Babying him at the MLB level is useless. Get him healthy - playing your best player 4 days every week gives you zero chance to build momentum.
Has everyone already forgotten how much the team struggled when they had to protect Chipper?
GDT 4/23/22: Braves vs Fish - Going for .500
- Thread starter Slippyjms
- Start date
Babying him at the MLB level is useless. Get him healthy - playing your best player 4 days every week gives you zero chance to build momentum.
Has everyone already forgotten how much the team struggled when they had to protect Chipper?
msstate7
Well-known member
As you've probably noticed, I'm not very patient, so this is a let down for me.
bravesfanMatt
Steve Harvey'd
I sort of have to side with state on this.. is there some protective bubble in Gwinnett? Why can't he be doing this with us? Is there someone on the active roster that is better than Acuna for 7 innings every other game? Is the dirt he is running on softer in AAA?? I don't get keeping him down to 'protect' him.
You mean you'd rather not give those PAs to inferior players, even if Acuna isn't ready to take 100% of those PAs?
You'd rather have a part time superstar than no superstar at all?
Nonsense!!
If the devil came to us and said "hey, would you like the reincarnated version of Wille Mays in CF every other game?", you would reply "no thanks dog, if he only plays every other game the team won't be able to get in any sort of rhythm...I'll just keep running Arcia out there instead".
You'd rather have a part time superstar than no superstar at all?
Nonsense!!
If the devil came to us and said "hey, would you like the reincarnated version of Wille Mays in CF every other game?", you would reply "no thanks dog, if he only plays every other game the team won't be able to get in any sort of rhythm...I'll just keep running Arcia out there instead".
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I wonder of all those people who thought defensive metrics were overrated when Heyward was the premier corner outfielder in MLB, and how they feel about defense and shifts now being important, and a big reason we won it all last year.
I don't think it's about any sort of "protective bubble" theory - simply that at least some of the decision-makers influencing the decision don't understand what Enscheff is pointing out.
If ever there would have been a time it would be OK to "rush" him, this would have been it - while teams are carrying two extra players and can hide him a little to some extent. Otherwise I don't know why slowly working him up to consecutive days playing 9 innings defensively needed to be in Gwinnett - UNLESS they feel like there's truthfully another gear he's not reaching for down there.
Being a numbers nerd or an old school fool isn't the distinction here - everybody that can share blame in the decision if he re-injures himself is looking for a way to cover their *ss.
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zbhargrove
Well-known member
What are you talking about man? They aren’t babying him and said he’d only be a DH at first when he came back up. He has had one day off and is taken out after 3-4 appearances. When he’s playing OF some and stealing bases… that’s not babying.
If it were up to me, Acuna would be chained to the bench and only unlocked when it's his turn to bat. When he got on base he would then be told to run station to station at 75% effort, and never allowed to slide.
But I admit I my be in favor of handling him a little too carefully.
But I admit I my be in favor of handling him a little too carefully.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
I agree if they were actually handling him carefully. But other than an occasional day off and taking him out of the game late, they aren’t.