forsberg_us wrote:

Gant v. Gonzalez

How does Gant go 0 for 30 and then hit a HR for his first major league hit?

Launch angle.

forsberg_us wrote:

My son, Bob, pointed out that the Cardinals are now 7-0 since he’s been in Memphis

Who knew the pivotal move for the Cardinals would be sending Bob to Memphis?!?
 

Last edited by artie_fufkin (8/15/2018 7:49 am)

forsberg_us wrote:

Watching last night's game got me wondering about whether the managerial switch might result in a completely different Kolten Wong.  Wong clearly was never comfortable playing for Matheny because he was always worried about his job.  Maybe Schildt is able to get Wong to relax and perform at a level where he actually becomes an asset.  Obviously, we saw some glimpses of that last season.  If Wong can hit somewhere in the .260-.280 range, hit 8-12 HR, steal 10-15 bases and play exceptional defense, he becomes an asset on this team.  

It's a very small sample size since Wong has spent some time on the DL, but since Schildt has been the manager, Wong is 16 for 48 (.333) with a .396 OBP and a .479 SLG.  He's currently 6th in MLB in WAR among 2B, and that's despite having played a lot less than most of the guys on the list.

Dan and Ricky talked about this last night, in between Dan's imitations of Hrabosky and McCarver. To me, Wong looks like a different player. There's no way he would have started last night's game if Matheny was still the manager, and he rewarded Shildt's confidence in him by getting on base four times and driving in three runs. 
Even before Matheny's removal, Wong was starting to become a more mature player. In his first couple of years, you could see his shoulders slump and his head drop after he made an error or had a bad at bat. But he seems to be flourishing under the new guy. 
 

Cecil activated and Webb sent down. And the team is worse for it.