It's time to bench Barmes

by mkorpal on May 3, 2010 9:05 AM MDT

Look, I know he is a great guy, and I thank him for both his on field work as well as being our first player interview. But enough is enough. So, far this season, Barmes has looked completely lost at the plate, as was expected. As usual, the only thing he does is take the occasional belt high fastball out of the park. However, his bread and butter, his redeeming quality, defense, is also lost. Without it, he becomes the least valuable player on the team, and one of the least valuable players in the league. Quite simply, he has been a black hole.

So, I believe it is time to bench Barmes. Eric Young Jr., in limited time, has been pretty good. His speed at the tope of the lineup, along with Fowler and Gonzo, gives us one hell of a fast team. And his defense, while it will never be good, can't possibly be a downgrade at this point. Lets start EY from now on at least until Hawpe gets back. It is the right thing to do.

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

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I've long been a defender of barmie

but with EY’s call-up and his recent defensive miscues, I’d say split starts at the very least. See if a little positional competition helps Barmie shape up.

I don’t think Barmes’ career is over by any means, nor do I think the last of his talent has been washed away by his latest slump. But we gotta put him in a position to help himself, and get the best out of him when hes on the field.

May your summer be filled with Rockies wins and tacos.

by fantasyfencing on May 3, 2010 9:18 AM MDT reply actions

Sadly,

I agree with you mkorpal, It would be worthwhile for the Rockies to bench Barmes for at least a week if not longer till he gets his act together. That way it gives EY2 7 games to establish himself and see if he can cut it. I still think this is just the usual Barmes’ slump.

Anyway, change of subject looking at these stats from Yahoo! I think the Rockies will finsh the 2010 season with a 3.65 ERA +/- .25 and will finish in the upper third of batting average as a team. What do you guys think?

Making facetious trade rumors since 2012AD

by lizardlad01 on May 3, 2010 11:48 AM MDT up reply actions

I think Eric Young's poor defense has been overblown

not to say that he is as good as Barmes – he isn’t. He looks like he’ll have good range and the tendency for the occasional error.

Honestly, I want to see Barmes benched because I’m just intrigued by EYJ. He seems to have made adjustments with every promotion and has produced very similar batting lines throughout all levels. Aside from his speed he also is willing to take walks and seems to play with a lot of energy.

"These are thin mints. I put them in the freezer. My favorites. So good."
--Reds outfielder Adam Dunn, on the girl scout cookies he keeps in his locker

by Resolution on May 3, 2010 12:05 PM MDT reply actions

Also

I like our lineup with EY2. Cargo hits third, where he should hit, and Helton hits 5th.

by tulolgit2quit on May 3, 2010 12:27 PM MDT up reply actions

As a team

without some serious power (though Tulo and Stewart could both hit 30hrs this season and change that), it does make a lot of sense to leverage what power we do have.

"These are thin mints. I put them in the freezer. My favorites. So good."
--Reds outfielder Adam Dunn, on the girl scout cookies he keeps in his locker

by Resolution on May 3, 2010 12:40 PM MDT up reply actions

color me a Barmes fan who wants to see EY2 in there

No more EY in the OF, ever thanks…

The D I usually rail on has not been shown regularly, although he does make many tough plays look routine still.

We would take a step backward defensively and a step forward offensively, but having EY and fowler at the top is Awe-some….Any MLB team would love this.

That being said, I like putting him in the 2 hole and see if that jump starts him like it did last year. Baseball is such a mental sport sometimes things like that help greatly.

The Big Purple Machine will make a believer outta you!

by El Paso Jeff on May 3, 2010 2:36 PM MDT reply actions

Barmes is toooo...

streaky. We need to see what EY2 can do for this team. Plus I love the idea of our batting order like this:
1. E.Young- 2B# Bench: P.Phillips- C w/ Iannetta coming back soon.
2. D.Fowler- CF # J.Giambi- 1B*
3. T.Helton- 1B* C.Barmes- IF
4. T.Tulo- SS M.Mora- IF
5. C.Gonzo- LF* R.Spilbroughs- OF
6. I.Stewart- 3B*
7. M.Oliva- C
8. S.Smith- RF*
And when Hawpe gets back we can trade him for some starting or relieve pitching.
I love the top of the lineup, with all of that speed we could really steal some bases.

by Bron#1 Fan on May 3, 2010 3:21 PM MDT reply actions

Why would you trade Hawpe, since he was our

best hitter until he was injured? Why put Smith in RF? Wouldn’t CarGo or Spilly be a better RF?

