OT-Cruz on the move..

[ONGB]

To CF "because of his ankle"
Maybe,but all the errors didn't help.

Now if we can just stop the base running blunders like running into outs in front of him.



Let's see if CF helps him get his head on straight on the fielding and baserunning issues.

 

[303vND]

It's a good move - he had no real career at shortstop. He has enough speed to cover ground and we know about his arm.

 

[ONGB]

It's a good move - he had no real career at shortstop. He has enough speed to cover ground and we know about his arm.

I'm excited to see how it plays out.
That kid we got from the RS has been killing it since we got him.
I know he's a second baseman so with him and Gonzales and who ever else maybe we can find one of those shortstops that can eventually pop 30 or so

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I assumed they would want to break him in at right field. I guess they figured if he's going to run into people anyway while chasing fly balls they might as well just give him the position with the authority to call everyone else off.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

he's a nightmare on defense, wasnt getting any better. this move is 4 years too late though..


the reason i do like this move though is that there is about a 20% this move ends up genius, and an 80% chance it fails. might reek of desperation but at least there is a high reward scenario here.

at worst, if this doesnt work, you can DH him..

 

[Islanderpanther]

This ought to be amusing.

 

[Parkview57]

The announcer says in Cruz's first at bat..."And Cruz is caught looking." Really, they need to coin a new phrase for these Pirates in the rare occasion ....."Cruz is caught swinging".

 

[Fk_Pitt]

To CF "because of his ankle"
Maybe,but all the errors didn't help.

Now if we can just stop the base running blunders like running into outs in front of him.



Let's see if CF helps him get his head on straight on the fielding and baserunning issues.

What’s up T?

Cruz in center field? What can go wrong?

There was a caller to the radio today who hoped the move to center field will cure him of his base running blunders. Yep. Lol.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

can it be any worse then shortstop?

 

[sonofabit]

The sham that is Telez throwing lollypops to save the bullpen is a fireable offense. Maybe let Cruz mop up with his cannon?

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

The sham that is Telez throwing lollypops to save the bullpen is a fireable offense. Maybe let Cruz mop up with his cannon?

Always hate that. Happens more and more too. Fans cheer it on too and it’s an embarrassment.

Position player pitching an inning cause the game is out if hand. Batters should never let up, pad your stats. .

Cardinals did it late 80s and Andy van slyke was asked about it. Position player coming in as a joke and throwing lollipops. Loved his answer. He said if my kid ever plays ball and does that, I’d meet him in the locker room after the game and break his arm.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Really, they need to coin a new phrase for these Pirates in the rare occasion ....."Cruz is caught swinging".

Yeah, he's only got something like a .950 OPS since the end of June. Clearly he hardly ever swings.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Yeah, he's only got something like a .950 OPS since the end of June. Clearly he hardly ever swings.

my man excels when the game is out of reach. we are down 6, no one on base, get the gloves in the outfield ready, he's going to put one in the stands..

game is still in doubt, someone is on base, go ahead and go get a beer and a hot dog, you arent missing anything..

 

[pittbb80]

This is probably the right move but why now? Are they really going to let him play a game in CF tbis year?

As an aside this is the most fundamentally unsound baseball team in all of professional baseball. In addition to moving Cruz to CF they need to move Shelton and his clown crew out of the dugout. Cruz isn’t going ti improve until they get a real coaching staff

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

i question if cruz has the attitude or the mental maturity to learn a new position at this stage in his career. he already is on record of being dissapointed by this move..

This is a move you make in single A ball, not 5 years later. i guess better late than never but still really shows how bad this organization really is..

 

[Parkview57]

he's only got something like a .950 OPS since the end of June. Clearly he hardly ever swings

Really, they need to coin a new phrase for these Pirates in the rare occasion .....

Clearly, the message was directed at the Pirates....just using the first inning whiff as an example....7 weeks at 950...wow, has it ever been done before....

 

[pittdan77]

Bold move in the middle of a playoff race.

By the way, how many games up are they for a WC slot?

 

[OH Pete]

The sham that is Telez throwing lollypops to save the bullpen is a fireable offense. Maybe let Cruz mop up with his cannon?

I'm 99% certain he would pitch it into the stands and tear his UCL in the process.

 

[303vND]

The announcer says in Cruz's first at bat..."And Cruz is caught looking." Really, they need to coin a new phrase for these Pirates in the rare occasion ....."Cruz is caught swinging".

They take more good pitches and swing at stuff two feet off the plate.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

The sham that is Telez throwing lollypops to save the bullpen is a fireable offense. Maybe let Cruz mop up with his cannon?

I actually don't mind when teams do this. It gives the fans something interesting to see in a game that's completely out of hand. Basically clown show antics to match a clown show game.

If you could find a guy throwing in the 40s/50s consistently, I bet he wouldn't be the easiest to hit either. When I used to go to the cages, I would go into slow and make a complete fool of myself after having adjusted my timing to fast for ten rounds or so. It's actually very difficult, and you could see the dude who flew out to left last night almost thinking out loud as he struggled with which plane to meet the ball on.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

my man excels when the game is out of reach. we are down 6, no one on base, get the gloves in the outfield ready, he's going to put one in the stands..

game is still in doubt, someone is on base, go ahead and go get a beer and a hot dog, you arent missing anything..

In late, close game situations this season Cruz is hitting .291/.385/.491. Which makes him 38th in all of baseball this year in OPS in those situations. He is, in fact, hitting much better in late and close situations than he does in his non-late and close at bats.

Sometimes, what we know to be a fact actually isn't true.

