T.R. Sullivan on DH and the bench

by Adam J. Morris on Feb 14, 2007 3:55 PM CST in News Comment 25 comments

Sullivan says that the Rangers want Sammy Sosa to be their righthanded DH, with Cat DHing against righties, and Wilkerson, Lofton and Cruz in the outfield.

If Hairston makes the team as the utility infielder, that could squeeze out Marlon Byrd in favor of Jason Botts or Victor Diaz, since Hairston could back up Kenny Lofton in centerfield.

That would also be a possibility if the Rangers decided they were comfortable with either Wilkerson or Cruz handling center on a semi-regular basis. In that case, against lefties, you'd have Wilk or Cruz in CF, the other in a corner OF slot, either Victor Diaz or Sammy Sosa in the other corner OF slot, and Jason Botts at DH.

Anyway, there are different things that could happen here, a lot of which are going to depend on Brad Wilkerson's health and whether Sammy Sosa has been swimming in the Fountain of Youth...

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We may be exposed

against lefties. Glad there aren't very many lefties in our division.

Towel drills cannot help a pitcher throw a baseball better.

by SteveP on Feb 14, 2007 4:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'd be very surprised

if we didn't se a quarter to a third of our plate appearances against lefties for the season.

I crap better Burritos than Planet Burrito

by DJCahill on Feb 14, 2007 4:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Planet Burrito

so expensive...

www.mavsmoneyball.com

by Wes Cox on Feb 14, 2007 4:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i'd have to break out a sliderule

to come up with an estimate. But just thinking about our division opponent starters, there's Washburn and....who else? I don't think the Angels even have a lefty reliever.

Towel drills cannot help a pitcher throw a baseball better.

by SteveP on Feb 14, 2007 5:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If Joe Saunders makes the Angels...

...starting rotation, I'm pretty sure he'd be the only other lefty in the division.

"Hello, win column..."

by rangersfan34 on Feb 14, 2007 6:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Washburn

No?

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Feb 14, 2007 6:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I said "only other"...

...in response to SteveP's comment that he could only think of Washburn for lefties. As in "Washburn and Saunders are the only two in the AL West." No biggie...

"Hello, win column..."

by rangersfan34 on Feb 14, 2007 6:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

oh

heh heh. yeah.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Feb 14, 2007 11:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Lefties

Horacio Ramirez is a lefty. Joe Kennedy and Brad Halsey (both lefties) are the two leading candidates for the 5th starter job in Oakland.

by Nate on Feb 14, 2007 7:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

funny signature

by Brett Perryman on Feb 14, 2007 6:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But it begs the question

How does he know?

by Chris Martin on Feb 14, 2007 7:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

and

how the hell does he manage to get the tortilla around the other ingredients?

by t ball on Feb 14, 2007 7:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wonder if

Planet Burrito built a location just across the street from Cahill that shone a bright neon sign into his place, made him color blind and made him switch apartments with his neighbor across the way?

by Brett Perryman on Feb 14, 2007 7:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Mr.

Marbles?

"One must scape to farthest north part of Togo to be safe from robot leaders."

by thedirkatron on Feb 14, 2007 7:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bad burrito

Mess you up!!!

by Chris Martin on Feb 14, 2007 8:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bench

This part struck me as interesting:

"Texas' bench will obviously include one backup catcher...The Rangers will need at least two more spots for outfielder/DH candidates...That leaves two spots, one of which will be a backup center fielder."

So does that mean the Rangers plan to carry a five-man bench?

I would be very happy if that were the case. It's nuts for a team to carry 12 or 13 pitchers when you can only have one on the field at any given time. I'd love to see a return to 10-man staffs, but that would probably require a return to four-man rotations as well.

by RCCook on Feb 14, 2007 5:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

5 man bench?

That seems a little much.

Don't see why you'd need that many dudes sitting around on the bench not playing, unless you had two or three strict platoons.

If Cruz can play some CF against lefties (and his arm might make up for a lack of great range), then a 3 man bench might be plausible.

"One must scape to farthest north part of Togo to be safe from robot leaders."

by thedirkatron on Feb 14, 2007 7:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Have you seen Cruz run?

Looks like a deer out there, really fast for a big guy. May not have much experience out there, but I don't think speed will be the problem......and Lofton ain't really a "great" CF (OK, yes, but not great). One scout described Lofton (last year, I think) as looking like "bee's were chasing him".

by tklawless on Feb 15, 2007 11:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Cruz

Yah, I didn't mean to imply he was slow. But he's been a corner outfielder his whole life, so to expect him to have great range out there next year might be a little much, IMO.

But GMJ didn't really have great range either, and Cruz's arm is even stronger than GMJ's. Cruz has a freaking cannon.

"One must scape to farthest north part of Togo to be safe from robot leaders."

by thedirkatron on Feb 15, 2007 12:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've actually

got my heart kind of set on Cruz being able to start in CF against lefties. Maybe Byrd can do it, but it seems like you'd get better performance out of Cruz in that role.

by Brett Perryman on Feb 15, 2007 6:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

adam

after reading everything about the offseason, you still see a spot for jason botts.

seems like wishful thinking on your part.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 14, 2007 5:14 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Adam

I have been thinking about this for a while and I don't see how the Rangers saying they are bringing in Sosa because they are a right handed bat short means that they aren't counting Botts.

I think it makes a lot of sense. If both Lofton and Cat are platoon players who aren't going to play against lefty pitchers that means you need 2 right handed platoon guys to go with them. Botts is 1 who is the other.

The Rangers have said that they are willing to put either Wilk or Cruz in center if they need to, so to me that means that Byrd, Diaz, Sosa, Guzman are fighting for that other right handed platoon job. I don't see how that has anything to do with Botts.

Botts has to beat out Cat for more playing time. That is his main competition. If Sosa gets a full time gig he is taking time from Wilk or Cruz probably because he would have to get at bats against right handed pitchers.

by brentash on Feb 15, 2007 10:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

RIP

Jason Botts' career.

I really rooted for that kid, too. Shame we never got to see him get a fair chance to succeed at this level. Bleck.

"One must scape to farthest north part of Togo to be safe from robot leaders."

by thedirkatron on Feb 14, 2007 7:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm afraid you may be right...........

there is no guarantee he even get adequate AB's if Sosa sucks, the way this team is constructed.

Lofton, Wilk, Cruz, Diaz, Byrd, JHJr. unless our pitcher's hit and Botts DH's for JHJr. Also, Diaz might be the real wild card. I think most people have completely forgot about him.

by tklawless on Feb 15, 2007 11:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs