Ibanez is 42 freaking years old.  We shouldn't expect him to hit.  It's Scioscia and DiPoto's fault for expecting that.  As for Burnett...be mad at DiPoto for signing him.  

 

I agreed with your post until you said that. It wasn't a bad signing. There's no way Dipoto could have seen this many injuries coming when he signed him.

[Quinlanforthewin]

So the benefit of doubt due to last year excuse seems played out now.  Ibanez posted a .570 OPS in April, and is below that so far in May.   I really hope the only reason he's still here is because they are waiting on Hamilton's LH bat.

 

I hope so too.  But man it seems so archaic and dense to blindly follow lefty righty matchups. 

[krAbs]

He's still not a good cleanup hitter even if he's playing at his best.  We need Hamilton back or we need to shuffle this lineup.  

i agree. but, on this team, the only hitter i'd rather see there is cron. and even then...hamilton will be nice if he comes back hot...sometime this decade...

[tdawg87]

With King Felix on the mound I'd rather the Angels go with the best hitters. But that's just me, I know that's an absurd notion.

[martinpa25]

PLAAAAAAAY BAAAAAALL!!!!!!

[Quinlanforthewin]

I agreed with your post until you said that. It wasn't a bad signing. There's no way Dipoto could have seen this many injuries coming when he signed him.

 

Oh really?

 

He was coming off elbow surgery in the offseason and had TJ earlier in his career.  What else would be the GM's job other than to determine how injury prone a player may be who was coming off elbow surgery.  He gambled that offseason on two injured relief pitchers and lost horribly.  

[Quinlanforthewin]

i agree. but, on this team, the only hitter i'd rather see there is cron. and even then...hamilton will be nice if he comes back hot...sometime this decade...

 

As cleanup? Pujols and have Kendrick hit 3rd.  Then maybe Trout could steal a freaking base or two. 

[Quinlanforthewin]

With King Felix on the mound I'd rather the Angels go with the best hitters. But that's just me, I know that's an absurd notion.

 

That's insane.  No superior hitting right handed bat can possibly hit a RHP better than a weaker left handed bat.  Please ignore Cron's HR off a RHP last night though.  

Edited May 29, 2014 by Quinlanforthewin

[tdawg87]

As cleanup? Pujols and have Kendrick hit 3rd.  Then maybe Trout could steal a freaking base or two. 

 

lol @ Kendrick hitting 3rd.

 

I know, I know, he's been patient thusfar but I still don't buy it. I'm guessing he ends up with <40 walks on the year.

[Butcher'd]

Oh really?

 

He was coming off elbow surgery in the offseason and had TJ earlier in his career.  What else would be the GM's job other than to determine how injury prone a player may be who was coming off elbow surgery.  He gambled that offseason on two injured relief pitchers and lost horribly.  

 

Didn't know he was coming off surgery that offseason. Thanks for the info. You're right then...it was a gamble.

[Quinlanforthewin]

lol @ Kendrick hitting 3rd.

 

I know, I know, he's been patient thusfar but I still don't buy it. I'm guessing he ends up with <40 walks on the year.

 

Patience isn't what I look for in a 3rd hitter.  It's what I look for when you leadoff...so I'm not getting him leading off. Kendrick has been hitting .300 for over a year now.  He's a perfect #3 hittter.  Anything to allow Trout to move more on the bases.  

[beatlesrule]

With King Felix on the mound I'd rather the Angels go with the best hitters. But that's just me, I know that's an absurd notion.

How dare you question Sciosica.  He helped win a World Series 12 years ago for crying out loud!  Arte loves him so you should too.  You have at least another 4 years of Scioscia lineups waiting for you.

[tdawg87]

How dare you question Sciosica.  He helped win a World Series 12 years ago for crying out loud!  Arte loves him so you should too.  You have at least another 4 years of Scioscia lineups waiting for you.

 

lol

[moccasin]

The Angels have gone down 1-2-3 a lot in the first inning lately.

[Quinlanforthewin]

John McDonald will undoubtedly hit leadoff on Sunday with Ibanez hitting 3rd