July 15, 2005
Protecting Sosa
Lee Mazzilli batted Sammy Sosa second last night in an attempt to get the failing slugger's bat going again.
Sammy Sosa batted second for the first time since May 23, 1993, with the Chicago Cubs. Mazzilli wanted better protection for Sosa, with Melvin Mora and Miguel Tejada batting behind him, and thought a change of scenery might do him good.
His average down to .225 before last night, Sosa went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly in the ninth that shattered his bat but produced his 28th RBI.
I always thought you sought protection for a hitter because the opposition was pitching around the guy. Sosa isn't exactly drawing a ton of walks. With a .222 BA and a .377 slugging percentage, he's no longer a feared hitter, and the protection did nothing to help him last night.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:20 AM
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What a joke. The O's don't deserve to win if the manager bats a guy with a .305 OBP second in the lineup.
The days of Sammy being an everyday force are over. His bat's too slow, his patience is non-existent, and pitchers no longer fear him.
Mazzill's goal should be to win at all costs, but instead he appears intent on "helping Sammy." Play Gibbons, Matos, Bigbie and Surhoff/Marrero. Sosa's done.
Sosa's done
Funny, heard the same thing about Giambi and Palmiero earlier this year. Still looks like he's got a hot month in him. (And this does move Gibbons up in the order.)
Right on Bird!! Jery Rabinowitz--3:00pm
