Barfield to play 6, Hafner to bat twice Monday

Barfield and Hafner join Buffalo tonight, Martinez on Tuesday

over 3 years ago palcal 20 comments 0 recs |

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Barfield batting 2nd, Hafner 4th

by palcal on Aug 18, 2008 7:02 PM EDT reply actions

Hafner stand-up double in 2nd, missed HR by 2 feet.

by palcal on Aug 18, 2008 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

rec

(I’d have used capital letters if it was a HR)

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions

David Huff has the start in this game. 4 Ks through 2 innings.

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Barfield with a sac fly in his 2nd AB. Game tied 1-1.

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 8:05 PM EDT reply actions

6Ks through 4 for Huff

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 8:12 PM EDT reply actions

8Ks through 5 for Huff

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 8:37 PM EDT reply actions

I’m actually kind of excited from what I’ve heard about Hafner’s shoulder. This is the first time in a while that he’s been physically able to drive the ball deep, not to mention what that must have done for his focus at the plate knowing something was probably wrong. In his last interview he said his shoulder “felt dead all the time.” Hearing the words “Hafner” and “double” or “homerun” in the same sentence again is great news.

by Pronk33 on Aug 18, 2008 8:41 PM EDT reply actions

Hafner so far. Double off the top of the wall. Line drive out to the 2B. Line drive single to RFer. I like it.

by APV on Aug 18, 2008 8:43 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah that’s good news. We need him to be Pronk (or close to it) again next year.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Aug 18, 2008 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Just to clarify . . . I don’t think we’ll ever see Pronk circa 2004-06 again. That Pronk was one of the best 3 hitters in baseball (and unfortunately most baseball fans never realized that). But I’d like to see a Pronk somewhere between ’06 and ’07.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Aug 18, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I still think he can replicate what he was before. Baseball is an odd game. There is no rhyme or reason why he would bounce back. I just think he will.

by mjschaefer on Aug 19, 2008 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Hello Brad,

I’m hopeful that Pronk can be at least the 2004-2005 (around or over .300, 25-35 HRs, 100+ RBIs) version again; 2006 (his 40+ HR season) may be too much, but I think he needs to be better than 2007 (less than .300 BA, less than 25 HRs), and hopefully, can be again.

It’s encouraging to see him hit off LHPs – of course, hopefully, that’s what he’ll do up here, where the competition is considerably better than what he is facing down there.

Essentially, I hope Hafner can improve at least one of the two areas of average or power from 2007, if not both. If he’s not going to hit 30+ HRs, then I think we need him to hit .300 or better. If he hits 30+ HRs, then a .280 BA will work, though the “old” Pronk standard of .300+ hitting would be even better, but essentially, the BA and power numbers were too low in 2007 for Pronk to be valuable enough for the long-term contract we signed him to in my opinion.

Our offense would be greatly improved if we could get at least the 2004-2005 Pronk back; if we could get the 2006 Pronk back, our offense (provided we get consistent standard seasons from Sizemore, Peralta, Martinez, and others) could challenge for one of the best in the league (just imagine if we can match the starting pitching we’ve been getting for the past 2 seasons with that offense. Better yet if we could get the 2007 bullpen again – hopefully that will happen again in 2009! :-)

Just my 2 cents.

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Aug 21, 2008 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

oh my god

by Gradyforpresident on Aug 19, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Hafner finished 2 for 3 with a double. Barfield took a collar, but netted a sac-fly RBI. Crowe had an RBI double in 4 ABs, and Chris “doesn’t actually matter” Giminez went 2 for 3 with a walk.

Huff’s final line was 8K to 3BB, surrendering a run on 5 hits in 5.1 innings. Mastny continues to find AAA amusingly unchallenging, throwing a perfect inning with a K to drop his 2008 minor league line to 41K to 9BB, giving up 5 runs on 22 hits in 31.2 innings. I wouldn’t write him off yet.

In other news, de la Cruz and Mahalic both got rocked tonight. For Lake County, Joey got chased after 4.1 innings, having given up 8 runs (5 earned) with a pair of Ks and BBs. Kelvin fared even worse, lasting only 2.2 innings. Potomac touched him for 7 runs, all earned, on 8 hits (including one long ball). Off KDLC, the P-Nats drew 5 walks to 3 strikeouts.

On the other side of the plate for the K-Tribe, Mills and Santana. Complete sentence.

by fleerdon on Aug 19, 2008 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

With two singles in 4 AB, Santana’s Kinston OPS dropped to 1.047. Slacker.

by FredOx on Aug 19, 2008 8:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Slow day at work — waiting for the movers to move the contents of my cubicle.

Given the right set of circumstances (admittedly strange), a 2-4 night with two singles can still increase an OPS greater than one. Basically the marginal benefit to the sub-.500 rate stat can outweigh the marginal loss in the above-.500 rate stat.

Try it with a batter who has done only the following in 300 PAs:
130 BB
46 singles
54 Ks
70 Sac flies

Like I said — strange circumstances, but a 1.0467 OPS becomes 1.0471. (.5867 OBP goes to .5855, .4600 SLG becomes .4615)

by CBusSteve on Aug 19, 2008 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions