Hurdle's decision to replace Jaso with Bell at 1st base...

[SteadyFreddy]

I commented on this decision last night during and after the game and thought it was a stupid decision and I feel even more so about it this morning. First off, Jaso is simply not good enough defensively at 1st base I feel to take Bell out of the game especially in a scoreless game where you need offense, and Bell is a switch hitter and much better hitter then Jaso as well. This brings me to my next point that Hurdle ended up taking Jaso out of the game anyway an inning or so later and ended up pinch hitting Gosselin for him seeing that the Sox brought in a lefty when Jaso was due up and Jaso cant hit lefties to save his life.



So this leads me to my next point why take Bell out of the game when he is a switch hitter and a much better hitter then Jaso as well when you have no intention of leaving Jaso in there to face a righty or lefty. Plus, Gosselin who got inserted into the game barely had any experience playing 1st base in his career and he clearly showed that last night with his horrific throw on that pickoff attempt on Bradley where a good throw would have had him out and probably changed the entire complexion of that inning. If Gosselin is supposed to be the Pirates super-sub player this season like Sean Rodriguez what he did last night was very alarming. I don't want him going anywhere near first base if he is going to make plays like that that are critical late in the game. Things like this might get overlooked but little moves like this by Hurdle when this team is limited offensively and need to do everything right to win a close game like last night against a good team costs the Pirates games.



It's not Clint's fault that Marte,Cutch,and Polanco went a combined 1 for 15 at the plate, but Hurdle cant be taking a guy like Bell out of the game for Jaso when this team needs offense and Bell's bat is much better in a scoreless game where one big hit can win you the game. Jaso is not a defensive sub kind of player he isn't good enough. So by Hurdle putting him in for Bell it weakened the lineup and made the Pirates chances of winning that game decrease in a big way.



I just hope we don't see Hurdle doing this with Bell and Jaso to start this season. Bell is your first baseman period and they need to leave him in there and see what he can do especially since his bat is pretty solid. This isn't last season or the past few season where you had a guy like SRod available to use for defensive reasons late in a close game for a guy like Jaso who started last season or for Pedro the year before. Jaso is not that kind of player. Hopefully Hurdle learned from this last night because that decision didn't completely lose them the game but it had a lot to do with it and didn't help the Pirates chances one bit.

[Quail]

I agree Freddie.



I (unhappily) predicted before the season that we'd see Bell taken out late in games for "defense". As you rightfully point out Jaso is no Sean Rodriguez defensively. I would also add that Bell is not Pedro, but unfortunately Hurdle's mindset appears to be dogmatically resistant to the differences of the players involved and feels compelled to make this kind of move.

[PMike]

I pretty much agree with everything you said Freddie.



I will say that initially, I didn't have that huge of a deal with taking Bell out for Jaso. I understand it. It was for defensive reasons in a tight game late. I don't like it, but it is Hurdle's pattern. However, when he then took the defensive sub out for someone else who doesn't play first base...that put me over the edge. Then, Hurdle got exactly what he deserved.



Also, I am already sick of Bastardo. When the TV coverage came back and he was pitching, I had a gut feeling the game was over.

[Bobster21]

I agree with Freddy. Last year, Jaso was being removed for defense late in games. Bell had done nothing wrong and if Jaso is the best you can do for defense, then why even bother? Jaso's only value now is to be a LH pinch hitter. But by sticking him at 1B for "defense" it gave the other mgr the chance to make sure he could bring in a LH pitcher to negate Jaso. So then Jaso had to be removed without batting. All it did was erase one starter and one bench player and needlessly require a second bench player in an extra inning game. Great managing, Clint. Get a clue.

[SteadyFreddy]

The bottom line is as I mentioned before these are things that Hurdle simply cannot do. This team is limited offensively and Hurdle cant weaken the lineup by doing stuff like this more times then not. I don't like that they ask Hurdle about it after the game and he blows it off like it was the right decision and that you are an idiot for thinking otherwise. I don't like seeing things like this from Clint two games into the season it just makes me think that not much is going to change with him this year.

[SteadyFreddy]

5E4367656B0E0 wrote: I pretty much agree with everything you said Freddie.



I will say that initially, I didn't have that huge of a deal with taking Bell out for Jaso.  I understand it.  It was for defensive reasons in a tight game late.  I don't like it, but it is Hurdle's pattern.  However, when he then took the defensive sub out for someone else who doesn't play first base...that put me over the edge.  Then, Hurdle got exactly what he deserved.



Also, I am already sick of Bastardo.  When the TV coverage came back and he was pitching, I had a gut feeling the game was over. Yea I felt the same way too with Bastardo. I was hoping Nicasio was going to pitch a few innings and the Pirates somehow would scratch out 1 run and maybe win the game. Wishful thinking on my part I guess.

[Bobster21]

75524347425F60544342425F260 wrote: The bottom line is as I mentioned before these are things that Hurdle simply cannot do. This team is limited offensively and Hurdle cant weaken the lineup by doing stuff like this more times then not. I don't like that they ask Hurdle about it after the game and he blows it off like it was the right decision and that you are an idiot for thinking otherwise. I don't like seeing things like this from Clint two games into the season it just makes me think that not much is going to change with him this year.
Clint is Clint. He's not going to turn into a better manager just because they need one. He's never displayed imagination or creativity as a manager. The team's use of analytics, shifting, etc is team policy, not his idea. He manages by rote, as do most MLB managers: pitch counts, bullpen roles, matchups, etc. Relievers should rarely exceed 1 inning. Cutch bats 3rd regardless because of the name on the back of his uniform. Bell is replaced at 1B by by Jaso (who was replaced for defense last season) because the book says you have to make a defensive move. When the players are hitting and pitching and everything comes together, Hurdle gets credit for "motivating." (Apparently, he didn't motivate last season.) But he rarely makes a managerial move during a game that seems particularly shrewd. I still think he's no better or worse than most MLB managers, which is a sad commentary on them. On teams with a lot of talent, that's good enough. The Pirates are trying to be a consistently competitive team on a non-competitive MLB budget. In order for that to work, it helps to have an outstanding manager who can make decisions that will give his team as much of an advantage as possible. But that's not Hurdle. He'll just keep reading from the same manager's handbook most of his competitors use. If it doesn't work for his team... oh well, what else could he do?

[SteadyFreddy]

557875646372652526170 wrote: The bottom line is as I mentioned before these are things that Hurdle simply cannot do. This team is limited offensively and Hurdle cant weaken the lineup by doing stuff like this more times then not. I don't like that they ask Hurdle about it after the game and he blows it off like it was the right decision and that you are an idiot for thinking otherwise. I don't like seeing things like this from Clint two games into the season it just makes me think that not much is going to change with him this year.
Clint is Clint. He's not going to turn into a better manager just because they need one. He's never displayed imagination or creativity as a manager. The team's use of analytics, shifting, etc is team policy, not his idea. He manages by rote, as do most MLB managers: pitch counts, bullpen roles, matchups, etc. Relievers should rarely exceed 1 inning. Cutch bats 3rd regardless because of the name on the back of his uniform. Bell is replaced at 1B by by Jaso (who was replaced for defense last season) because the book says you have to make a defensive move. When the players are hitting and pitching and everything comes together, Hurdle gets credit for "motivating." (Apparently, he didn't motivate last season.) But he rarely makes a managerial move during a game that seems particularly shrewd. I still think he's no better or worse than most MLB managers, which is a sad commentary on them. On teams with a lot of talent, that's good enough. The Pirates are trying to be a consistently competitive team on a non-competitive MLB budget. In order for that to work, it helps to have an outstanding manager who can make decisions that will give his team as much of an advantage as possible. But that's not Hurdle. He'll just keep reading from the same manager's handbook most of his competitors use. If it doesn't work for his team... oh well, what else could he do?    Well I know Hurdle is most likely not going to change much but he has to know and so does Huntington for that matter that taking Bell out of a game and replacing him with Jaso for defensive reasons does not put the Pirates in a better position to win a close game. Managerial books and strategies and everything esle aside if the average fans like you and I can see that then why cant Clint Hurdle who is supposed to have the pulse of his team in his hands see it.

[SammyKhalifa]

Maybe because the average fan doesn't know as much as he/she thinks he does? 



Just throwing it out there as an idea, mind you.



EDIT. Forgot the , sounded a little mean there

[Ecbucs]

I think it is dumb to take anybody out for defensive reasons when the score is tied or you are behind.



it took a switch hitter with power out of the lineup.