Putz status uncertain, Vidro will bat third
ObBookPlug: Amazon’s got the introduction to Cheater’s Guide to Baseball on the book page. Check out the excerpt here
Baker in a pretty amazingly information-packed blog entry:
Seems that manager Mike Hargrove was a tad premature in declaring an “all clear” scenario for pitcher J.J. Putz. That’s because the team’s medical director, Dr. Edward Khalfayan, hadn’t even seen Putz’s MRI results when Hargrove spoke to us just before 9 a.m.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. As long as we’re talking about Hargrove statements that don’t turn out so well… Baker quotes Hargrove as saying “There’s a pretty good bet he’ll hit third”.
The team’s batting him #3 for his high average (.350+) and high OBP (.400+), which normally, if you thought he was going to hit that well all season, you’d put him even higher, except that Ichiro’s the leadoff hitter and Beltre, for whatever reason, does seem to hit better pushed up into the order, and they’re not going to mess with that.
So Vidro as #3.
AL #3 hitters last year hit .281/.356/.467
If the team gets 2004 Vidro, and he hits .294/.367/.454, he’ll be fine. Yeaaaaaaaaaah.
If they get the projected Vidro, will, they’re conceding some on-base and a ton of power.
Now, I don’t think lineups matter all that much, though that’s a whole other super-long post. But it seems strange, given that the team’s got a set of hitters who are consistent, good, and not injured, that you’d totally gamble like this by putting a potential out machine in the middle of the lineup. If he does an Everett, well, we know what that looks like, but if he’s awesome and you started him out at #6 or 7, then he’d still be hitting with men on base and contributing.
I don’t get it.
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I hate to wish injury on Jose Vidro, so I won’t. But still, it would be really nice to see Broussard back in the DH, if only because the possibly slight, slight drop in production would have him moved to a more appropriate position in the batting order, just in principle.
Still, when I was in AZ earlier this week, I liked what I saw. He does hit to all fields. And he does make contact. He’s a real “fan’s player”
But he’s a veteran presence!
Yeah, I’m not loving Vidro at 3, but it’s not like I’m losing any sleep over it. I don’t think the team has a clear # 3 hitter, unless maybe Ibanez hits like last year. Then I’d say he’s the best bet. Otherwise, I’d rather push Vidro to 6 or 7, behind Sexson, Guillen, and Joh.
But again, I don’t think it’s a huge deal. I’d just like Hargrove to have the best 9 players in the line-up most days. That’d be a refreshing start.
Yeah, that’d be like you actively stuffing the ballot box against USSM.
“Chris Snelling went deep twice and collected four RBI’s” – boy, wouldn’t it be cool to have a guy like that hitting in the top of our order?! Oh, wait I think we used to have a guy like that. Long Live the Cult of Doyle.
It’s slightly different, DMZ.
They should just suck it up and hit Beltre third, and Joh 2nd, and then put Vidro down at like 7. But, whatever.
I’ve pre-ordered the cheaters guide….
That reminds me, it is about time for a Cult of Doyle update.
Gosh, why didn’t I think of that? See, this is why Hargrove is in Arizona, and I’m watching basketball sans pants.
Re: Cheater’s Guide, I was listening to a Pete Rose discussion on the radio a couple of days ago and thought of your book, DMZ. Do you talk about gambling in baseball in your book? (Feel free to insert a “go buy the damn thing and find out” comment, although do know that I *will* buy the book…)
If Vidro bats 3rd, Hargrove is stupider than I thought…
…if that were possible.
Great..here is the scenario: 2 on and Vidro up to bat…M’s down 5-1…normally, you think…”Hey, its our #3 hitter..one swing of the bat and we’re back in the game.”
Except the most we can hope for is a line drive in the gap, the outfielders running into each other, knocking themselves silly and each spraining both their ankles. The second baseman then has to run out to field the ball (Vidro hustling mind you).
Vidro might have a stand-up double….sigh..thats our #3 hitter.
This blog entry wasn’t DMZ at his literary finest.
