LOL Now it’s his weight. And Chas “ain’t one of the big boys”. Chas: I know his agenda. He does a good job sporadically of putting out the best lineup. He does what he wants. Dusty Baker’s leaving Chas McCormick on bench frustrates some in Astros organization ARLINGTON, Texas — On Sunday afternoon, before his team struck seven singles, scored one run and suffered a sweep-clinching loss against the New York Yankees, Dusty Baker detailed the “tough situation” he encounters every day. His team is whole again, but center field is still unsettled, forcing him to choose from among three players for what sparse playing time remains. “It’s easy if you got a Julio Rodríguez, you just put him out in center field,” Baker told reporters. Baker does not boast anyone with Rodríguez’s generational talent, but does have someone authoring a similar offensive season. Chas McCormick entered Wednesday with an OPS 50 points higher than Seattle’s superstar center fielder, though in 38 fewer games. McCormick has a higher batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and defensive metrics even put the two in the same general range. Yet nothing about McCormick’s playing time this season suggests any of that. Six Astros have taken more plate appearances than him. Seven have appeared in more games. His sporadic playing time is a constant source of frustration for some within the organization, who spoke on background because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Curiosity remains as to why McCormick doesn’t play more, with few answers to be found and the issue seemingly one that goes beyond just matchups and defensive alignments. This week, four people with knowledge of the team’s inner workings said that McCormick’s weight has become a talking point for Baker. On Wednesday, before starting another game on the bench, McCormick said he has not spoken to Baker about his playing time this season. Asked to characterize his relationship with Baker, McCormick replied, “Right now, we’re OK. It’s really all about winning each game here on out (with) no distractions. We’re good.” Asked on Wednesday whether McCormick’s weight is a concern for him, Baker replied, “No, why (would) you even ask that?” “That’s something that you’re always aware of, you know what I mean,” Baker continued. “As long as it doesn’t affect your performance, then it’s not really that much of a concern.” Baseball-Reference lists McCormick at 6-foot, 208 lbs. He acknowledged on Wednesday he is playing heavier this season, but by design. McCormick said Baker has not confronted him directly about his playing weight, nor has any member of the team’s staff. “I feel stronger. I like being this heavy,” McCormick said. “I guess if I was a little lighter it’d be easier, but easier to move a little better. I feel stronger. I feel healthier. I feel I can do more being at 220 (lbs). Usually I’m at 216. When I’m 210, I’m too light. I was 214 last year, I think, and I felt too light again. I kind of like being where I’m at right now, at 220.” McCormick said most of his weight gain arrived after his stint on the injured list. He is slashing .292/.372/.526 in 331 plate appearances since being activated on May 8. McCormick is covering 28.1 feet per second when he sprints, down slightly from the 28.6 clip he boasted last season. “Usually, I vary. I’ve been 218. I’m at 220 right now,” McCormick said. “Usually I’ll lose a lot of weight in the season, but I’m kind of happy I haven’t lost a lot of weight … This year I’m pretty happier about being heavier at the end of the year. I just feel healthier. I feel I can do more. I feel like I won’t get hurt as easy.” Only two Astros hitters awoke on Wednesday with a higher OPS than McCormick: Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez. According to Baseball-Reference, only three were worth more wins above replacement: Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. McCormick is not a superstar, but is authoring a breakout season and has morphed into something more than a complementary piece of Houston’s superteam. Yet Baker clearly sees him as a cut below those other contributors. Wednesday, McCormick began on the bench before entering in the seventh inning and delivering a ninth-inning home run. “He ain’t a big boy yet,” Baker said before Wednesday’s 12-3 bludgeoning of the Rangers. “It’s hard to be a big boy right out the gate. What is this, Chas’ third or fourth year? The big boys are Altuve, Bregman, Tucker, those are the big boys. The other boys are approaching big boys.” To suggest McCormick doesn’t play at all would be disingenuous — he’s started 42 of Houston’s 50 games since the All-Star break, taken 186 plate appearances and boasts a .970 OPS — but the questions persist about why he isn’t playing more from those inside and outside