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Buck: "I've Got Sleeper Ideas on Leadoff"

MASNPalmer

By MASNPalmer
in Orioles Talk

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Ruzious Hangout Grand Counsel

Ruzious

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This. I don't want to hand a bunch of ABs to an inferior player on the off chance he gets on base in front of Manny in the AB that Manny is able to deliver. I'd rather have Manny first and if he gets a double, he's set up those behind him well and if he homers then it's nice to have an early run.

If someone like Rickard or Reimold or Kim can surprise and show a great skill for getting on base, I'm all for them in the leadoff spot, but I don't want to put them there in hopes they'll perform. I'd rather have them prove they can perform and then put them there as a result.

Why play Rickard at all if you're not going to bat him leadoff? His best skill is getting on base, and I want my best hitters to be up with runners on base. If Rickard can't do a good job of getting on base, he probably shouldn't be playing.

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srock Veteran All-Star

srock

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Why play Rickard at all if you're not going to bat him leadoff? His best skill is getting on base, and I want my best hitters to be up with runners on base. If Rickard can't do a good job of getting on base, he probably shouldn't be playing.

Sure, Rickard fits the mold and it would be great if he can do it. But if he gets a bunch of PA's and puts up a .690 OPS while Manny is putting up .850 hitting 2nd and 3rd, was it really a worthwhile move? Ideally your highest OPS players would get the most PA's. That's the primary goal.

If some sort of leadoff platoon, matchup switch-a-roo can produce 600+ PA's at a close to Manny level OPS, OBP driven as opposed to SLG, then by all means, lets try that.

But I don't see any likely combination of bats that will do this. Maybe...but most likely getting Manny to the plate 5 times most games will be the biggest benefit.

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DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

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I can see that with OBP, but doesn't slugging skew a preference towards having men already on base? Obvi there's only one PA per game when that matters to the lead-off guy, but still...

Look in The Book. Yea, you'd prefer to have your best hitters batting 2 or 4, but 1 isn't a bad option. If you just made a batting order by descending OPS over the last 1000 PAs you'd probably do as well anything.

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Number5 Hangout Grand Counsel

Number5

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Why play Rickard at all if you're not going to bat him leadoff? His best skill is getting on base, and I want my best hitters to be up with runners on base. If Rickard can't do a good job of getting on base, he probably shouldn't be playing.

I think that his most likely primary roles will be pinch-running for Wieters in the late innings and being a late inning defensive replacement in the outfield.

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Aristotelian Hangout Grand Counsel

Aristotelian

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I think that his most likely primary roles will be pinch-running for Wieters in the late innings and being a late inning defensive replacement in the outfield.

Depends. It appears we have dropped out of the bidding on Cespedes, so we still have a hole in RF. We really don't even know what we have in Kim for LF. He may get a chance to get some ABs.

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Number5 Hangout Grand Counsel

Number5

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Depends. It appears we have dropped out of the bidding on Cespedes, so we still have a hole in RF. We really don't even know what we have in Kim for LF. He may get a chance to get some ABs.

Sure, he may set the league on fire in spring training at force his way into the lineup and never look back. As I said, though, that is not his most likely role.

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