Tommy Manzella

[Froback]

Ok, so I am understanding that players go through hot streaks and all, but what is up with Manzella...

Since he was called up to the Hooks, he is almost batting .360!!  We all know he is really slick with the glove and all, but this hitting is like out of no where.  I think this more surprising than what Pence is doing at the Majors given what each has done in previous stops.

I am all for it, but color me surprised.

[jbm]

Yeah, it is a pleasant surprise.  Corpus has been great for both him and Towles.

His streak got me looking to see any signs in his past of a decent bat.  He was obviously more than a glove at Tulane, and last year, even with that poor average, he had a nice percentage of extra base hits.

I realize this is a hot streak, and I have no idea of his future.  Just trying to be optimistic that he might be more than all glove/no bat.

[VirtualBob]

Yeah, it is a pleasant surprise.  Corpus has been great for both him and Towles.

His streak got me looking to see any signs in his past of a decent bat.  He was obviously more than a glove at Tulane, and last year, even with that poor average, he had a nice percentage of extra base hits.

I realize this is a hot streak, and I have no idea of his future.  Just trying to be optimistic that he might be more than all glove/no bat.

Some hitters seem to step it up a notch against better pitching ... maybe because the pitchers don't know their weaknesses and are in some sense more predictable?  I dunno, but it happens often enough that I am not terribly surprised.

[kevwun]

I wish some of Manzella's and Towles' hot streaks would rub off on Josh Flores. 

[Duman]

I wish some of Manzella's and Towles' hot streaks would rub off on Josh Flores. 

Flores struggled similarly taking the step up to A ball last season.  To be the lead off hitter the Astros want him to be, he has to work on more walks, fewer K's.  He is a hard working kid who is likely to figure AA pitching out soon.

[VirtualBob]

NOTE:  Hijacked thread now has nothing to do with Manzella.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

(Lidge was starting until he got to AAA.)

True, but the change was due to injury risk, not a pre-determined strategy.  Lidge was unhittable as a starter for 5 games as a starter when he first showed up in Round Rock, then went on the DL for about the 43rd time in his career.  They switched him to relief to take the pressure off his arm, which seems (for the most part) to have worked.

[Duman]

NOTE:  Hijacked thread now has nothing to do with Manzella.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

True, but the change was due to injury risk, not a pre-determined strategy.  Lidge was unhittable as a starter for 5 games as a starter when he first showed up in Round Rock, then went on the DL for about the 43rd time in his career.  They switched him to relief to take the pressure off his arm, which seems (for the most part) to have worked.

Bob, give me some time to work here.  I split it right as you were posting.

[VirtualBob]

Bob, give me some time to work here.  I split it right as you were posting.

I'm saving my patience for more important venues.  (I would add a smiley of some sort, but I expect most will infer it.)

[juliogotay]

Two more hits Friday night for Manzella out of a total of five for the Hooks as they were shutout by Frisco.