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G sez,

Gordon Gross:  If his closer was Mariano Rivera, that'd be one thing. Rodney has a "special set of skills" and those skills have proven worthless most of the time he has no pressure on him. He then creates pressure for himself but can't get out of it. Knowing your personnel is a pre-requisite for getting the most out of them. Rodney had already warmed up. He was ready. He doesn't have to come in until the game's on the line - IF IT COMES TO THAT. If it doesn't, then save the bullets. I dunno - I just don't like this tune. I didn't like it last year and that feeling remains even early in this season. Just glad we got the win despite the wrong personnel move.

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I would suggest that the special skill is mostly that amped-up hitters have to swing at pitches outside the strike zone ...

Rodney led all of baseball in 2014 in strikes taken.  If we haven't noticed, the hitters are up there not just hoping for a walk, but extremely cognizant of the fact that their best chance is to take a walk.  

The Mainframe theorizes that when you --- > put Rodney into a situation with relaxed hitters, you are amplifying Rodney's wildness and noise-reducing hitters' jitteriness.

Whatever the case, Lloyd McClendon of course loves Fernando Rodney, and Dr. D's main hope for minimizing the save damage this year is to --- > develop a lockdown 8th inning.  It could happen.

But the Mainframe does not project the 9th inning to be a team strength in 2015.  That's its opinion it could be wrong.

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The Counselor sez,

mojician: In other news Jered Weaver got bombed yesterday. 6 runs, 2 jonrones, 4 walks in 4.1 innings. I'd like the record to reflect that Weaver is toast. Oh. And the Angels were swept in KC and are in last place.

That Boomstick power works wonders in extra inning sudden death games.

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So recorded.

Personally I'd be very surprised.  The Doobmeister is the "World's #20 Ranked Starting Pitcher" per BJOL, which is another topic.  But if it's roto I'm trading for Doob so fast you won't see my arm move.

If Weaver is toast, on the other hand, we trade for Seth Smith ....

....

It's a funny thing:  Earl's recipe was 150-200 homers, a stuffed rotation, bats off the bench, and slick defense.  Somebody tell me I'm hallucinating.

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G sez, again,

Gordon Gross:  more bunting practice for Miller, That was awful all around.

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Dr. D is developing a really morbid obsession with bunting to beat the shift.  (I know.)  Maybe that's because the conversation is beginning to swing a little bit.

There was a time, you know, when Ted Williams take a walk.  They'd talk about how he's shirking his job, 'cause he's paid to drive in runners, and they'd give the MVP to Joe DiMaggio.  Eventually -- about the time of Rickey Henderson -- they figured out the math on walks winning games.

Our manager is talking about "that's part of the reason we shift, hoping they will bunt."  One of these years, a Brad Miller or Kyle Seager is going to spend the winter bunting and chop-bunting ... and go into May batting .625.

Dr. D ain't one for kicking guys when they're down.  Generally.  But in this specific case, well.

All cliches aside, this is the Major Leagues.  And you got Major Leaguers who can't bunt.  It's a lot like NBA players refusing to learn how to shoot 50% from the line.  That's an essay and it's a life lesson, an NBA player who refuses to learn to shoot free throws, an MLB player who refuses to practice bunting, a blogger who posts pseudo-comical pics and hopes you won't notice the lack of effort beneath them.  I detest them all.

:: shrug :: this year, it's not hurting us, since it turned out not to be the Angels who learned how to bunt first.  Maybe next year it'll hurt us.  As it stands, it's just a joke all around.

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Rick sez,

rick82:  M's facing a lot of good pitching so far this season. Hahn is really throwing strikes.

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LOT of good pitching.  

And you know a 105-year-olds' key to long life?  Savoring the moment.  Almost all of them will say the key to life is an afternoon cigar, or a nightly bath, or something completely preposterous.  I've got a friend in Sequim who says the key to living 105 years is sauerkraut.  She is perfectly serious, and live to 105 you will not, and there's a Zen koan in here somewhere:

.

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Back on baseball, though, there's one pitcher in the world better than Felix and he won't be pitching against us.  We miss Kershaw and Greinke, the #1 and #9 pitchers in the game.  Miss them mindfully.

Tears are nature's benediction,

Dr D