Its great for a young player to get 600 ML at bats, play everyday. This speeds his personal development.

However, a team can be better served to use the whole roster and to ease a young player into the lineup gradually, based on results. In 2009, Rasmus began the season as the 4th OF, getting occasional starts. After injuries to Ankiel and Ludwick and the dysfunction of Duncan, Rasmus got more playing time and ended up as the regular in CF. He earned his way into the lineup via superior play.

In general, provide better performance than everyday players, if a team can be constructed so as to allow a few. Lugo/Schumaker for instance will be stronger offensively than Skip batting against lefties.

RC, I might be a sprout next to DD17 but I may have a year or two on you, so you might want to start agreeing with me more.

Yep, I’ve followed the Cardinals since well before you were born. Here’s a partial list of young players that TLR did not platoon. I’ve included players from his earlier years with the White Sox and the A’s.

Ron Kittle
Ozzie Guillen
Jose Canseco
Mark McGwire
Walt Weiss
Mike Bordick
Brent Gates
John Mabry
Joe McEwing
Fernando Tatis
JD Drew
Albert Pujols
Bo Hart
Yadier Molina
Skip Schumaker

Some of those guys worked themselves into platoon roles but they were in the lineup against just about everybody.

I love how we have gone to “we’ll soon see the announcement of several million going to Boston to wrap up the Lugo trade ” to “the arrangements ….will remain confidential.” Watching Westie run for cover is quite amusing.

I believe TLR is at his most comfortable when he is analyzing his numbers and trying to outfox the opposition by using a platoon. You read my comments on scout last year. I stated it wasn’t a positive for a young player to be platooned IMO. I stated that Colby would put up terrible numbers this year if he was platooned. Guess what? He was awful against LH pitching. Not because it was the big leagues but because he didn’t see them enough. Some people who have a history of not hitting either RH or LH pitching may need to be platooned but a young player who has fairly even rates of reaching base against both in his career should not IMO.

I stated many times about a square peg in a round hole and that not everybody fits into that style of play. TlR operates best when he is running right handed batters to face left handed pitching and vise versa. Thats his deal and he’s good at it but not everyone will have success in that system.

Bling, why would you expect TLR to change the way he has done business for all these years in his last year as manager? By trading Duncan last year Mo stopped some of the madness(you see I think he caught on and made some adjustments), by not resigning Izzy Mo stopped some of the madness. If Ankiel is resigned then Luddy will be platooned some more, Colby will be regardless if Rick is brought back or not but without Rick Luddy may very well be a full time guy. With that thought in mind, I don’t think we will see Rick back. Mo has caught on.

Very few rookies play every day in the majors for any team, especially a contending team.”

You have followed the cardinals for a long time right? Young players are always gonna be platooned on a TLR team. This will not change nor would anyone expect it to. But no matter what one thinks, it does not help in their development. It is only negative. There is not one positive gained by being platooned. Not one.

West Coast, this is right on but maybe only some of us could see it this way. I thought Luddy should have been in the game every day, not part of a 4 man rotation.

TLR doesn’t hate young players IMO, he prefers veteran guys who he has a book on and therefore can use his acquired data to platoon accordingly. Thats his game. Brendan will be treated the same next year as he was this year, no better, no worse.

BB – “My take on RC’s position is he thinks Colby does not have the makeup required to pull it off, and so would not want to see him take the chance of going down in flames. ”

Bling, your take would be incorrect. Makeup deficiencies are not the problem IMO. He doesn’t like not being able to play the game.

BB – “Rather he favors a safer approach, not taking that chance, which admittedly will not get him anywhere on a Tony team, but will avoid that possible disaster. ”

You are writing of Colby batting second verses further down in the order I presume? And you think I want for Colby to bat down in the order because I am worried about him failing? Mind reading or interpretation may not be your strong suit. I like Colby down in the order because he can play the game down there not wait on Albert to win the game like he does in the two hole. And the take a chance approach won’t win you over with Tony, trust me on that. The advice Colby got from former players was to play it safe. Aggressive mistakes would get you in serious trouble. The closer you are to Albert the less aggressive you can be. Hence his extreme dislike of the entire situation.

BB -”RC I think wants Colby to play it safe and wait it out. Tony will be happy to let him play it safe, and will help him avoid situations where he stands a good chance of failing.”

Colby has never struggled like he did this year verses lefty’s and if you read scout much you will know that I said TLR would turn Colby into a platoon player and he was this past year. If you don’t play verses LH pitching you will struggle mightily when you get at bats against them. I wish TLR would put him in the lineup and leave him in. If that were to happen you would see marked improvement but I don’t anticipate that will happen until TLR gives it up. Colby will fail this next year just like this year because he will be platooned the same way. Then in a few years people will say, well he’s finally figuring out LH pitching, which will be hogwash. Nope, he will not be getting platooned, that will be the difference.

BB – ” I guess that leaves us with a pretty darned good #7 hitter. He could use his speed to avoid getting doubled up by Yadi. What a waste IMO.”

See here’s how I see that bling. Colby on base in front of Yadi…………….what could Tony be thinking? here’s how I see it.

1. We probably need to get Colby to second base so a single by Yadi will score Colby, so we will LET HIM STEAL. TLR, always smart about the ins and outs of the game would be thinking this very same thing because TLR knows that the pitcher is up next so this is the best way to try to manufacture a run under these circumstances.
2. If Colby steals second, they are not going to walk Yadi so this is not a bad thing to steal a base in this situation.
3. Yadi leads the Earth in grounding into double plays so this is another reason to steal in front of him.

