May 29, 2005
What Did I Just Say?
I write:
Ken Macha needs to pick a lineup and stick with it. No more of this “start Kielty on Wednesdays against righties but Byrnes if it’s a lefty pitching during a day game in the Central time zone” jazz that seems to be informing most of the roster decisions. This “guys play themselves into the lineup” approach has proven to be counterproductive — players know that they’re bench-bound at the first sign of failure so they start pressing.
To which Ken Macha responds:
Macha had Johnson, who is a first baseman, at DH and said before the game that he plans to go back and forth between the two, preferring not to lock either into a specific role. Macha said after the game that Johnson probably will play first today.
Well, why stop there, Ken? Why not pick the lineup out of a hat? Why not assign guys to a field position based on height? Why not put Kendall at first, Kotsay at second and Kielty at third? Maybe have Chavez pitch a few innings? Wouldn’t want to lock people into established roles so that everyone knows what the other guy is supposed to be doing.
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Comments
What I find especially infuriating is that despite altering the lineup on a daily basis, Macha insists on batting Scott Hatteberg cleanup the vast majority of the time. I'll always appreciate Hatteberg for the Game 20 homer, but if Macha insists on continually changing the lineup, why keep a player with a .274/.346/.369 line in the four hole every day?
In fairness to Macha -- because we are scrupulously fair around here -- it's not like the A's are lousy with power-hitting options for that clean-up spot at this moment. In an ideal world, it's Durazo or Chavez in that hole, but neither of those guys is lighting it up.
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