(UPDATED 3/29) Building an M's Lineup By The Book
by Decatur on Mar 19, 2009 1:45 AM PDT
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Print[NOTE: on 29 March 2009, I updated the optimized lineups to reflect Clement and Shelton starting the year in Tacoma - see the beginning of the entry for the update]
Thanks for the kind welcome everyone at Lookout Landing has given me so far. I thought I'd try my first fanpost. Sky Kalkman at Beyond the Boxscore just wrote a great article about Tom Tango and co.'s research about the ideal batting order. I love lineups because when I'm dreaming about the Mariners' future glories, they help me visualize them as well as anything. I put together a list of what the best Mariner lineup might look like. It's certainly not the last word - I'm no expert and I've probably made a number of mistakes with it. I'm more interested in hearing what others want the M's lineups to look like.
Anyways, here's the takeaway from Kalkman's article before we start:
Here's how the lineup spots rank in the importance of avoiding outs:
#1, #4, #2, #5, #3, #6, #7, #8, #9
So, you want your best three hitters to hit in the #1, #4, and #2 spots. Distribute them so OBP is higher in the order and SLG is lower. Then place your fourth and fifth best hitters, with the #5 spot usually seeing the better hitter, unless he's a high-homerun guy. Then place your four remaining hitters in decreasing order of overall hitting ability, with basestealers ahead of singles hitters. Finally, stop talking like the lineup is a make-or-break decision.
Although I haven't read The Book yet (though I hope to soon), I wanted to imagine how close Wakamatsu can realistically get to Tango's Platonic ideal of the lineup-card. And Tango works for us now (!), so we're in good hands. The media and the fans have powerfully fixed ideas about line-up construction that will not change anytime soon. Line-up construction does not affect a team's chances of winning enough to make it worth a media storm. So the goal for Wak is to construct the most sabermetrically sound lineup he can while making it seem reasonably traditional.
Remember: importance of avoiding outs: #1, #4, #2, #5, #3, #6, #7, #8, #9. The defensive numbers are guesstimates with a +/- 5 UZR 150 range that I made from looking at Fangraphs data from the past three years. The wOBA figures are the rough averages of Fangraph's five projection models (Chone, Bill James, Marcel, Oliver, and ZiPS).
SECOND UPDATE: SUNDAY, 29 MARCH 2009
I wasn’t all that upset that Clement and Shelton will be in AAA until I started making some revisions to the M’s optimized lineups. Now, I’m mad. Without those Shelton and Clement, we CANNOT platoon both Griffey and Branyan. Either Griffey or Branyan will have to hit full-time against lefties because our ONLY decent right-handed hitter off the bench will be Mike Sweeney. Balentien might improve, and he’s projected for a .320 wOBA, but he had a .257 wOBA last year and might crash and burn this year too – he’s a high-risk hitter. Balentien belongs in Tacoma much more than Clement or Shelton do, but it looks like he’ll make the club. I’m terrified the Mariners will hit Griffey full-time against lefties.
Realistically, unless someone gets hurt, Clement and Shelton won’t be called up until the beginning of May at the earliest. Shelton is arguably the M’s BEST hitter, period, even going only by the projection systems and ignoring his dynamite Spring Training. Clement has a solid chance of being our best hitter this year (he hits lefties fine, is approaching his prime, and is less than .010 wOBA off from being the M’s best projected hitter). Their bats will probably spend at least a month rotting in Tacoma. The M’s will carry Kenji Johjima (projected wOBA .306) and Rob Johnson (Projected wOBA .304), while Jeff Clement (Projected wOBA .337) and Adam Moore (Projected wOBA .320) waste away in the minors. Clement and Moore would make a killer catching platoon, but our organization’s third and fourth best catchers are making the club, while our two best catchers are not.
