Batting Marlon Byrd in the #5 spot
The recent phenomenon of Marlon Byrd hitting in the #5 spot in the lineup has caused a fair amount of discussion, and I decided to take a closer look at it.
It is worth noting that there have been only three players who have gotten significant time in the #5 spot -- Hank Blalock, Marlon Byrd, and David Murphy. Blalock hit 5th until his injury, and since that time, it has pretty much been either Murphy or Byrd hitting there. Every other Ranger, combined, has a total of 37 ABs in the #5 spot, with only Jason Botts hitting double figures.
And I do think the outcry about Byrd hitting there is indicative of a certain double standard that exists in regards to our pair of 4th outfielder/platoon outfielder/pick your label but probably shouldn't be playing every day COFs. Murphy has logged 61% of the ABs in the #5 spot this season, after all, and there hasn't been much of a hue and cry about him being slotted there.
What's particularly weird about this is that Byrd was a folk hero of sorts in the second half of last season, but Murphy's emergence this year, and Byrd's horrid start, has turned Byrd into a whipping boy of sorts for much of 2008.
But since coming off the d.l. in mid-May, Byrd has posted a .275/.346/.427 line. Murphy, meanwhile, has posted a .272/.316/.464 line. That's about even, in terms of production. But in reading the boards, the attitude seems to be that one of these guys should be lumped in with Evan Longoria for ROY consideration, while the other guy is waiver-wire fodder whom the Rangers should give away to make room for Nelson Cruz (and who the Rangers should have traded for the .109 hitting Matt Murton this spring).
Anyway. The bigger problem here is that, as has been the case for the past several years, the Rangers don't have a real good solution to the problem of who should hit in the #5 slot. Neither Murphy nor Byrd are guys who should be hitting 5th in a lineup as strong as the Rangers' lineup is.
The problem is, there is no real good option for the #5 slot in the lineup, at least the way the Ranger lineup is currently structured. Ron Washington is committed to going Kinsler-Young-Hamilton-Bradley in the first 4 slots, and the question is how to structure things after that.
The problem is, the best options for the #5 slot right now -- Blalock or Davis -- are both lefty hitters. With the lefty hitting Hamilton hitting 3rd, and the switch-hitting Braldey cleanup, you are inviting the opposition to bring in a LHP to face the meat of the order. You'd really prefer to have a righty hitting after Bradley, and before Blalock or Davis.
Unfortunately, there isn't a quality righty option to slot in there. And my guess is that Byrd is being put in the 5th slot at this point to get separation between Hamilton and whichever lefty you want to put in the 6th slot, although that still leaves you with a clumping of lefty hitters together.
Now, against a lefty starter, I think it makes a certain amount of sense to put Byrd in the 5th slot. Neither Blalock nor Murphy -- the two hitters who have been getting most of the non-Byrd 5th spot ABs -- can hit lefties to save their lives, so you don't want either of them there.
I'd just as soon see Chris Davis there...he's had some issues with hitting lefties in the minors, and has looked foolish in certain ABs against them since coming up, but has still posted a great OPS against them (albeit in a limited sample size) so far in the majors, and seems to have fewer issues dealing with lefties than Blalock or Murphy do.
Or you could play both Boggs and Byrd against lefties, sit Murphy, and let one of them hit 5th and the other 7th, with Davis in between them and Blalock hitting 8th and the catcher 9th. In fact, now that I think about it, I think that makes the most sense against left-handed starters.
But against righthanders, I don't see the point of having Byrd hitting that high. Let one of your lefty bats hit in that slot, let Byrd or a catcher hit 6th and the other 8th, and put your other lefty bats in the 7th and 9th spots.
Really, against RHPs, the ideal scenario would be to have one of your lefty bats hit leadoff, with Kinsler second, Hamilton third, Bradley fourth, and Young 5th. The problem is that none of the lefty bats the Rangers have are really a good fit for the leadoff slot. I guess you could put Blalock there, let Davis hit after Young, put Byrd 7th, Murphy 8th, and the catcher 9th. But I don't think Blalock is a real good fit in the leadoff spot, either.
So...there we are. The reality is, there's no real good permanent option, against lefties and righties both, for the #5 spot in the lineup. Having either Byrd or Murphy hit there everyday isn't a good option, but all the other choices are flawed, as well.
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I think the lefty/right thing in the batting order is overblown
Most teams have only 1-2 lefty relievers and the second one is often times the worst pitcher in the pen. Those LH bullpen guys can only be used a couple of times in a series, not often enought to start setting your lineup because the middle of the order might have to face Ron Mahay in the seventh inning or something.