What a waste is to put a fast guy in front of Albert when he is going to do nothing but stand there. And if I’m not mistaken Albert ranks pretty high up on double play balls as well.

“Respect Tim, but Adam & Chris earned CY. Computer data best when aid to personal observation & analysis.”

Perhaps he is changing the acronym from STOUT to SCAT, with scouting first and stats second…

The 2009 team was designed to loose, to aid in the transition to a new mid market mentality, with a lower payroll and a higher revenue sharing potential. Surprises;

1) Chris Carpenter returns and is dominant. That was at best 1/5 in February.
2) Albert goes unconscious, and carries this team on his back, heading toward a triple crown.
3) Ryan Franklin raises above two over valued rookies to make the All Star team. (miracle)
4) Joel Pinero finds a sinker.
5) Cubs and the Brewers tunnel with little outside pressure.
6) And most importantly, B. Ob holds the crows nest against the nasty boys. Gulf oil pool monies are trapped in Swiss Chocolate, as Sachs Gman is under serious scrutiny. Homeland security protocols are a nuisance. Cash flow becomes a huge issue to certain local industries.

All these variables lead us to posture where the promise of fluid capital, based on happy fans, out weighs long range goals. They are compelled now to play fast and loose. Holiday was always a means to an end. Getting him by cashing in Eggs and receiving cash from a desperate Oakland franchise was smart, even if only for a half a year. The Boston move and arrangements are still and will remain confidential. All moves brought cash in. Not out. If you can read this, enjoy. If it seems funny, let it stay silly.

What in the world are you talking about here, BB? It sounds to me like you’ve been conversing with WCBW too much and are writing in riddles.

I would guess that Colby will sit against some tough lefties and play against some of the more finesse types unless he progresses as he seemed to in the NLDS with some good swings against both Wolf and Kershaw.

Very few rookies play every day in the majors for any team, especially a contending team.

I would disagree some with this BB. Tony sat Ludwick down because he didn’t want any player to to push Chris Duncan to his ultimate end. As much as the Cards needed Ludwick to step up in 2008, when he finally did, Tony sat him. I can still remember Duncan lording over left field in LA, going o’fer and Ludwick had just tore SD righties to pieces. Ludwick took 4/5 weeks to regain his momentum. Same with Colby. If he could have found a way to sit him, he would have. Cardinals made there best moves when either Duncan or Ankiel were hurt. Mo left him 4 outfielders in 09 so Colby was sure to get some playing time. That may well have been a case when Tony used numbers to justify his real purpose. My greatest satisfaction was watching Tony run out a consistent lineup because he had no reasonable options in August of 09. The biggest + going into 2010 is that Duncan and Ankiel are gone. There playing privileges were always at odds with reason………….. With the talent available, how could we not have a great team this year, even at budget prices.

DD, I don’t think TLR hates kids, I think he loves them too much. A lot of people do think he he hates them. He doesn’t want them to take risks and probably get hurt (not pysically), but if one of them has the stones to blow him off and go for it, and happens to pull it off and succeed, he’s a proud papa. I look at Brendan’s season like that. I’m thinking that he will be handled more like the studs than like the kids next year. RC and I danced around that sort of issue for several days regarding Colby. I hoped he would try it too, and emerge a stud or go down in flames, because we need a stud. My take on RC’s position is he thinks Colby does not have the makeup required to pull it off, and so would not want to see him take the chance of going down in flames. Rather he favors a safer approach, not taking that chance, which admittedly will not get him anywhere on a Tony team, but will avoid that possible disaster. RC I think wants Colby to play it safe and wait it out. Tony will be happy to let him play it safe, and will help him avoid situations where he stands a good chance of failing. I guess that leaves us with a pretty darned good #7 hitter. He could use his speed to avoid getting doubled up by Yadi. What a waste IMO.

Forty years ago, when most major league teams were playing the little ball that I see espoused as the way to play the game, Earl Weaver was winning pennants with pitching, defense, platoons and three run homers.

He probably got a lot of criticism from not playing Don Baylor and Bobby Grich more their first couple of years but their careers turned out okay.

This whole TLR hates kids thing is so overblown I want to scream.

I am not sure I would necessarily agree with that and have a follow on question. Are you talking baseball games or just games?

Nothing about Bill James or Bernie or anyone else specifically, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to be an in-depth expert on everything, from college hoops to the NHL to the NFL to MLB to the 300 players in the minor league system of one particular organization. Following a general sports columnist is different than reading a team beat writer, who has a narrower focus, for example. It is all in what you are looking for, depth or breadth. They both have a place when you consider the multitudes their parent organizations are trying to reach.

Westy is right in pointing out that the fans also expect a success/reward relationship, and react negatively when there is a disconnect. Its that human nature thing again. All people, fans and players alike, because they are people, react negatively to it.

DD17 responded to the theory I was putting forward by pointing out that Luddy got pulled a lot after a success. I’ve looked into the numbers as best I could and IMO his point is supported. Not sure if there is an explaination consistant with the theory, or if the theory needs to evolve.

These guys (and Bernie is not the only one) make so much money now days from TV and radio they don’t take the time to do the research they should. It is a shame really. It’s joe 6-pack who follows the game but not that closely that suffers. He still gets most of his info from the newspaper and radio rather than internet. Unfortunately what he gets these days is poor.