Dont think Ethier in the 4 hole is a good idea.  With Manny BAAAAAAACK Ethier would be better off hitting in front of him.  But who am I to question Torre???   THIS IS OUR TOWN!!!

You may have a slight point... but the fastball theory is a great deal more prominent hitting in front of Manny than behind him. Pitchers may throw more fastballs if a speedy runner is on first, but that would not be Manny. Also, pitchers shouldn?t be afraid to throw breaking balls just because they may throw it in the dirt. Otherwise they?d only throw fastballs when there is a man on third. So I respectfully disagree. The fact is, Ethier is far less effective right now because he has fallen into the same bad habits he had last year. Swinging at balls out of the zone and being too anxious. When he was hot, he was laying off pitches out of the zone and waiting for his pitch. This is why he usually fails when he comes up with the bases loaded. He falls back into the habit of swinging at anything, many times at the first pitch. In addition, balls he usually crushed are now being fouled off to the left, which means he is not pulling his bat through the zone.... it's dragging. Fatigue? Maybe. Mental? Most likely. There is nothing in sports than that can be screwed up mentally more than hitting a baseball. Whatever the reason, he needs to start being selective again and stop dragging the bat through the zone.

pasadena reap what you sow.<br />hitting behind manny, he was getting alot of fastballs to hit as well.why you might ask?<br />with the bases clogged full of runners everywhere, you dont throw as many breaking pitches for fear of throwing one in the dirt.<br />check your facts before you go off spewing insults.<br />:)

RSSK, your theory is solid. Those hitting in front of Manny would get a steady diet of fastballs. Your major flaw here is that Either hit BEHIND Manny. You should check your facts before you go off spewing insults.

Sorry, but he sucks..what happened to him now that ManRoid is gone???? Must suck not getting a steady diet of fastballs when ManRoid's not hitting behind you....

Maybe he will get to start now.Manny went south. CEY AL.

if ethier keeps playing like this all year, he will be one of the premier players in the league.

I just figured it out. You could pay Andre's salary for 37 years and still spend less than what that lackadaisical lard-ass Andruw Jones "earned" for his meager output this year.

Andre Either is one of the best outfeilders i have ever had.

You have to feel for Andre Either. The kid's an awesome talent, but he just can't get a shot to showcase what he can do for an extended period of time. While he's having a good season (2nd on the team in home runs, 4th in RBI, and batting a solid .274), he's continually had to play behind both Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre. Now that Manny Ramirez has come to town, he'll be seeing even less playing time.