Anyway, I think next year Max settles in as the DH and he and CD will bat 4 and 5 if Bradley doesn’t come back.
Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.
by tricer on Jul 27, 2008 9:01 PM CDT 0 recs
Byrd vs. Murphy
Murphy gets the benefit of the doubt over Byrd for 3 reasons:
1. Byrd is 3-4 years older
2. Murphy DID have a nice start to the season which, despite their even pace since Byrd came back, still makes me lean towards Murphy
3. Byrd is just a complete asshole to fans, whereas Murphy is one of the nicest guys on the team.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on Jul 27, 2008 9:01 PM CDT 0 recs
x
3. Byrd is just a complete asshole to fans, whereas Murphy is one of the nicest guys on the team.
???
by Adam J. Morris on
Jul 27, 2008 9:06 PM CDT
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+1
not sure where the hell that came from
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:07 PM CDT
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i went to all 3 games in Houston
David Murphy signed autographs for anybody and everybody, chatting with the fans the whole time.
Byrd came over 1 time to talk to somebody that he evidently knew (shook his hand and looked to be sharing a story). 2 kids walked over (probably age 7) to ask for an autograph. Byrd completely ignored them and ran off. I’m not talking about, “sorry, i got to go stretch”...I’m talking about completely acting like they weren’t there.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of people do this, but when it’s 2 kids and that’s it? Seriously? You are THAT big of an a-hole?
Plus, I’ve heard the same thing from a lot of guys that get autographs at the Ballpark…Murphy signs damn near every day while Byrd never does.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:18 PM CDT
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a lot of players do this
even to kids
Also, who would want Marlon Byrd’s autograph?
Josh Hamilton is better than you.
by Longhorn on
Jul 27, 2008 9:38 PM CDT
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Wow
He’s not as bad as Jim Edmonds.
Plus, I mean, WHO FREAKING CARES?
He wasn’t rude to them. He certainly wasn’t nice, but he wasn’t rude. Sometimes celebrities blow off autograph seekers. It happens.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on
Jul 27, 2008 9:41 PM CDT
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i understand that
i didn’t say he made them cry.
Murphy is fan-friendly…Byrd is not from my experiences and others I’ve spoken to.
Everyone always raves about how fan-friendly Hamilton is for example. That’s part of the reason he’s insanely popular, aside from his story and his beasticon levelo of production. There are plenty of fan-friendly players on this team (C.J., Murphy, Kinsler, Millwood, etc.) and there are also guys who are not fan-friendly (Byrd and Padilla come to mind).
As an aside, I thought Bradley would be standoff-ish with fans due to his reputation, but he was extremely nice when I met him in Houston. He actually signed two autographs for me without me even asking (he was using my pen to sign everyone else’s stuff). He asked me as he finished up if I wanted my helmet signed…i gave him my paint pen. As he shook it, the tip fell out onto the dirt. At this point, I was just going to say “don’t worry about it…thanks for the one autograph”, but he actually picked it up with his fingers, laughed that he’d have sparkly fingers and inserted it back into the pen and signed the helmet. Awesome guy!
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:48 PM CDT
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Were you the 7 year old kid?
"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005
by Agreen07 on
Jul 27, 2008 11:25 PM CDT
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what does Jim Edmonds do?
i’m not familiar with his reputation.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:49 PM CDT
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+1
I thought we were talking about on-field performance.
Not fan friendliness.
by philkid3 on
Jul 28, 2008 3:20 PM CDT
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#3
Funny I’ve always heard the complete opposite and since neither of us are citing sources I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle.
by rcreative on
Jul 27, 2008 9:10 PM CDT
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He is his own source
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
by Dirk Diggler on
Jul 28, 2008 8:16 AM CDT
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The biggest thing that hurts Marlon's case is
his .135 BA with RISP. The “clutch” moniker is thrown around too much by some people, but he just hasn’t hit at all with men on base. I would be curious how he is hitting with RISP during the time frame you are referring to. Also Nelson Cruz has exploded which, justified or not, has people clamoring for him.
I do love the way Byrd plays the game, but he is not a #5 hitter and…even if there isn’t a better option, he still gets the criticism for it, because he is the guy in that spot.
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on Jul 27, 2008 9:03 PM CDT 0 recs
I feel like I need to clarify
I’m not saying Byrd deserves the criticism (and I have given him some), but I am saying because he is the guy hitting 5th, he is the focal point of the criticism, fair or not. It’s tough to follow up 4 All-Stars.
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:08 PM CDT
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Also, I feel compelled to post this picture of young Eric Hurley from today

He is a special pitcher
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on Jul 27, 2008 9:04 PM CDT 0 recs
thanks for the new avatar
The bloggerformelyknownasBigBaddBubbaJ
by NYTXFAN on
Jul 27, 2008 10:37 PM CDT
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Byrd
I also don’t understand why he’s generated so much hate this year. He’s no star, but he’s pretty much exactly what you want from a fourth outfielder. He’s not bad with the bat and can play every outfield position pretty well. Certainly not an everyday player, but he’s been a valuable guy to have around.
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
by trza on Jul 27, 2008 9:05 PM CDT 0 recs
Playing Time
He’s getting hate, because he is an everyday player right now, and he’s not good enough to deserve that.
by Andy Seiler on
Jul 27, 2008 9:07 PM CDT
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You could say the same thing about David Murphy, though
by Adam J. Morris on
Jul 27, 2008 9:09 PM CDT
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Murphy is still coasting with some off his start
The fact that he and Boggs haven’t settled into a regular platoon is pretty questionable in my opinion. Murphy also has the nice HR total and RBI total that masks his limitations if you just look at the stats.
The Rangers really have three 4th OFers with Murph, Byrd, and Boggs
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:12 PM CDT
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Is there some way to post the stats from baseball reference in here without formating issues?
The statistical differences between the two are fairly telling in some categories. I just can’t reproduce them here without readability issues.
by Hull Fan on
Jul 27, 2008 9:19 PM CDT
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I have no idea
but it could be FanPost worthy if you feel like doing it. They have all three seen that label put on them so a further look into it would be interesting.
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:27 PM CDT
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three 4th outfielders
That’s the heart of the matter, I think. And they’re actually all pretty good in that role, just a bit overexposed when given too much playing time.
The last few seasons I’ve gotten so used to the Rangers having an entire outfield of fourth outfielders (with another one hitting DH) that I’m really pretty happy with how things have gone this season.
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
by trza on
Jul 27, 2008 9:27 PM CDT
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That term
4th outfielder gets thrown out a lot around here. Are there 90 major league outfielders than David Murphy. He currently ranks 30th among all big league outfielders in WinShares and is 16th amongst all big league right fielders in OPS.
Should he be platooned? yes? He has a 118 sOPS+ against RHP, which is pretty good. He’s not good against LHP, but he is far from a 4th outfielder. If this guy is our LFer going forward, that is alright by me and his BABIP would suggest that his numbers will likely get a little better (as do Marcels).
Byrd has 2000 ABs worth of below-averageness that indicates he is probably a 4th outfielder. He had a really nice run for a couple of months last year, but overall the numbers don’t show that he’s likely to get back to anything close to that.
FWIW: At RBiA:
Byrd tOPS+ 150; Murphy tOPS+ 96
"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08
by badradiorules on
Jul 27, 2008 10:45 PM CDT
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I think the idea is 4th OF on a good team.
Not 4th OF on ANY team.
Not saying I necessarily agree with the moniker, but I don’t think it’s saying he’s the 91st OF at best. I think it’s saying he’s the 4th best outfielder on a very good team, and do to his L/R splits, he’s an ideal platoon player.
by philkid3 on
Jul 28, 2008 3:25 PM CDT
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huh
Really, against RHPs, the ideal scenario would be to have one of your lefty bats hit leadoff, with Kinsler second, Hamilton third, Bradley fourth, and Young 5th.
The Rangers lead the AL in runs score. They struggle vs LHP not RHP.
"An effortless 98" - Scott Gardner after Neftali Feliz's first AA pitch
by RangerMad on Jul 27, 2008 9:09 PM CDT 0 recs
Blalock vs lefties
Before Blalock went out last year he was hitting pretty well against lefties (and I know it was a small sample size). And before getting platooned after coming up didn’t he have good stats vs. lefties?
by rcreative on Jul 27, 2008 9:12 PM CDT 0 recs
That was the 1st time in a while
I’ve seen Botts mentioned – Anyone have any stats on how he’s doing over in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters? I couldn’t find anything, and I can’t read Japanese!
Ya....That's Real Mature.
by SMITTY on Jul 27, 2008 9:14 PM CDT 0 recs
he's not doing well
i checked awhile back, and he hadn’t played much.