Aaagh. For the first time since Zduriencik came on, I have the same feeling I would get after a bad Bavasi trade. Unless this is part of some brilliant trade maneuver (involving Clement, Balantien, or Betancourt, most likely), there’s no excuse for this. We’re not even coming close to fielding our best team. Clement and Cedeno should be starting almost all our games. Shelton should start or see an at-bat or two in most of then. I’m not all that upset about Morrow’s Sherman Statement about being a starting pitcher. He knows his body and his blood-sugar levels better than we do, and he’s never given us any reason to doubt his fire, so I respect his decision. But a good chunk of the lineup Wakamatsu will pencil in this April will have no business being there. After basking in the warm, fuzzy glow of GMZ’s many good moves this offseason, this feels like seeing Vidro in the two-hole and Sexson hitting cleanup all over again.
Updated Optimized M’s Lineup vs. RHP
L (35) 1. RF Ichiro ~.340 wOBA (D +10)
R (25) 6. 2B Jose Lopez ~.320 wOBA (D +0)
L (39) 3. DH Ken Griffey Jr. ~.336 wOBA
R (30) 4. 3B Adrian Beltre ~.338 wOBA (D +10)
L (33) 5. 1B Russell Branyan ~.345 wOBA (D + 0)
R (26) 2. CF Franklin Gutierrez ~.320 wOBA (D + 15)
R (33) 7. Kenji Johjima C ~.306 wOBA (D ?)
L (31) 8. LF Endy Chavez ~.305 wOBA (D +15)
R (26) 9. SS Ronny Cedeno ~.305 wOBA (SS D + 0; 2B D +10)
BENCH
R (27) SS Yuniesky Betancourt ~.310 wOBA (D -10)
R (23) Wladamir Balantien LF/RF ~.322 wOBA (D - 10)
R (35) Mike Sweeney 1B/DH ~.324 wOBA (D ?)
R (25) Rob Johnson C ~.304 wOBA (D ?)
Waiting in AAA or AA
R (29) Chris Shelton 1B/DH ~.344 (D + 0)
L (25) Jeff Clement C ~.337 wOBA (D ?)
S (22) Reegie Corona SS/2B ~.280 wOBA (D ?)
R (25) Adam Moore C ~.320 wOBA (D?)
Gutierrez has a big career platoon split (.691 OPS vs. RHP, .801 OPS vs. LHP ’05-’08), while Lopez’s career platoon split is only about .020 OPS, so Gut hits #2 against lefties. Griffey was miserable against lefties last year (.841 OPS vs. RHP, .649 OPS vs. LHP). Johjima’s had a strong reverse platoon split in 2006, a strong regular platoon split in 2007, and, in 2008, didn’t hit anyone well but did hit 6 of his 7 homeruns against lefties. Maybe Joh can spell Griffey as DH from time to time, although Wak would have a hell of a time explaining that if he did. But what other choice does he have for Griffey’s platoon besides Balentien? Shelton, Clement, and Moore are all better options, I would argue.
Updated Optimized M’s Lineup vs. LHP
L (35) 1. RF Ichiro ~.340 wOBA (+10 D)
R (26) 6. CF Franklin Gutierrez ~.320 wOBA (+15 D)
R (35) 3. 1B Mike Sweeney ~.324 wOBA (D ?)
R (30) 4. 3B Adrian Beltre ~.338 wOBA (+10 D)
R (33) 7. Kenji Johjima C ~.306 wOBA (? D)
R (25) 3. 2B Jose Lopez ~.320 wOBA (0 D)
L (31) 8. LF Endy Chavez ~.305 wOBA (+15 D)
R (26) 9. Ronny Cedeno ~.305 wOBA (D + 0)
BENCH
R (23) Wladamir Balantien OF ~.322 wOBA (-10 D)
R (27) SS Yuniesky Betancourt ~.310 wOBA (D -10)
L (39) 3. DH Ken Griffey Jr. ~.336 wOBA (-20 D)
L (33) 5. 1B/3B Russell Branyan ~.345 wOBA (0 D)
R (25) Rob Johnson C ~.304 wOBA (D ?)
Waiting in AAA or AA
R (29) Chris Shelton 1B/DH ~.344 (D + 0)
L (25) 5. C Jeff Clement ~.337 wOBA (D ?)