See also, SMF.

 

[h2p_5150]

The sham that is Telez throwing lollypops to save the bullpen is a fireable offense. Maybe let Cruz mop up with his cannon?

Cruz is, in theory at least, an important part of the Pirates future. Tellez is a ham and egger who will wash around AAA for the next 5 or 6 years. If Cruz gets hurt pitching mop up duty every member of the coaching staff would deserve to get fired immediately. If Tellez gets hurt? Cost of doing business.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Cruz is, in theory at least, an important part of the Pirates future. Tellez is a ham and egger who will wash around AAA for the next 5 or 6 years. If Cruz gets hurt pitching mop up duty every member of the coaching staff would deserve to get fired immediately. If Tellez gets hurt? Cost of doing business.

Yeah, there's a reason why when teams have a position player pitch in a game it's almost always someone like Tellez Tubby and not someone they care about getting hurt.

 

[runshadyrun]

Bold move in the middle of a playoff race.

By the way, how many games up are they for a WC slot?

Playoff race. LOL. That dream went down in flames with a 10 game losing streak.

 

[ONGB]

What’s up T?

Cruz in center field? What can go wrong?

There was a caller to the radio today who hoped the move to center field will cure him of his base running blunders. Yep. Lol.

Hey-did another Bee Gees tune a bit ago and thought about you.
Yea-im not seeing how a new position on D is going to clear up brain cramps on the base paths.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Hey-did another Bee Gees tune a bit ago and thought about you.
Yea-im not seeing how a new position on D is going to clear up brain cramps on the base paths.

Yeah Bee Gees, Abba, Hansen, and Taylor Swift. All my speed 😅

Ummm bop…

 

[pittbb80]

This franchise is a joke. Keeping the idiot Shelton on is inexcusable.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Keeping the idiot Shelton on is inexcusable.

At this point I think that it's just a matter of waiting until the end of the season.

Or, at least I hope it's just a matter of waiting until the end of the season. They can't be dumb enough to bring him back next year, can they?

No, don't answer that.

 

[accindc]

i question if cruz has the attitude or the mental maturity to learn a new position at this stage in his career. he already is on record of being dissapointed by this move..

This is a move you make in single A ball, not 5 years later. i guess better late than never but still really shows how bad this organization really is..

Yes we can see what a disaster it was when Brewers moved Robin Yount from SS to CF at age 30. This move makes total sense no matter when done. Now we see how it plays out. But this is the right move for Cruz to the outfield.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Yes we can see what a disaster it was when Brewers moved Robin Yount from SS to CF at age 30. This move makes total sense no matter when done. Now we see how it plays out. But this is the right move for Cruz to the outfield.

i dont necessarily disagree with you. he's not a SS, we all knew this for years. We have some depth at middle infield, we have no Center fielder (or right fielder) so why the heck not.. just wish it was done a few years ago but too late to worry about that.

 

[accindc]

i dont necessarily disagree with you. he's not a SS, we all knew this for years. We have some depth at middle infield, we have no Center fielder (or right fielder) so why the heck not.. just wish it was done a few years ago but too late to worry about that.

Agree. They gave him his chance. He is a below average fielding SS. Time to find a new position for that bat and cant worry about the sunk cost of not doing this move earlier.

 

[pittdan77]

Yes we can see what a disaster it was when Brewers moved Robin Yount from SS to CF at age 30. This move makes total sense no matter when done. Now we see how it plays out. But this is the right move for Cruz to the outfield.

Yount moved to the OF because of a shoulder injury. He won his only golden glove and was an MVP at SS and his hitting was consistently good his whole career. Probably not a great comparison to a player who would need a can of spray paint to get a golden glove. Dude is a DH on his best day.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

If anyone hasn't noticed, Cruz's batting average is at .275 And OPS is around .800

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

If anyone hasn't noticed, Cruz's batting average is at .275 And OPS is around .800

After last night's game Cruz had overtaken Bryan Reynolds to lead the Pirates in OPS for the season. Reynolds had three hits including a home run today while Cruz only had a single and a double, so Reynolds edged back ahead, .809 to .804.

 

[pittbb80]

Cruz is the least of this teams problems.

Bednar is hot garbage.

For sure the Cubs position players are better overall but the Cubs are infinitely more disciplined. Aka Shelton is worse than hot garbage

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

He won his only golden glove and was an MVP at SS

He was also an MVP as a center fielder.

Oddly enough, those two wins were the only times he finished in the top ten of MVP voting.

 

[pittdan77]

He was also an MVP as a center fielder.

Oddly enough, those two wins were the only times he finished in the top ten of MVP voting.

The Brewers sucked for most of the time he was there. I don't know what it's like now because I don't pay as much attention to post season awards but the MVP usually went to a guy on a division winner. The fascinating part about him is that he threatened to quit baseball when he first came up because they wanted to move him to outfield. Dude was a great baseball player and probably could have played several positions. First ballot HOF'er. Cruz is none of those things.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Cruz is the least of this teams problems.

Bednar is hot garbage.

For sure the Cubs position players are better overall but the Cubs are infinitely more disciplined. Aka Shelton is worse than hot garbage

Well the silver lining in this latest collapse you have to believe Shelton is gone.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The Brewers sucked for most of the time he was there.

In fact when he won his second one, the Brewers finished 81-81 and in fourth place (out of seven).

 

[pittdan77]

In fact when he won his second one, the Brewers finished 81-81 and in fourth place (out of seven).

Yeah. Miss those old division setups where you actually had to be good to make the postseason.