Prosperdick said:

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tjack16 said:

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Some lineup changes that need to happen in game 3

- Diaz for Maldy
- Abreu down to 7 or 8 hole
- Diaz in the 5 hole behind Tucker

So essentially

Altuve
Bregman
Alvarez
Tucker
Diaz
Brantley
McCormick
Abreu
Pena

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I'd love this lineup and if I'm Dana that's what I press for and when Dusty complains, throw him a bone and swap Chas and Abreu so he can bat 7th and not 8th. But if I'm Dana I'm calling Dusty out and saying "we have final say on the lineup card and Diaz catches AND he bats 5th." If Abreu doesn't like it, start mashing and he can force his way back into that spot.

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I'm with you 100% on every bit of this. Unfortunately, I highly doubt any of this will come true.

gambochaman said:

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I hope yall realize that there will be zero changes to the lineup and that maldy will start behind the plate every game this post season, right?

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Sure do.

gambochaman said:

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I hope yall realize that there will be zero changes to the lineup and that maldy will start behind the plate every game this post season, right?

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Yes, everyone here realizes this. But no law against people pecking on a keyboard to point out what is obvious to anyone with a brain.

I can assure everyone that the structure is the same as it was last year.

There's a lot I don't know that goes on behind the scenes. I don't know why Maldonado plays. I was told all season that they want Diaz to get more at-bats, but getting more time behind the plate didn't seem to be as big of a talking point. Of course- not everything is shared to me.

tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Off topic: I hope Mrs Marvin enjoyed game 1

tjack16 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Off topic: I hope Mrs Marvin enjoyed game 1

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Haha, yes she did. Thanks so much!

Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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I think the second is more likely, whether begrudgingly so or otherwise. JV and Framber want to pitch to Butter Knife, I'm not sure how much more the FO wants to litigate that battle.

But given that Javier pitched to Vazquez in the WS and IIRC to Diaz at least once this year, I hope they have a different idea for game 3.

texasaggie2015 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Just because the results aren't what you guys are wanting and expecting doesn't mean I'm over here making up *****.. I was afraid this would happen but that's what I get for oversharing I suppose. Damn.

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I don't think Marvin meant it that way and I wouldn't get bothered by it. Like I just posted, I'm more inclined to think the latter. We all know you tell us only what you hear and what you can.

Mr President Elect said:

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I don't know why you guys want to risk starting Diaz at catcher. You all saw how bad our pitching looked when he came in last night. Can't take that risk in the playoffs.

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Is this sarcasm?

Farmer1906 said:

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Mr President Elect said:

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I don't know why you guys want to risk starting Diaz at catcher. You all saw how bad our pitching looked when he came in last night. Can't take that risk in the playoffs.

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Is this sarcasm?

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Clearly

Mr President Elect said:

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I don't know why you guys want to risk starting Diaz at catcher. You all saw how bad our pitching looked when he came in last night. Can't take that risk in the playoffs.

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Preach brotha'

Everybody plays on my team except Diaz

Mr President Elect said:

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I honestly don't know how to be more sarcastic than that.

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I thought I might have missed something at the game.

texasaggie2015 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Just because the results aren't what you guys are wanting and expecting doesn't mean I'm over here making up *****.. I was afraid this would happen but that's what I get for oversharing I suppose. Damn.

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You're good man. It doesn't seem like a false narrative at all to me.

Clearly the FO had a say in Chas starting in CF games 1-2. Like Beau said, the FO was almost certainly signed off on Maldy starting games 1-2 for JV and Framber.

Game 3 will be telling but even if Maldy starts for Javier, it doesn't mean the FO didn't have a say. This isn't the time of year for the FO to "let Dusty be Dusty". If Maldy starts g3, it's because the FO signed off on him giving us the best chance to win.

We can disagree with it as fans. Doesn't mean FO influencing lineup decisions in October is a false narrative tho.

Beau Holder said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Just because the results aren't what you guys are wanting and expecting doesn't mean I'm over here making up *****.. I was afraid this would happen but that's what I get for oversharing I suppose. Damn.

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I don't think Marvin meant it that way and I wouldn't get bothered by it. Like I just posted, I'm more inclined to think the latter. We all know you tell us only what you hear and what you can.

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Plus he's only had like 5 ABs in the last 2 weeks so he's probably rusty.

rosco511 said:

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cc10106 said:

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Javier and co. flipped the World Series script last year without Maldy catching.

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Do not have to explain this to me. Maldy is the worst catcher in the league by all statistical measures, so I want Diaz catching more than anything. However, just pointing out that I believe Dusty intentionally has tried to sabotage front office's ability to be able to get Diaz in the game at catcher by the way he limited Diaz opportunities to catch the key starters in the regular season. It is extreme gross mismanagement by Dusty.

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I wasn't explaining anything to you but just adding to your comment since you mentioned Vazquez who caught Javi's no-hitter. It was a small (or big depending who you ask) lineup change that paid huge dividends. If the narrative I'm hearing that we aren't going to lose because of Maldy is true, then I fail to see why starting Diaz instead and giving him valuable experience would be so risky to Dusty.

Boiling Denim said:

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Beau Holder said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Just because the results aren't what you guys are wanting and expecting doesn't mean I'm over here making up *****.. I was afraid this would happen but that's what I get for oversharing I suppose. Damn.

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I don't think Marvin meant it that way and I wouldn't get bothered by it. Like I just posted, I'm more inclined to think the latter. We all know you tell us only what you hear and what you can.

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Plus he's only had like 5 ABs in the last 2 weeks so he's probably rusty.

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Much like the age old Aggie coaching excuse of "we're young", Dusty has created this problem so he has the excuse to do what he wants to do anyway.

texasaggie2015 said:

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Marvin said:

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tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can put to bed the "front office takes over the lineup in playoffs" theory if Maldonado starts game 3

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Yeah, that was either a false narrative or Dana agrees with the lineup decisions. Either way, not good Bob!

(Not shooting the messenger here, just stating the only evident conclusion).

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Just because the results aren't what you guys are wanting and expecting doesn't mean I'm over here making up *****.. I was afraid this would happen but that's what I get for oversharing I suppose. Damn.

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Nobody said you were making anything up. I specifically said nothing was directed at you, so don't be offended!

And I agree with the Chas comment. Tjack referenced Maldy and I responded to just that comment.

The problem is, if Dana says do this, and Dusty says no, what can Dana do? Go stand in the dugout and block Dusty from taking the card to the home plate umpire? Fire him in the middle of a playoff series? Not even Steinbrenner ever pulled that.

If Dusty knows he's gone one way or the other, they have zero leverage on him, so he does what he wants to. Last year it might have worked because he probably knew if he played good soldier and we won the title, he'd get invited back. It's like expecting your students to study hard for a quiz on the last day of school when they already know they're making an F on their report card.