of the team, and the recent lag in time does invite questions about where he fits now that this team is at full strength, even for McCormick. “I’ve been with (Baker) for a couple years now so I know his agenda. I know that he likes to play everyone. Obviously I want to be out there every night. But he does a good job — obviously you want Yainer Diaz to play all the time, he hits the crap out of the ball — but I think he does a good job of sporadically putting in the best matchups,” McCormick said. “I think that’s what he goes off, the best matchups and how he sets things up. I haven’t really spoken to him. He’s the manager. He does what he wants. I don’t think I have any right to ask what his deal is. He’s been in the league for a while and has a good plan,” he continued. Championship teams have depth. For so much of this season, Houston did not. Baker routinely referred to his bench as the least experienced he’d ever managed. Starting lineups without Diaz or McCormick always draw outside ire, but having both of them available off the bench does afford the team an advantage it has not had for most of the season. If Houston’s lineup hits the way it did this week against the Rangers, most of Baker’s lineup decisions won’t draw near the current intrigue. “It’s not all about OPS. It’s not all about hitting,” Baker said. “And I’m a hitter, but this is a total game if you’re going to win, you know what I mean? You want to give yourself as many options and categories to win the game. Now, hitting wins the game, usually. But other areas of the games is what loses you one-run games or don’t-do-this or don’t-do-that. I know everybody wants Chas to play.” Diaz has already hit 21 home runs in his rookie season, but can’t find consistent time because of the team’s commitment to veteran catcher Martín Maldonado and struggling first baseman José Abreu. McCormick is limited to three positions: left field, center field and designated hitter. Michael Brantley’s recent return from a 14-month absence makes him a factor in both left field and at designated hitter, alongside Alvarez. Throughout his Astros tenure, Baker has demonstrated loyalty to veteran players. That he would prefer the lefty-hitting Brantley to McCormick is not surprising, especially for a lineup that can tend to get too right-handed. Baker values Mauricio Dubón’s throwing arm and overall defense in center field, too. That Dubón entered Wednesday’s game with a .929 OPS in his past 86 plate appearances only furthered Baker’s desire to slot him in center field. “Michael Brantley coming back has something to do with it,” Baker said, again denying McCormick’s weight is making an impact. “Dubón’s play in center field has something to do with it. We’re trying to win ballgames. This ain’t about any particular guy except the big boys on this team.” It’s never been more apparent who those are.
This is wild. Julio is only in his second year so by Dusty's rules he wouldn't be a big boy in this team either. I guess not super surprising that the old guy would favor old guys.
I would almost be willing to give Dusty some benefit of the doubt if not for Dubon passing him so easily for playing time. He'll bring up Dubons recent numbers, which still aren't any better than McCormicks full season numbers.
I am all in for PHAT Chas. In all seriousness, if it is the weight he put in this season... doesn't explain LAST season issues as well.
Not one of the big boys? Chas proved last year and this year that he rolls with the big guys and should be an everyday starter. Such bs excuse from a senile manager.
Madness! What is this his 3rd or 4th season? Tucker had his first full season in 2020. If you count that as a full season.
I have been a silent Dusty supporter but the quotes from him in that article are asinine. It’s pretty clear there’s some personal beef or some other completely irrational reason behind Dusty’s lineup decisions.
Here's more... https://theathletic.com/3598483/2022/09/21/dusty-baker-astros-stories/ He's essentially the Greinke of managers... Blanton: Players talk when they do that: “What’s your swing doing, what’s your exit velocity?” Solis: He’d just walk around the clubhouse and just start talking about some s— that bothered him. He was venting about the metrics and exit velocity. Kelley: Dusty is like: “I see all you guys in the video room, just looking at your swings, reading all these stats. At some point you have to just say, ‘F— all that s— and just go out there and hit.’” He’s like, “All I hear is y’all talking about launch angle and tendencies and exit velocity.” He’s like, “F—ing exit velocity!? Motherf—ing exit velocity?! How about motherf—ing exit hits?!” Solis: Everybody was just dying. Kelley: Every time a guy blooped one in the outfield, we’d be like: “F— exit velocity, exit hits!”
