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Thursday, July 8, 2021

Horse, dead, being beaten


Look at Locastro's OBP since he got here. In fact, look at all of the players' OBPs. We all know that the problem has been scoring runs and getting hits with men on base (we've already mastered the GIDP). But even Frazier has an OBP over .300. So does Gardner, which doesn't really help when you know he's practically a guaranteed out whenever there are men on base.

Granted, Loco's sample size is really, really, really small. But I can't help liking this acquisition. Hitters? We have them. Speed demons who can stretch an obvious single into a double? One. Loco. (It was interesting to find out during last night's game that he's the second fastest man in MLB.)

And he's from Syracuse. How can you not like him? He's a good fielder, too. I mean, if you have decent judgment and that kind of speed, how can you not be?

And he's 28. He's in his prime right now, and from the looks of it he could turn around his 2021 WAR of -0.6 with enough playing time. (Yes, I've become Mr. Glass Half Full.)

All we gave up for him was a possible Justus Sheffield we can knock around if he ever makes the majors. Works for me.

 

43 comments:

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Alphonso said...

One hit doth not a season make. Nor a trade to honor.

DickAllen said...

Praising LoCastro instead of burying him?

Insinuating that Cashman has made another genius acquisition?

It must still be snowing in Syracuse. That’s it - it’s got to be some form of cabin fever that has warped your mind.

DickAllen said...

Either that or you’ve been sitting on the shores of Onandaga Lake sipping it’s pristine waters through a paper straw

Platoni said...

How will the Yankees fail with a man on second and no outs? Stay tuned

Platoni said...

Ah, the good old Flyout-Strikeout-Groundout Trifecta

DickAllen said...


Booooone say: LoCastro is a player who gives us a very different looks at the bottom of the lineup.

Swing and a miss, strike three.

Yeah, different.

HoraceClarke66 said...

You know, watching our starting pitcher give up a long, two-out home run on his patented, 83-mph changeup to a .177 hitter—after surrendering another long home run to a .217 hitter—it strikes me that it is time we bid adieu to the plucky little experiment known as Jordan Montgomery, and cast elsewhere for a major-league pitcher.

I used to think ol' Monty, by dint of his guile and guts, could make a decent No. 4 or 5 starter.

I have to conclude now that, at age 28 and in his 4th year in the majors, no, he cannot. He is yet another punching bag, who will always chew up the pen as he struggles to pitch five innings.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Also, anyone else notice how Sancho is now slouching back toward Mendoza?

Not a great sign that, just now, he made his great big, that-one-is-outta-here! gesture...on a ball that barely got to mid-left-center.

Anonymous said...

Locastro is not a major league ballplayer. Why not look at the large sample size from Arizona THIS YEAR? He has no power, a lousy arm, throws like a girl, and he lunges at the ball when batting. Just awful. It's a travesty that he's in the outfield instead of Florial, who could certainly do no worse at the plate, is left-handed, and would superior in every other aspect of the game.

JM said...

Maybe everyone else is right about Locastro, but I think the next month or two will prove he was a good pick-up. So sue me. Gilbert is pitching a very good game so far. Aside from Stanton's double, nobody looks good against him.

Hopefully, Monty is done with the meatballs. Two bad pitches in five innings, I'll take that. I'm not giving up on him, either.

Anonymous said...

JM-- Surely you know that BA and OBP are scaled differently. A .300 BA is good; a .300 OBP sucks. You have no empirical basis for your infatuation with Locastro. But love is blind--blind enough that you apparently haven't notice that you're dealing with ELEVEN plate appearances as a Yankee.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Gilbert, a kid making his 10th major-league start with a 2-2 record and a 4.10 ERA, is pitching a one-hitter through six.

Forgive me if I have the feeling that this is yet another one your New York Yankees have decided to turn over to the U.S. Postal Service.

Yeah, day game after a night game, series already in the bag. Who needs to go all that hard?

They should be prime meat down in Houston.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Ah, the new baseball in a nutshell, from the Yanks' annoying new announcer, after Sancho's loud foul ball:

"He hasn't gotten a whole lot of hits lately, but the walks have been there, the recognition has been there, the quality swings."

You could pretty much put that on the Yankees' tombstone.

JM said...

In the two seasons he's played a decent number of games, Locastro has a pretty good OBP. Looking beyond the smaller sample size of this year's appearances.

I assume, though, that a guy who hits .300 but never walks must suck. Right.

Monty 9 Ks in 6. Not bad.

JM said...

Hoss, with Sanchez, we ain't paying him to walk with weak hitting. Because when he gets on base, you're stuck with one base at a time advances. And that's not particularly good.

Anonymous said...

“RHP Michael King placed on the 10-day injured list (right middle finger contusion) – It is yet unknown how King sustained the injury”

Middle finger … You don’t suppose he was making a small physical statement to a screeching Mets fan …

HoraceClarke66 said...