However, I was able to extrapolate enough info to feel a definite bearish bent to the forthcoming season. Just seems like a lot of things are looking down:
Ichiro!’s status
Snelling gone
Soriano gone
Hargrove still here
Bavasi still here
Putz’s elbow
Sherril’s elbow
Guillen’s ribs, hamstring, elbow, knee, ankle
Vidro’s projection
Ibanez aging
Bloomquist’s devastating spring
Weaver
Washburn
Woods
Mateo
Bleh
There’s a whole chapter in the book on gambling and game fixing. You should buy it.
#13: but on the bright side, Felix won’t have to pitch every third day…
What are the odds that HoRam keeps up his torrid GB/FB Rates throughout the season? Another great GB heavy start today down here in Arizona – according to MLB.com 10 GBs 3 FBs 2 Ks in 5 innings
Putz update, “Posted by Geoff Baker at 03:12 PM”
Word is finally back on the J.J. Putz MRI and it is pretty decent. The Mariners say Putz has a mild strain of a flexor pronator muscle, part of a group of muscles in the forearm near the elbow. Long story short, he’ll have had five days between bullpen sessions by Tuesday and the team hopes the elbow stiffness and pain subsides by then.
We’ll have a chat with trainer Rick Griffin about it once this game ends, likely in another inning since the M’s trail 4-1 in the top of the ninth and have mustered only three hits all day.
Is this good news? Yes, it is, since Putz will start throwing again with a little less than a week’s delay. But the really big news will come later Tuesday, or even on Wednesday morning. That’s when we’ll know whether this “mild strain” was just a one-time occurence or a potential problem that will keep coming back or getting worse. It will all depend on how much pain Putz can tolerate and how quickly this particular muscle can bounce back.
So, is the team out of the woods? Nope.
btw, I wasn”t reading Geoff’s mind– that was posted at 4:02, not 3:02, contrary to the time stamp 🙂
Eh, while Vidro isn’t very likely to match the league average for #3 hitters, I think there is an equally low chance he pulls an Everett and is an absolute black hole.
I wonder whether, if Beltre didn’t “need” to hit 2nd, Hargrove would put Vidro there “because he will hit lefthanded most of the time and pull grounders through the open right side when Ichiro is on 1st.”
I know the Big Unit is getting old, but thank goodness we never gave up on the guy and he can still be our #3 pitcher while Felix learns the ropes as #1. And with A-Rod being a gentleman and moving to third so natural Betancourt can play his natural position…we have a GREAT #3 hitter AND great D on the left side of the infield. Isn’t it GREAT how A-Rod decided to stay with an organization that knew how to win instead of take all those dollars Texas threw at him? The best part is that Ken Griffey Jr. has agreed to let Ichiro play Center while he takes over in LF. With Ibanez at DH we now have a GREAT left-handed punch. This is going to be the GREATEST year EVER.
Because of the salaries that came with those 3, I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be an Ichiro on this team. And with A-Rod, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t of bothered with Betancourt either.
Shortbus: you forgot about David Ortiz platooning with Sexson and Ibanez, and Veritek backing up Joh at C.
This is an otherwise solid lineup, but boy is Griffey weighing them down. I sure wish we had someone to replace him with because he’s a platoon partner at best now.
But it seems strange, given that the team’s got a set of hitters who are consistent, good, and not injured, that you’d totally gamble like this by putting a potential out machine in the middle of the lineup.
Just look at what they had to give up in trade and take on in salary to get Vidro – he MUST be a #3 hitter.
But it seems strange, given that the team’s got a set of hitters who are consistent, good, and not injured, that you’d totally gamble like this by putting a potential out machine in the middle of the lineup.
Seems even stranger that you’d give a great gob of your budget to a potential out machine.
See, the mistake you’re believing is going on isn’t the strategy now that we HAVE the potential out machine; the mistake is in getting the guy in the first place.
I could draw an analogy here with the Iraq situation, but it’d be like shooting fish in a barrel. Too easy.