Blanton: He calls me and Shawn Kelley and is like, “Hey, can I see you guys in my office in 10 minutes?” As soon as we walk in, Dusty’s smoking a cigar, Tupac was blasting so loud you couldn’t hear him talk and he just gives us a speech. Maybe Chas is a Biggie fan...? Or may be he is high... Dempster: And he just goes, “Heh heh, man, if you’ve been a burner, you can always tell another burner.” I mean, this guy smoked weed with Jimi Hendrix.
Wow, Dusty is even dumber than previously envisaged. Chas has a top 10 OPS in ALL OF MLB. Not one of the big boys? WTF How "big" is Jose Altuve, a sure fire hall of famer? Dusty's logic defies any reasonableness test.
I think we all know that Dusty is a bit of a moron, but fortunately he'll be sent to the glue factory after this season and hopefully the Astros find a competent manager at that point so we won't have to deal with this kind of stupidity for that much longer.
When I evaluate hires, one question I ask myself is, "can this person keep up with change?" Are they willing to learn, willing to change course, willing to be open to new approaches? If the answer is no, then you don't have someone who is leadership track material. You have a worker bee without much upward mobility. People like this reject new approaches because it makes them uncomfortable and it takes time to learn... so there's a stubbornness and a laziness issue that blocks them from improving. Not good. And people become less mentally flexible with age.
If other areas are what wins games, Julks should never have played outside of a handful of PAs, and Meyers should be starting in CF every day. Alvarez and Brantley should never be in the OF. Dubon, despite playing great in CF this year so far (though I do worry every time there is a ball hit deep to CF), should never have been tried in the OF this year based on previous work. There are obvious different rules regardng playing time for Chas. There are obvious different rules regarding playing time for Meyers. Over his last 600 PAs, Chas has been a 5 fWAR player. Over the last calendar year, 4.2 fWAR in 459 PAs. That is Big Man Status.
I've wondered - in fact, before reading this, I mentioned it in another thread as a possible explanation - if they had cooled on the idea of Chas being a CF, and that his lack of playing time was a function of him having to play LF, which is pretty crowded now. This definitely points in that direction. I'd be really curious if they have some data that maybe his range isn't what it was?... Or is this Dusty being a cranky old man upset Chas put on weight?.... I don't get too in the weeds on daily line-ups. But! With everyone now healthy, and with Maldonado very obviously not moving, they really do have too many bats. It's a great problem to have. But they essentially have five guys (Abreu, Diaz, Chas, Alvarez, Brantley) competing for four spots (1B, CF, LF, DH) - and that doesn't work Dubon into the mix, whose glove they very obviously like a lot.
If Brantley and Alvarez never play the field, how are you getting both of their bats in the line-up? They really do almost have *too* many bats (which is an awesome problem to have!). Especially since they very obviously covet Dubon and Maldonado's defense.
"but I think he does a good job of sporadically putting in the best matchups." - McCormick I don't know how I missed this gem the first time I read that article. Maybe it is just me, but the internal conflict in that sentence has me balling. How can one be good at sporadically putting in the best matchups?
I was also struck by McCormick intimating that *right now,* his relationship with Baker is OK - which hints it hasn't always been good and "OK" suggests it ain't great. And then he immediately pivots to team-talk, another sign there's more meat on that bone: No idea if Baker is back next year - but if he is, I wouldn't be surprised if Chas was traded, which would be beyond moronic - but it really does seem like there's a some bad blood between the two of them.
