Is there any answer for Reynolds?

[Dipper9]

Yeah, Reynolds does soooo many things to kill the team, like scoring the eventual game winning run after drawing a walk that probably no other Oriole player would, hitting an RBI single earlier, and dropping a beautifully heads-up bunt that set up another run.

The Reynolds hate--as I've said a few times--is really absurd on this site. The guy is probably our 2nd best hitter and a decent 1B. Not a spectacular player, but never deserving of the kind of shortsighted flak he gets on here.

:agree: I cannot agree more with this post.

[Dipper9]

Reynolds had a good game tonight. All those using this performance as proof that he's a good player for the Orioles and should be in the lineup every day need to look at the season stats. 3 hrs, 13 rbis, 216, 343, 378. That's the bottom line. I'm not saying he shouldn't be in the lineup but the praise is a little nauseating.

He started off very slowly in April, but has pretty much been on fire since early May (with a DL stint in between.) And I agree with the poster who said they'd take Reynolds over Davis at first. Davis does NOTHING to help his infielders. At the very least, Reynolds has shown to be proficient at scooping bad throws. And he's one of, if not THE most patient hitters on the team.

If that "praise" makes you nauseous, I'm sorry.

[DrungoHazewood]

If Reynolds can demonstrate that he is a passable 1B, then he has more trade value than if he was a DH.

And if he can demonstrate that he's a terrible first baseman he might have a little less trade value than if he was just DHing. I have all the confidence in the world that Reynolds will be a good major league hitter, he almost always has been. But I have zero confidence that he's anything like a decent fielder at any position I've seen him play. I'm to the point where I don't think it would hurt to see if he could play the outfield. Well, except for the fact that the other options at CI are less than appealing.

[Il BuonO]

And if he can demonstrate that he's a terrible first baseman he might have a little less trade value than if he was just DHing. I have all the confidence in the world that Reynolds will be a good major league hitter, he almost always has been. But I have zero confidence that he's anything like a decent fielder at any position I've seen him play. I'm to the point where I don't think it would hurt to see if he could play the outfield. Well, except for the fact that the other options at CI are less than appealing.

Exactly. He usually has a good AB and last night he demonstrated even more versatility with that bunt. I think he may be athletic enough to play the outfield but I'm afraid to watch. I certainly don't want him anywhere near the dirt on defense.

[LookitsPuck]

He's always been a poor fielder, save for 2010 which was an anomaly for him. Now, 2011 was just historically bad for him, but even still....he needs to be a DH. And if he DH's, he needs to perform better with the bat.

[NickM21]

Atleast if he's in the outfield he should get less balls to field. So he'll have that going for him anyway. Although I can just pitcure a ball going right by him and a dude going around the diamond for a triple or ITPHR.

[El Gordo]

If JJ Hardy likes to throw to him at 1B, I have no problems with it. Reynolds may not be a plus defender there, but I think he will be better than Prince or Dunn etc., certainly better there than at 3B, and no worse than our other options there. I expect Buck will continue to platoon Reynolds at 1B against LHP.

[theobird]

If JJ Hardy likes to throw to him at 1B, I have no problems with it. Reynolds may not be a plus defender there, but I think he will be better than Prince or Dunn etc., certainly better there than at 3B, and no worse than our other options there. I expect Buck will continue to platoon Reynolds at 1B against LHP.

I agree with this, but Reynolds must be in the lineup everyday. There really is no replacing his OBP and power in the lineup.

[UpstateNYfan]

I was at Fenway last night and Chen and company pretty much silenced the Sox Nation.I particularly loved Pedroia's struggles at the plate. Reynolds played a very good game at first. He certainly can drive you nuts with some of his fielding displays, but he is the best option the O's have at first. There seems to be a lot of "kid" in Reynolds. He plays hard and gets his uni dirty on most nights. He is not the most graceful of players to watch at first, but he will make some nice plays and look silly on some of the more difficult first base coverages. His positives outweigh his negatives in my opinion and I felt for all the crap he takes from OHers that someone needed to give him some kudos when he does well.

[waroriole]

I hope this is going to be one of those threads that is brought up often, to mock the OP because Reynolds is getting hot.

[wompfump]

Reynolds is the most patient guy on the team, will be in the top five in baseball in pitches seen per plate appearance, and gets on base. The only problem with him offensively has been his lack of slugging, which will obviously come. In a time where this lineup is beat up and not performing well, Reynolds has calmed the storm a bit. He can't field at third AT ALL, but keep him at first or DH. Stop switching him around. Give him consistent playing time to keep his bat going and for him to get some consistency at one position.

[Dipper9]

Small sample size, but GD did he play a great game at first last night!

[Can_of_corn]

Small sample size, but GD did he play a great game at first last night!

Yep he looked as good last night as he looked bad the night before.

[LA2]

Small sample size, but GD did he play a great game at first last night!

Made a wonderful diving catch of A-Gon's line drive, but also didn't know how many outs there were and lost the chance to double up the runner at first. As Palmer said, had he known perhaps he wouldn't have gone into that prolonged roll and step toward the dugout after the catch. A dugout shot immediately afterward showed a jaw-clenching, face red with repressed dismay Buck, although, of course, I'm sure he appreciated the catch.

This is another example of what someone mentioned in a recent game thread: that Reynolds will always be simultaneously sloppy and impressive in a generally entertaining way. A team player full of annoying pranks who strikes out and walks a lot, doesn't always have his head in the game, but intensively examines each pitch, wearing down opposing hurlers, hits Ruthian homers and can steal a base, has good defensive reflexes, but constantly throws the ball away, and hits for a low BA while getting on base at a currently .360 pace. Like someone suggested, I'd like to see him bat leadoff: he helps the rest of the lineup to see a lot of pitches, has a high OBP, and can sometimes steal a base (48 SBs 2008-2011) and definitely does not clog them like some of our other power hitters. The Andino/Chavez plan just isn't working out: they should both be at the bottom of the lineup.

[Lucky Jim]

No. There's not.