Something close to .200 and 1 HR.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:21 PM CDT
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yeah
hitting .136 in 36 ABs with 1 HR
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:28 PM CDT
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Poor, poor Bottsy
Can’t even hit in the Japanese League.
"Would you mind walking a time or two so I could drive in some runs"? Milton Bradley
by boomer1 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:32 PM CDT
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where do you get those stats?
the preceding post is not nearly as negative or insulting as you think it is
by DSheppard on
Jul 27, 2008 9:54 PM CDT
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hard to explain, but i'll try
google Nippon Ham Fighters
You’ll see a link a few down for the team’s official site (www.fighters.co.jp), but there is a “translate this page” link you click instead.
Then, I clicked on “Dates Results” near the box score in the center of the page just a little ways down.
Then, click on “Hit Record” on the right side of the page
Scroll down for “Bottsu”’s stats.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 10:04 PM CDT
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someone said he was hitting 110 a couple days ago
the preceding post is not nearly as negative or insulting as you think it is
by DSheppard on
Jul 27, 2008 9:23 PM CDT
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I go here
He had a pinch hit single today to shoot that average up a little.
"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08
by badradiorules on
Jul 27, 2008 10:51 PM CDT
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here
what’s up?
Josh Hamilton is better than you.
by Longhorn on
Jul 27, 2008 10:18 PM CDT
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Here are the numbers to compare them:
This is Byrd’s numbers while batting fifth this season.
G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO GDP BA OBP SLG OPS BAbip tOPS+
72 290 269 32 61 9 7 2 30 14 , 1 , 65 , 7, .227 , .268 , .335 , .603 , .289 , 65
These are Murphy’s numbers in that same spot.
G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO GDP BA OBP SLG OPS BAbip tOPS+
66 281 258 42 73 14 2 11 48 17, 3 45 3 , .283 , .321 , .481, .802, .300, 97
That’s the reason people are upset. Look at the rbi differences and look at the gdp differences. Not to mention the slg and obp numbers. Marlon’s not that good.
Murphy probably shouldn’t be batting fifth either, but if I’ve got to choose between those two because the rookies arn’t “ready” then give me Murphy. At least he drives in the runners on base in front of him.
by Hull Fan on Jul 27, 2008 9:30 PM CDT 0 recs
Byrd
He hasn’t hit 5th in 72 games this season.
by Adam J. Morris on
Jul 27, 2008 9:31 PM CDT
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You're right
those are career numbers. Sorry I’ll have to keep looking for this season’s splits.
by Hull Fan on
Jul 27, 2008 9:33 PM CDT
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That's what she said
She being Debbie right before she “did Dallas”
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:37 PM CDT
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As a girl that reference
does nothing for me. But thanks for the thought anyway.
by Hull Fan on
Jul 27, 2008 9:39 PM CDT
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You win
and then some
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 27, 2008 9:41 PM CDT
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here
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
Byrd Batting 5th 17 67 7 14 2 2 0 3 5 11 1 0 .209 .264 .299 .562
Murphy Batting 5th 63 257 41 72 14 1 11 48 16 45 5 2 .280 .317 .471 .787
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:37 PM CDT
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vs pitcher
Byrd vs LHP has a .760 ops
Murphy vs RHP has a .854 ops
btw, those are career numbers
"An effortless 98" - Scott Gardner after Neftali Feliz's first AA pitch
by RangerMad on
Jul 27, 2008 9:47 PM CDT
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I have zero problems with Byrd batting 5th versus lefties
Well, I’d rather see CD 5th and Murphy/Byrd 6th every night, but maybe it’s best to keep CD lower in the order to help alleviate some of the pressure that comes with being a “middle of the order bat”.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Jul 27, 2008 9:43 PM CDT 0 recs
And to give Kinsler
RBI opportunities, that’s what Ron really wants.
by tyd3311 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:46 PM CDT
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middle of the order bat
What’s the big deal. He has probably batted 3-5 in the batting order since little league.
"An effortless 98" - Scott Gardner after Neftali Feliz's first AA pitch
by RangerMad on
Jul 27, 2008 9:48 PM CDT
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And
He has settled in to being a Major Leaguer, and doesn’t really seemed phased by anything..
He can handle it.
by tyd3311 on
Jul 27, 2008 9:51 PM CDT
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sign promotion
Starting this weekend the Ranger sar ehaving some sort of fan sign contest. Someone needs to bring a sign that says, “Hey Wash, bat CD 5th!”