Troy Tulowitzki - Best SS in the MLB - 2010 MVP
Brad Hawpe - Will prove the doubters wrong
Todd Helton - Time for his ring to come true
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by SDcat09 on May 3, 2010 4:03 PM MDT up reply actions

I agree with the EY2 comments

He has looked quite intriguing, and I agree he should be in the infield, not outfield. I would not trade Hawpe. He’s been one of our consistent hitters since 07, and has looked much improved the last two years. OF should be either Spilly or Smith in LF, Dex in CF, and CarGo in RF. EY2 at 2B.

by HylianHero on May 3, 2010 4:13 PM MDT reply actions

As noted above

Barmes is fine to have around in the 8-hole when everyone else is raking, but when his defense slips as badly as it has so far (in my view, anyway) he becomes a liability. His ideal spot is, basically, what Mora is doing for us right now: multi-position utility.

by Teekalong on May 3, 2010 4:28 PM MDT reply actions

Barmes

Aside from Ubaldo was the best player in tonights game.

by Broncaholic on May 3, 2010 11:20 PM MDT reply actions

1 good game in 26

That and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee.

Go Rockies! First and only member of the Manuel Corpas fanclub right here! :/
Everyone's favorite Buffalo Rumblings Anti-Tebow blowhard!
THIS IS BUFFALO NATION GODZILLA HAS AWAKEN - abayarde

by UZ on May 4, 2010 9:15 AM MDT up reply actions

Barmes cannot lay off breaking balls down and away

He actually looks bad against most pitches away, he swung and missed on consecutive fastballs away to strike out tonight. He is great with the inside fastball and i don’t understand why he ever sees any.

This guy starts me off with a breaking ball...
l'm taking him downtown.

by Tulo2low on May 4, 2010 2:41 AM MDT reply actions

had to come in to give props where props are deserved

Barmes was money last night and won the game for the Rox. (aside from that Ubaldo guy)

2 run double to start things, and 2 awesome plays and several tough plays made to seem routine.

fair and balanced, that’s me (ha) I also want to say personally I am removing my foot in my blog mouth about a comment made the first week of the season concerning one Miguel Olivo and his abilities. (specifically behind the plate) and to the academy and to him I apologize.

The Big Purple Machine will make a believer outta you!

by El Paso Jeff on May 4, 2010 8:13 AM MDT reply actions

If Barmes can keep up what he did last night, he can stick around. If he can’t get more than maybe 1 decent game a week than I’ll stay with the EYJ at 2nd club.

Go Rockies! First and only member of the Manuel Corpas fanclub right here! :/
Everyone's favorite Buffalo Rumblings Anti-Tebow blowhard!
THIS IS BUFFALO NATION GODZILLA HAS AWAKEN - abayarde

by UZ on May 4, 2010 9:16 AM MDT reply actions

Barmes has always been the bane of the Rockies

Ever since Barmes was called up to play second base in his first full season in ‘05, there has been a revolving door at the position, and this is mainly due to Barmes’ inability to swing the bat consistently. Look, Clint Barmes is 31 years old, is a career .250 and below hitter, and isn’t getting any younger. I thought the Rockies had had enough of him with the signing of Kaz Matsui, but we all know how that ended up. I still believe that was the dumbest moves made by the Rockies, not signing Matsui, and subsequently opening up the door for more rotations at second base. Look, Melvin Mora, and Eric Young Jr. are better fits for the second base hole in my mind, and Clint either needs to platoon at second or be traded, he is a detriment to this Rockies team. Last night is not going to happen on a consistent basis, his .200 batting average, .268 OBP, and .606 OPS should tell us that he can’t hit for average, doesn’t have a good eye, and is going to strike out as much or more than times he gets hits.

Suspend disbelief, open your eyes and see the world as new.

Xbox gamertag: DippedOChronic1

by OC3O on May 4, 2010 1:28 PM MDT reply actions

Barmes was the team's SS in 2005 and 2006.

He didn’t really take over 2B until 2008.

The fact is that yeah, his bat sucked, but he still a very good defender.

That said, not resigning Kaz wasn’t really that much of a mistake. The Stros paid him more than we were going to, and the team was more concerned with having a solid glove up the middle with Tulowitzki.

Since 2007, Kaz has posted the following WAR:
2008: 2.0 (about league average, not bad at all)
2009: 0.6 (far below league average, that’s pretty bad)
2010: so far, -0.4 WAR (that’s worse than a freebie AAA player)

Kaz pretty much cashed in what he had left in 2007, and got the contract out of the gamble. He was a stud fielder and right around a league-average bat. 2008, he was a stud bat, and an awful defender. 2009, he was a bad fielder and bad bat. He’s been a below average bat and a miserable fielder so far in 2010.

