What has changed is the manager. Fredi Gonzalez simply could not get the lineup going in Brooklyn. The pitching has been horrid and inconsistent. "Rarely have I seen my teams lose so many games by double-digits, while only scoring two runs," stated GM Eric Caskey. "The way we are losing isn't customary. In the past, the hitting has been there and its been a struggle to get through middle innings. As it appears, the starting pitching has been pathetic." Roy Oswalt has been anything but an ace. While young lefty hurler Jon Lester has looked good, the club is troubled by the number of walks. Three Moabs rank in the top 10 in walks, Lester, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Chris Volstad. The stat is interesting considering that Jimenez is a spot starter and a fill-in starter for Scott Baker. As a result, Caskey has hinted that Scott Baker, James Shields and Roy Oswalt need to step-up their games if they expect to stay in the rotation.
To replace Gonzalez, the Moabs have hired from outside the organization. Although the contract was expensive, as hinted by management but not disclosed, Mike Scioscia was hired to jumpstart the offense while patching together the pitching staff. Scioscia is known for his small ball approach to a designated hitter's league, which should fit the bill with the Moabs, which have desired to run more to put greater pressure on the defense.
Other changes include shuffling the lineup completely. In an attempt to help the defensive play behind the pitching staff, the organization has announced that Ty Wigginton's contract has been purchased from Triple A Flint Stones. Wigginton will serve a defensive replacement for 3B Miguel Cabrera as well as starting 3B when Howard or Cabrera is at 1B and DH.