"An effortless 98" - Scott Gardner after Neftali Feliz's first AA pitch
by RangerMad on
Jul 27, 2008 9:55 PM CDT
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That's why I put it quotation marks
But I don’t know that guys don’t put added pressure on themselves based on where they hit.
Most managers will hit a rookie lower in the lineup at first to “protect” him. Whether that’s a good idea or just antiquated managerial pseudo-psychology… I can’t tell you.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on
Jul 28, 2008 12:15 AM CDT
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Ryan Braun
Hit 3rd almost all year, did ok with the pressure.
by bushe on
Jul 28, 2008 11:46 AM CDT
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3rd vs 5th
Pretty different positions in my opinion. If you bat 3rd you most likely are the guy who has someone protecting you in the lineup meaning you get more pitches to hit. Hitting 5th generally means you are the one supplying protection to the guy in front of you. That usually means you come up with more runners on and more pressure. Davis has shown, albeit in small sample sizes, that when he is in a pressure situation he changes his approach
BA w/RISP: .200 ops+ of 62
runners on 1st and 2nd: .100 avg with ops+ of -56
runner on 2nd: .222 avg with ops+ of 89
Theres no question the kid is gonna be a stud in this league for a long time. But right now lets keep him where hes at and let him continue working on his downfalls at the plate in a less pressure situation most of the time.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on
Jul 28, 2008 12:01 PM CDT
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9th tonight
I guess those numbers are why CD is batting 9th tonight (7/28)
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Michael Young
CF Josh Hamilton
DH Milton Bradley
3B Hank Blalock
LF Brandon Boggs
RF David Murphy
C Gerald Laird
1B Chris Davis
"An effortless 98" - Scott Gardner after Neftali Feliz's first AA pitch
by RangerMad on
Jul 28, 2008 4:56 PM CDT
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I don't understand that
I guess breaking up the lefties is one reason but I would swap he and Laird.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on
Jul 28, 2008 4:58 PM CDT
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I would swap he and Murph
"Here comes the version of Benoit that lets the other team put it out of reach. I hate that version."
-Athos
by SaltyDawg on
Jul 28, 2008 4:59 PM CDT
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Could you trade Byrd for a guy with 37 AAA homeruns?
Probably not… but you could call up Nelson Cruz. He’s a righty that would fit nicely in the 5th spot for this lineup. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that he would put up better numbers than Byrd has in that spot.
And if Cruz performed anywhere near his AAA numbers, he could be a real spark for this team.
I’m smelling a Wildcard.
by Wemedge on Jul 27, 2008 10:07 PM CDT 0 recs
lol
“Could you trade Byrd for a guy with 37 AAA homeruns? Probably not… but you could call up Nelson Cruz”
You might be right..
"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005
by Agreen07 on
Jul 27, 2008 11:26 PM CDT
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Give Kins a shot @ #5 and find a more speedy obp guy for the leadoff spot!
Brett Gardner maybe? Kenny Lofton anybody? Hows about Boggs?
The bloggerformelyknownasBigBaddBubbaJ
by NYTXFAN on Jul 27, 2008 10:20 PM CDT 0 recs
Other than
A WTF moment about taking Kinsler out of the spot he’s been most successful in, that’s interesting. So is Adam’s temporary solution moving Young to 5th (I know, little IsoP but he does manage to plate runners in scoring position career wise) and can very well lead off when an inning ends with the 4 holer.
Boggs lead off? I don’t know, but if it could be planned out with him, setting expectations, letting him work on it etc having a switch hitter lead off seems to work even for nontraditional leadoff types (B. Roberts for instance). In time, maybe Borbon? Maybe finally litmus test Cruz, and either close that lab or discover a bonanza? One additional thing about MY, he can just about hit anywhere in a lineup, having had success at 1-2-6-8-9 in the past. Even some good things as a 3.
Interesting to see if anything changes in the next week.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
by Ed Coffin on
Jul 27, 2008 10:55 PM CDT
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Who is this "Boggs" you speak of?
Oh, the guy who got 5 at-bats this week?
Mind you, I don’t hold out much hope than Brandon Boggs is going to turn out to be anything great. But, he’s a 25-year old switch-hitter with less than 200 at-bats in MLB. If he’s going to be on the 25-man roster of a non-contender, let the guy play.
Maybe some contending team will do us all a favor by deciding they need some dorky/queer arm-flapping from their fans to help propel the team into the playoffs. Trade them Marlon before Cleveland trades them Paul!


