Catch-All
After yesterday’s discussion, it really sounds like there is no clear-cut best choice for CF. Every option has almost equal weighted pros and cons. This is unfortunate because Gardy can’t be trusted with difficult, season altering decisions. He is also prone to changing his mind too quickly. If he decides to put Pridie in CF, and could yank him after a few bad ABs and plug Monroe in there, even if Monroe took zero reps in CF during Spring Training. He tries to cover up a bad decision with another bad decision, and it ends up spiraling out of control.
Note: There will be no Roger Clemens/Steroids discussions in this space. Ever.
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Gardy will definitely find the least optimal solution to this. It certainly doesn’t instill much confidence in the season.
On the other hand, it’s good that the rest of the lineup is solid enough that he doesn’t really have any option to screw it up. That’s the first time in his career, really.
And screw the Clemens thing. That’s the last I’ll say about it.
Good point. Although those statements he made about Cuddyer moving to CF worry me. And with the entire infield being new, there is always the chance that he puts punto somewhere everyday. This will happen. It will be bad.
However, catcher, first base, right field and left field are all well above average. Offensively I think we will get good production out of Harris. I have faith in Lamb, again offensively, to take advantage of being a full time player for the first time. While there may be fewer lineup spots for Gardy to screw up, I think the ones that he can are pretty important. This is a make or break season for Kubel’s career, and Gardy will probably end up platooning him. We have two young cadidates to play CF (Pridie and Gomez) and Gardy will find someway to get both of their major league careers started off on the wrong foot.
I cannot not think of one time (although I’m sure there has been) when platooning players has ever worked well. With young players like Pridie and Gomez, I would like to see them get a chance to play every day, whether in the minors or pros. Players have to see a lot of pitches to develop the essential timing and pitch recognition in the bigs. Sending a young player to the plate on an inconsistent basis rarely results in success and can damage a young man’s confidence. Platooning veterans is bad enough, I hate platooning young talent
I think the concept of platooning makes some sense, if you have a lefty who mashes righties and a righty who mashes lefties, and they’re of equal defensive value. But you’d much rather have a guy who’s effective against both lefties and righties, and you wouldn’t know that until you’ve let him try. For years.
So I can see a guy like Monroe or Lamb in platoon situations. Not Gomez, Pridie, Buscher, or Macri because they’re too young. Not Morneau, Mauer, Young, or Cuddyer because they’re too good. And not Kubel, because he looks like he’s about 1 month away from being as good as Mauer and Morneau.
So while we have a couple of “platoon candidates” in Monroe and Lamb, we don’t have any platoon partners for them. Meaning Monroe has to be a bench player, and Lamb has to be a starter until we determine that we have another 3B to replace him.
We’ll see though, I suppose.
I believe that the concept of platooning works only on a very limited basis, if at all, especially at the major league level. I think a lot of the time the data that managers use to justify a platoon situation is skewed data that has a relatively limited data set.
As you stated you need all the right pieces and I can’t think of too many successful examples of a platoon situation that amounted to a more productive player.
As someone might have mentioned ball players are creatures of habit and playing two day because there happens to be southpaws on the mound and then sitting for the next four and maybe getting a pinch hit opportunity.
Gardy can’t be so stupid that he would try and platoon anyone in this lineup, would he?
Yes, yes he can.
Prepare for the possibility of Punto platooning with Harris at 2B, or Lamb at 3B, or both. Just because it doesn’t make any sense doesn’t make it unlikely.
I know someone related to Gardy by marriage! If I can swing it would you two mind helping me with a Nicky Punto intervention for him!
I will call the show Intervention, this may be their toughest case yet!