Okay…I just saw the line-up for Sunday’s game and I have a couple gripes to get off my chest:
1. Why is Rickie Weeks’ batting 7th, behind J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart? Weeks’ OBP for the past 30 days, .393, is 4th best among regulars and ahead of Hardy’s .361 and Hart’s .248? Lead off hitter Mike Cameron only has a .307 OBP for the past 30 days, as well.
2. I like Seth McClung, and am glad to see him get a chance to start…but he was lights out as a reliever for the 10th and 11th innings in Chicago, and would seem to be better suited as a closer.
3. Manager Dale Sveum continues to prefer veterans (like Craig Counsell and Ray Durham), as well as newcomers (Mike Lamb and Todd Coffey) to established players…it is almost as if he is exercising change for the sake of change to appease the front office, instead of giving guys that have played throughout the year, e.g. Bill Hall, a chance. Counsell, a lefty, has been doing well, and Weeks is playing again thanks to the Durham injury…but why is Hart given a free pass, then, for his bad play of late? Hart represents a great glove in the outfield…but he should be batting 8th right now until he’s out of his slump (6-for-31, .194, with 8 K’s over the past 7 days).
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