maddash wrote:I think one of the main reasons people are complaining about Tony's lineup, is because Opening Day/Night is an event for you to showcase your "team" for the year. It's where teams get to roll out their best players for the fans to see. Starting the first game off with a platoon (while it may give you the best chance to win) sets a strange tone for the fans. Opening Day is hardly a throwaway game, but keep in mind that most fans view this game as the start of a whole new year for them. Rolling out Taguchi in left and Wilson in right, while benching fan favorites Duncan and Spiezio, makes most fans go "ugh".
It would be like Tony benching Yadi because Bennett hits Glavine better. Who cares if it's true, the fans want the '07 Cardinals playing on opening day, not some platoon or second squad team.
Taguchi is more of a "fan favorite" than Duncan. It's the talking heads on the radio and anti-Taguchi folks on the internet who seem to have a big beef with it.
And I have a hunch that they only have a beef with it because Taguchi had a bad day. If he makes both of those catches and drives in a run in a Cardinal victory, we wouldn't hear a thing about it.
maddash wrote:I think one of the main reasons people are complaining about Tony's lineup, is because Opening Day/Night is an event for you to showcase your "team" for the year. It's where teams get to roll out their best players for the fans to see. Starting the first game off with a platoon (while it may give you the best chance to win) sets a strange tone for the fans. Opening Day is hardly a throwaway game, but keep in mind that most fans view this game as the start of a whole new year for them. Rolling out Taguchi in left and Wilson in right, while benching fan favorites Duncan and Spiezio, makes most fans go "ugh".
It would be like Tony benching Yadi because Bennett hits Glavine better. Who cares if it's true, the fans want the '07 Cardinals playing on opening day, not some platoon or second squad team.
Taguchi is more of a "fan favorite" than Duncan. It's the talking heads on the radio and anti-Taguchi folks on the internet who seem to have a big beef with it.
And I have a hunch that they only have a beef with it because Taguchi had a bad day. If he makes both of those catches and drives in a run in a Cardinal victory, we wouldn't hear a thing about it.
--P--
The second the lineup was announced, many people were wondering why Duncan wasn't getting the start. Tags having a good day wouldn't have changed that.
And I'll give you that Tags is more of a "fan fav" than Dunc (by a small margin at this point), but ask them who is more of a "starter" and Duncan will be the answer. Duncan - in the minds of most fans - is a starter, Tags is a bench player. You want a team of starters on opening day, not bench players. Speaking strictly from a fan's perspective.
maddash wrote:
The second the lineup was announced, many people were wondering why Duncan wasn't getting the start. Tags having a good day wouldn't have changed that.
And I'll give you that Tags is more of a "fan fav" than Dunc (by a small margin at this point), but ask them who is more of a "starter" and Duncan will be the answer. Duncan - in the minds of most fans - is a starter, Tags is a bench player. You want a team of starters on opening day, not bench players. Speaking strictly from a fan's perspective.
I think it would have changed it. If the Cardinals win, the fans say, "Of course you start Taguchi. Duncan is terrible against lefties."
Duncan has always been in a platoon role. This wasn't Jim Edmonds that was sitting. Duncan didn't start half of the playoff games last year.
I think it's perfectly reasonable for fans to be upset that they didn't get to see Duncan start on opening day. I was, and that's not even with me factoring in any kinds of statistics on the matter. Duncan is a starter, he should have started opening day.
Was it ok for Tony to sit Matheny a few years ago for DeFelice on opening day? It's the same principal for me.
maddash wrote:I think it's perfectly reasonable for fans to be upset that they didn't get to see Duncan start on opening day. I was, and that's not even with me factoring in any kinds of statistics on the matter. Duncan is a starter, he should have started opening day.
Was it ok for Tony to sit Matheny a few years ago for DeFelice on opening day? It's the same principal for me.
I personally wanted to see Taguchi start because I know that Duncan would have been helpless against Glavine. But I wouldn't have been upset had Duncan started. I was upset that the Cardinals lost--I could really care less about who started the game.
I didn't really care that DeFelice started over Matheny though either. IIRC, DeFelice was Morris' catcher, and Morris was the opening day starter. So I didn't really care.
maddash wrote:I think it's perfectly reasonable for fans to be upset that they didn't get to see Duncan start on opening day. I was, and that's not even with me factoring in any kinds of statistics on the matter. Duncan is a starter, he should have started opening day.
Was it ok for Tony to sit Matheny a few years ago for DeFelice on opening day? It's the same principal for me.
I personally wanted to see Taguchi start because I know that Duncan would have been helpless against Glavine. But I wouldn't have been upset had Duncan started. I was upset that the Cardinals lost--I could really care less about who started the game.
I didn't really care that DeFelice started over Matheny though either. IIRC, DeFelice was Morris' catcher, and Morris was the opening day starter. So I didn't really care.
--P--
I agree that it's a minor point, and I could care less for a game in mid July... but this is Opening Day, it should be something special.
maddash wrote:
I agree that it's a minor point, and I could care less for a game in mid July... but this is Opening Day, it should be something special.
I agree--it should be special for special players. I want to see Edmonds, Rolen, Pujols, Carpenter in there. To see a normal platoon player platooned for? I don't think I'm out much by not seeing Duncan out there. But I will admit to being rather ambivalent towards Duncan in general.
maddash wrote:
I agree that it's a minor point, and I could care less for a game in mid July... but this is Opening Day, it should be something special.
I agree--it should be special for special players. I want to see Edmonds, Rolen, Pujols, Carpenter in there. To see a normal platoon player platooned for? I don't think I'm out much by not seeing Duncan out there. But I will admit to being rather ambivalent towards Duncan in general.
--P--
And you believe a gold glove catcher is a platoon player--strange Morris signed with Giants knowing Matheny was going to be his catcher.
maddash wrote:
I agree that it's a minor point, and I could care less for a game in mid July... but this is Opening Day, it should be something special.
I agree--it should be special for special players. I want to see Edmonds, Rolen, Pujols, Carpenter in there. To see a normal platoon player platooned for? I don't think I'm out much by not seeing Duncan out there. But I will admit to being rather ambivalent towards Duncan in general.
--P--
And you believe a gold glove catcher is a platoon player--strange Morris signed with Giants knowing Matheny was going to be his catcher.
Morris signed with the Giants because they offered him the most money.
