Rob Thomas should stay on the bench

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Rob Thomas should stay on the bench
« on: January 12, 2009, 11:44:28 AM »
why? because he is great there. He comes in and plays his ass off for 15-20 mpg and we get 110% out of him.

Physically I think he will wear down with the more minutes he plays and the numbers and efficiency will drop off. It's the classic case of "4th Outfielder Syndrome" as I like to call it. Every baseball team has that 4th OF who comes off the bench or plays a few days makes a ton of hustle plays and is hitting over .300 so everyone wants to start the guy. Those guys wind up starting and they get over 300abs and all of a sudden the great plays are less frequent and the batting average is around .250. It's ok to be a great roll player.

Perhaps next year with a full season under his belt, a stronger knee, a more toned physique he might be able to handle more of a load. Let him continue to be the great spark off the bench. If he is the guy in there at the end of the game I have no problem with that but don't start him.
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Re: Rob Thomas should stay on the bench
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2009, 11:51:59 AM »
why? because he is great there. He comes in and plays his ass off for 15-20 mpg and we get 110% out of him.

Physically I think he will wear down with the more minutes he plays and the numbers and efficiency will drop off. It's the classic case of "4th Outfielder Syndrome" as I like to call it. Every baseball team has that 4th OF who comes off the bench or plays a few days makes a ton of hustle plays and is hitting over .300 so everyone wants to start the guy. Those guys wind up starting and they get over 300abs and all of a sudden the great plays are less frequent and the batting average is around .250. It's ok to be a great roll player.

Perhaps next year with a full season under his belt, a stronger knee, a more toned physique he might be able to handle more of a load. Let him continue to be the great spark off the bench. If he is the guy in there at the end of the game I have no problem with that but don't start him.

Norm would never bench Burrell, Evans is one of our top 3 players along with Horne and Kennedy. You can't play Burrell, Evans and Thomas together, so I don't think Thomas starting has any chance of happening anyway! 

Re: Rob Thomas should stay on the bench
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2009, 04:29:09 PM »
As long as he is playing when it is crunch time , i can careless but he really looking like our top overall player :)
Attack basketball, pressure defense, 40 minutes of hell ... Early on it might be 30 minutes of hell, then 10 minutes of what the hell are you doing?"