{"id":1815,"date":"2011-06-26T20:19:01","date_gmt":"2011-06-27T00:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=1815"},"modified":"2011-06-26T20:19:01","modified_gmt":"2011-06-27T00:19:01","slug":"does-rigglemans-exit-also-pave-the-way-for-stairs-to-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=1815","title":{"rendered":"Does Riggleman’s exit also pave the way for Stairs to leave?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Is Stairs tenure with this team nearly over? Photo Carlson\/AP via NYdailynews.com<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ve been advocating for the release of Matt Stairs<\/strong> for well over a month now, having posted in this space in May<\/a> questioning the inclusion of Stairs on this roster.\u00a0 In the month since, Stairs has “improved” his average from 2-for-26 to 5-for-43.\u00a0 He is batting .116<\/a> and slugging .140 for the season.\u00a0 He has one extra base hit, and frankly looks his age.<\/p>\n

On Friday, new interim temporary for-a-few-days manager John McLaren<\/strong> announced his first lineup<\/a>.\u00a0 Against a right-handed hitter in an AL park (thus needing the DH) Laynce Nix<\/strong> is serving as the DH and NOT Matt Stairs.\u00a0 And it occurred to me this fact: Stairs almost certainly was Riggleman’s guy, and now that Riggleman is gone and Stairs continues to struggle mightily I wonder just how many days it will take before the team gives Stairs his outright release.\u00a0 For the rest of the 3-game series in the AL park, Stairs was not used at all, even in the 14 inning debacle friday night.<\/p>\n

Fans have long since given up explaining why a defense-focused team contains a 43-yr old pinch hitting specialist who cannot run, cannot play the field and (apparently) can no longer hit.\u00a0 MLB beat writer Bill Ladson<\/strong> has addressed the question in his Q&A posts, as has Boswell<\/strong>.\u00a0 Both have intimated that Stairs is keeping his job because there’s no logical replacement in AAA to take his spot.<\/p>\n

To which I say, I disagree.\u00a0 Right this second, any one of three or four guys on our AAA squad<\/a> makes a ton more sense on this team than Stairs.<\/p>\n