11th inning. Bases loaded. No outs. Johnny Estrada up. Ground ball towards first.
Worst case scenario? Man out at home, one out, bases still loaded. You’d assume… But apparently not with Estrada at the plate. He took a light jog, which is more than he usually does on a ground ball I guess, and was out by a mile at first.
That was the last straw for me…
He is lackadaisical on offense and defense, slow as molasses, has poor at-bats, never takes pitches, never runs out ground balls, misses pop ups, does not run towards pop ups between him and first or third, cannot throw out a runner to save his life and generally seems to have a poor attitude all the time (i.e. sulking back to the dugout after executing a sac bunt). That all adds up to him earning the role of my least favorite Brewer. And it’s no longer a contest.
I was jacked up when the Brewers got a catcher that could hit for a .300 average and was advertised as at least average defensively. Turns out his offensive numbers are largely a mirage and his defense is below average. Plus his attitude is a burden to the team. It’s no wonder now why Estrada is on his fourth team in his short MLB career. I’d gladly trade him for a player with half his talent who tried twice as hard. Miller would more than suffice and Mike Rivera could split time with him.
Estrada should be benched for at least a few games as discipline for tonight. What he did is inexcusable. Some could argue that with his incredibly poor speed he would have been out even if he sprinted, but he would have at least put pressure on the defense. He was only halfway down the line when the first basemen got the ball back for the out. Yost and the veteran leaders of the club should not stand for it. Every player should give it his all at all times and if his good salary and pride aren’t motivation enough, this team is in the playoff hunt and that was an extra inning game against a division foe on the road where the team is struggling. This would have been a big win. If he’s not going to run out a ground ball in that scenario, when will he?
I just hope Estrada is on his fifth team next year…