RMJ 77 May 2

FRIDAY, MAY 2 ● Houston, vs Florida

It was almost noon when I arose today, still feeling crummy.

Cubby came by at 1:30, and we went to the Dome to do a little Marlin fishing. The Marlins have lost nine consecutive road games, and I know that doesn’t sit well with manager Jimmy Leyland. I also know that we had better play well in the first two games, because Kevin Brown looms in the dark shadows of the dugout, ready to come out blazing in the third game on Sunday.

Shane Reynolds was to pitch for us tonight, which is both good and bad. He is clearly our best starting pitcher, but he has never beaten the Marlins. Most of their hitters have hit him pretty hard. But I do remember him pitching a beautiful game against them in Miami last year, only to lose because we were shut out.

Pat Rapp, a hard-throwing righthander, will pitch for the Marlins. Like Shane, he is from Louisiana. Unlike Shane, he doesn’t have a good off-speed pitch, and he doesn’t hit the corners too well with his fastball. He is their fourth starter.

 

In this game, Shane was stingy as usual. Bagwell hit a towering home run in the first inning, and we took a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by Derek Bell.

After the seventh inning, Shane thought he was finished. He was acutely aware of his problems with the Marlins, and the meat of their order was coming up.

I asked him how he felt, and he said he was fine. He had only thrown 77 pitches, so I left him in there. Afterward, he said he was surprised that I allowed him to pitch the eighth, but he was also glad he did, because he proved to himself that he could beat this team — even without his best stuff.

Billy Wagner came in and finished up in the ninth. I think he learned the value of the curve ball in this game.

After he got Bobby Bonilla on a ground ball to third base, he challenged the league’s leading RBI hitter, Moises Alou, throwing him about seven consecutive fastballs before he gave up a line single to center. He got next two outs easily, but he should know by now that some hitters can get around on his fastball if he doesn’t mix in a curve now and then.

The nice thing is that some hitters can’t get around, no matter what. Billy was throwing 97-98 MPH again tonight.

The win gave us a lift after losing in Montreal. I would prefer winning with a comfortable margin, but I have to admit that these 3-2 and 2-1 victories build character. 

           

Craig Biggio came by my office after the game and asked me if we were still going to try to drive the run in from second with no outs, instead of just moving him over to third with a bunt or a ground ball to the right side of the infield.

“Drive him in,” I said, loud and clear.

He just shook his head, “We missed two chances to score tonight, because we didn’t get the guy over,” he said.

“Yes, and we also failed to get you home from third on your triple.” I said (his triple came with one out). “Look, you know as well as I do that when you try to move the runner, you don’t always succeed. I don’t like to give away outs. Plus, I have noticed that many runners advance on long fly balls and choppers to short and third.

“I don’t think a batter should give up his chance to get a hit, just to move the runner to third. If you look for a certain pitch and hit it hard to the right side, great! If you think you can bunt for a base hit, great!

“What I don’t like to see is a guy giving up any chance for a hit by taking an awkward swing and hitting a weak ground ball to second base.”

“OK, you’re the skipper,” he said.

This exchange really made me feel good. His question was legitimate. And tonight’s game was a good example of both things: why you might want to sacrifice, and why a sacrificial at-bat might not be availing.

As with most things in baseball, you could look at it more than one way. The way he was suggesting is more traditional; my view is based on the high-scoring nature of the modern game. I might sacrifice to get one run in the eighth or ninth innings, but in the early going, I am inclined to go for the big inning.

I am pleased that Bidge feels he can come up and debate a point like this. It shows that we have established an open line of communication with at least one player.  I think there will be more. I hope so.

           

One thought that came back to me via the grapevine was Derek Bell’s continuing interest in hitting third, and moving Bagwell to cleanup. This is not debatable. I will talk to Derek about it, but I will not move Bagwell out of the three-hole.

I would have to be insane to take a guy with a .450 on-base average and move him back in the lineup in order to let a guy with a .270 on-base average hit third. If anything, I would move Derek back in the lineup until he shakes his slump.

It is tempting, I might add, to move him all the way out of the lineup. But he is a player of rare talent, and we have to get him going — even if it does weaken us for a few games.

One thing is for sure: you can’t break out of a slump on the bench.

 

I had a nice cigar to smoke after the game. One of our fans is in the cigar business, and he brought a box to the Dome for me to try. I must admit, they taste pretty good after a win.

The test will be whether they still give pleasure after a loss.