Barmes, by comparison:
2008: 2.0 WAR (very good fielding, about average bat)
2009: 1.5 WAR (Excellent fielding, well below average bat)
2010: -0.3 WAR (below-average fielding, miserable bat)

So Kaz adds up to 2.2 WAR. Barmes adds up to 3.2 WAR. Basically, we saved $11-12M by letting Kaz walk in FA, and got better production.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thrilled with Barmes by any stretch. But Kaz was not the option. Fun memories, but not really a great idea.

Mora isn’t really a 2B, but his bat has definitely perked up, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Frankly, I want to see a regular Helton-EYJ-Tulo-Stew infield with Mora spelling Stew and Barmes spelling EY when either is needed.

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by Andrew Martin on May 4, 2010 2:02 PM MDT up reply actions

I've got to see some better glove work from EYJ before I get on that bandwagon.

Your defense has got to be strong up the middle. I just don’t think EYJ gives us that at 2nd yet.

Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything. ~Toby Harrah, 1983

by pedalpusher on May 4, 2010 4:20 PM MDT up reply actions

I guess I just mean give him the shot in the form of an audition till Hawpe returns

he’s made some solid plays and botched a couple of plays as well.

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by Andrew Martin on May 4, 2010 5:43 PM MDT up reply actions

I think

Young’s range will be adequate enough. He just might have a case of “make stupid throws” syndrome. I’m not sure which one of those is easier to improve upon, though I’d guess the latter.

Maybe we’d have a better sense of his defense if he wasn’t started in the OF just as frequently.

I agree with Andrew though that with Barmes struggling and Hawpe on the DL, if we’re ever going to get a good audition time for him – as opposed to letting him get sporadic starts in September, this is definitely it.

"These are thin mints. I put them in the freezer. My favorites. So good."
--Reds outfielder Adam Dunn, on the girl scout cookies he keeps in his locker

by Resolution on May 4, 2010 5:46 PM MDT up reply actions

I should also add (without the intention of triggering a whole intangibles debate)

that from what little I’ve seen of him, he seems to play with a good amount of fire – high energy. I think that stuff is important when we’re talking about staying motivated and “into it” across 162 games.

"These are thin mints. I put them in the freezer. My favorites. So good."
--Reds outfielder Adam Dunn, on the girl scout cookies he keeps in his locker

by Resolution on May 4, 2010 6:24 PM MDT up reply actions

I’ll trade the occasional slower throw or error every 20 games for +.100 in all the hitting statistics.

Go Rockies! First and only member of the Manuel Corpas fanclub right here! :/
Everyone's favorite Buffalo Rumblings Anti-Tebow blowhard!
THIS IS BUFFALO NATION GODZILLA HAS AWAKEN - abayarde

by UZ on May 5, 2010 6:15 AM MDT up reply actions

I would too

but that would be a jump from below average to elite, and you’re not going to find that, and not with EY

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on May 6, 2010 7:03 AM MDT up reply actions

I don’t even need elite, just above average at hitting and average at fielding (which I think EYJ gets us) is better than Barmes’ above average fielding and torrid hitting.

Go Rockies! First and only member of the Manuel Corpas fanclub right here! :/
Everyone's favorite Buffalo Rumblings Anti-Tebow blowhard!
THIS IS BUFFALO NATION GODZILLA HAS AWAKEN - abayarde

by UZ on May 6, 2010 10:39 AM MDT up reply actions

i was just snarkily pointing out that adding a full 100 points on top of Barmes' rate stats would yield an elite player

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on May 6, 2010 8:49 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions

mkorpal, please post this every time barmes goes through a slump, he has been our offense since this posted

Half of this game is 90% mental.

by christianrockie on May 6, 2010 6:10 AM MDT reply actions

here, here

Mkorpal for motivator of the year!!

The Big Purple Machine will make a believer outta you!

by El Paso Jeff on May 6, 2010 8:49 AM MDT up reply actions

EYJ is not ready

We saw it last night, runner on third no one out and EYJ hit a shallow fly ball. He doesn’t give us productive outs. We already have Dexter Fowler doing the same thing. This is the best team we have ever had and we can’t handle having two major cogs learning in the majors. Barmey gives us good D and some pop out of the eigth hole. And I am comfy with that.

by Bobbagwell on May 6, 2010 11:00 AM MDT reply actions

lots of guys didn't come through with RISP last night

don’t just paint EYJ with that brush.

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by Andrew Martin on May 6, 2010 12:23 PM MDT up reply actions

I’d much rather have had Barmes swinging at 3 low and away balls than EYJ hitting a fly ball!

Seriously?

Go Rockies! First and only member of the Manuel Corpas fanclub right here! :/
Everyone's favorite Buffalo Rumblings Anti-Tebow blowhard!
THIS IS BUFFALO NATION GODZILLA HAS AWAKEN - abayarde

by UZ on May 6, 2010 4:41 PM MDT up reply actions