Ive been singing the Mather song along with several steadfast supporters for a long while, so now its put up or shut up time. 4-5 of my last posts were Mather oriented based on watching him play or agreeing that he deserved to be called up. I think this kid has grown up, fllled out that 6’4” frame and can play some ball.

IMHO, stats that suggest he’s only good for 1.875 wins or whatever over the course of the season are inadequate as a reason to keep any player down that was producing the way Mather was at the AAA level. If you produce on that level you should get a shot if theres a spot for you. He took the spot of a struggling platoon player and gives the team a + or at least a par on every skill.

That said, its not gonna do the team any good if there are few or no ABs and he goes into a Barton slide from lack of playing time. Dont wanna see Joey “bomb” that way.

Would like to see Schumacher traded to a team thats needs a solid #4 OF. That and a deal worked with the Indians so Barton can get some playing time in Memphis would ease the OF log jam.

Kennedy going with Schumacher, Duncan, Reyes and Franklin (Perez and/or Motte can have the eighth and 9th inning!!) to new digs where they can prosper and be forever happy would be the next nice present from Mo.

Miles can tag along to so Barden gets a shot! Between Barden and Mather you can backup all four IF positions and give Ryan more time at SS and 2nd…..now theres a six player package for a prospect that no team could pass up :O! Or is that ; D!

that Tony and Dunc have lost all say in personnel matters, of course. The Kelvin Jimenez promotion clearly illustrates they still have a large amount of say on who does and doesn’t get called up. I can’t see Mo saying “Oh boy! Finally a chance to get another look at Kelvin!!”. I’m sure Mo would rather have called up Worrell or Motte…...

Isn’t it possible that he is ok with this move, but that he was just voicing confidence for the players he had while they were here? I know it seems odd at first, but since Chris is obviously a favorite, he would never criticize him in the press. Especially since his daddy works for him.

In years past our AAA roster has been loaded with fringe prospects and career minor leaguers. I don’t lay it on LaRussa as much as poor drafting and farm management from well into the 90’s until 2004. There just wasn’t much to lean on.

I think the positives really started showing in the 2005 draft and has continued since. There are real options available now. The guys on the big club have some real threats to their playing time developing in the system.

I too like the aggressive promotions through the whole organization. I just happen to think that Luhnow and company have set the stage for this to happen, where it could not before. I do understand Mather was drafted in 2001, but I still think overall the point still has merit.

On a side note, I am really happy for Mather because it’s been a pretty long road for him. He’s a good example of how sticking by kids with tools can pay off sometimes. If you draft a raw high schooler, they may look awful for several years, but they have the time for the light to turn on…..If the organization is patient enough. Mather could be a good example for guys like Daryl Jones, Tommy Pham, Jon Edwards….Could also be a good example for the organization to keep in mind when kids struggle early on.

But Duncan is hardly a veteran. A TLR guy to be sure, but he’s no grizzled vet. He’s still a young guy that needs to get right in the head, and the crowd here has been particularly harsh on him, which has affected his hitting.

I wholeheartedly agree with the rest of your post, though. Great to see the organization be proactive and forward thinking, and Mozeliak is great at rewarding players performing well in Memphis.

His next two problems will be how to handle Barton, and if Rasmus doesn’t srart hitting, will he keep him there or send him down to Springfield?

over the first 20 games of the season, it was probably best for us that we kept him around after spring training…

abraham nunez is available if I’m not mistaken

At least in so far as it means Kennedy is gone. He’s been the worst 2B in the game since he signed with us. And really little hope of it getting better. His bat is slooooooow.

to put him back on the 40 man…if i’m not mistaken Rico Washington still currently occupies a spot on the 40 man and there are still guys that could be moved to the 60 day DL

Clement, Hawksworth, T. Johnson, Mulder, Rico, and Haerther would all seem like candidates to be taken off the 40 man by either letting them go or putting them on the 60 day

they are flub fans. so any thing positive for us, they see as a bad move.

but yeah, i too was pissed off reading what they had to say this afternoon.