I know, JM—I don't want him walking, either, most of the time.

But what he's obviously doing now is regressing. The Yanks' announcers, Pollyanna I and Pollyanna II, will spin it as, 'Ah, he's just not getting the breaks!'

What he is doing is regressing to his mean—which gets meaner all the time.

BernBabyBern said...

Maybe Isiyku can contact Dr. Believe and have him cast a spell on us before the end of the game so that we can get an occasional hit.

HoraceClarke66 said...

The question with King is if he strained that middle finger replying to a Mets fan, or a Yankees fan. Or both?

HoraceClarke66 said...

Also, can I just say how the prospect of having to watch Giancarlo try to hit FOR ANOTHER SIX YEARS fills me with fear and loathing and the sickness unto death?

JM said...

But Hoss, he's such a great teammate.

JM said...

Monty, 6 2/3. Couple meatballs. Easy on the bullpen.

I'm not sure we have a chance against the Seattle pen, but at least Gilbert is gone.

JM said...

Oh fuck, Wilson.

Anonymous said...

JM - "I assume, though, that a guy who hits .300 but never walks must suck. Right." I have no idea what you're talking about. BA is a very limited stat. It doesn't tell that much about overall offensive performance, which is why it needs to be supplemented with SLG and OBP etc.

You state,"In the two seasons he's played a decent number of games, Locastro has a pretty good OBP." This is false. This season with 133 PA in Arizona, he had a .271 OBP, which is ABYSMAL. You're just making stuff up based on 11 PA with the Yankees cuz you have a man crush on the guy. That's your idea of baseball analysis. Thanks for sharing. Just brilliant.

Celerino Sanchez said...

Looks like Giles Gilbert is going to shut them out, unless they can get a few through the 5 hole!

HoraceClarke66 said...

My sentiments exactly, JM.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Huh. Does Wilson usually pitch relief? Because, you know, it seemed like he was surprised by the idea there was already a man on base.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Yeah, the ever-confident backing out on the first pitch over the plate move, from The Gleyber.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Didn't this guy used to be on the Mets? Didn't he used to suck?

HoraceClarke66 said...

This...cannot go on.

I have no idea if Socrates and Estevan and Trey are for real. But we cannot go on playing another month or whatever it will take Andujar to get over his hand injury and Clint to get over his brain injury with Locastro and Gardner in the lineup every day.

Cannot, cannot, cannot.

And who IS our backup outfielder just now? Rougned Lothbrok?

We have to give the Scranton guys a shot. Even if they do, ultimately suck—which I suspect is the case—they have a chance of doing well at least for a little while before major-league pitchers get to know them.

HoraceClarke66 said...

It's Justin garbage time, it's Justin garbage time...

HoraceClarke66 said...

So, what was that in the end, something like 3 hits and no runs over the last 16 innings in Seattle? Pathetic. But the important thing? The corporate jet will be leaving for Houston on time!

Anonymous said...

Why are the 2021 Yankees like A-ha, Dexy's Midnight Runners, and ? and The Mysterians?

Makes me wanna cry 96 tears.

Joe of AZ said...

A one hit shutout beautiful brought tears to my eyes.... Hopefully Yanks brass see this and triggers the firesale button

Carl J. Weitz said...

Why is it always the case when we play a team that starts a rookie or mediocre journeyman we make them appear like Sandy Koufax. Yet year after year when we start a rookie (Nelson, Garcia, King, Schmidt, Sheffield and countless others) they get smacked around? I'll answer my own question: It's a combination of Cashman draft incompetence and the organizational pressure that puts the fear of instant demotion should they not immediately pitch a gem.

By the way, perhaps we can hire Dr. Believe to curse and neutralize the Juju gods.

TheWinWarblist said...

Maybe Dr Believe can find a way to get the JuJu gods' boards waxed. It might improve their temperament.

HoraceClarke66 said...

That is something I have always wondered about myself, M. Weitz, and I think you are on to something.

Judging by their drafts and their preparation for other teams, either the Yankees have a terrible scouting staff or nobody listens to them. Or both!

Carl J. Weitz said...

Horace....I think it's both. He has his thumb on the scale in both aspects.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Dexy's had some members in General Public, so not quite the one-hit wonders of A-ha!

And Mr. ? had one of the early versions of "Can't get enough of you, Baby".

Now, "The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence?

NOW, we're talking Yankees baseball, pal!

BTR999 said...

Hate to burst yer bubble, but Florial can’t hit AAA pitching, let alone MLB pitching

Anonymous said...

I didn't say he would necessarily be a great hitter. But Locastro is a proven failure at the MLB level. He's not a great fielder--look at his overall defensive numbers--he has a terrible arm. Florial wouldn't hit any worse, is also a fast runner (if not quite as fast), and would be a better fielder. Overall, an upgrade. Locastro is scraping the bottom of the barrel, like Odor.

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