S (22) Reegie Corona SS/2B ~.280 wOBA (D ?)
R (25) Adam Moore C ~.320 wOBA (D?)
DREAM LINEUP VS. RHP [Written 3/19/2009]
L (35) 1. RF Ichiro ~.340 wOBA (D +10)
R (30) 2. 3B Adrian Beltre ~.338 wOBA (D +10)
L (39) 3. DH Ken Griffey Jr. ~.336 wOBA
L (33) 4. 1B Russell Branyan ~.345 wOBA (D + 0)
L (25) 5. C Jeff Clement ~.337 wOBA (D ?)
R (25) 6. 2B Jose Lopez ~.320 wOBA (D +0)
R (26) 7. CF Franklin Gutierrez ~.320 wOBA (D + 15)
L (31) 8. LF Endy Chavez ~.305 wOBA (D +15)
*R (26) 9. Ronny Cedeno ~.305 wOBA (D + 0)
*OR R (27) SS Yuniesky Betancourt ~.310 wOBA (D -10)
R (33) Kenji Johjima C ~.306 wOBA (D ?)
R (29) Chris Shelton 1B/DH ~.344 (D + 0)
R (23) Wladamir Balantien LF/RF ~.322 OBA (D - 10)
S (22) Reegie Corona SS/2B ~.280 (D ?)
I leapt for joy when I read about the #3 hole being the 5th most important spot - we can hear Tom Hundler go "Batting third..." this year and be at peace. Ichiro almost perfect at leadoff. Beltre and Branyan are our two best sluggers (though Beltre strikes out less and seems in line for some good regression to the mean). Kalkman says, "The #2 hitter should be better than the #3 guy, and one of the best three hitters overall. And since he bats with the bases empty more often than the hitters behind him, he should be a high-OBP player." Lopez wouldn't really fit the bill, even if he has a breakout season, because he walks so little. Gutierrez doesn't walk much either and isn't a good enough hitter. Clement has some potential for #2 (he walks a ton, good hitter) but he probably needs to have some big league success under his belt first for it to be viable with the media (and even then he would be unconventional). This makes Beltre, I think, the best choice to start the year in the #2 hole, even if he doesn't walk as often as you'd like. I worry a bit about our 3-4-5 so vulnerable to lefties (all three are platoon candidates), but we have a bench for that, I guess.
Optimal M's Lineup vs. LHP
L (35) 1. RF Ichiro ~.340 wOBA (+10 D)
R (29) 2. Chris Shelton 1B ~.344 wOBA (0 D)
R (25) 3. 2B Jose Lopez ~.320 wOBA (0 D)
R (30) 4. 3B Adrian Beltre ~.338 wOBA (+10 D)
L (25) 5. DH Jeff Clement ~.337 wOBA
R (26) 6. CF Franklin Gutierrez ~.320 wOBA (+15 D)
R (33) 7. Kenji Johjima C ~.306 wOBA (? D)
*L (31) 8. LF Endy Chavez ~.305 wOBA (+15 D)
*R (26) 9. Ronny Cedeno ~.305 wOBA (D + 0)
*OR, hitting 7th, R (23) Wladamir Balantien OF ~.322 wOBA (-10 D)
*OR R (27) SS Yuniesky Betancourt ~.310 wOBA (D -10)
S (22) Reegie Corona SS/2B ~.280 wOBA (0 D?)
L (39) 3. DH Ken Griffey Jr. ~.336 wOBA (-20 D)
L (33) 5. 1B/3B Russell Branyan ~.345 wOBA (0 D)
Here, I think Shelton would be a good 2 hitter - his career BB rate is 9.4% and he has power. Clement has too much potential to keep out of the lineup, and he hit lefties better than righties in the minors. Beltre's the clear choice for cleanup here. I think Lopez has better breakout potential right now than Gutierrez, so I gave him the nod at #3. I'm not sure whether Wlad's bat would make up for the 25 run drop in UZR 150 his glove would bring.
Yeah, that's about it. What are your thoughts on the M's lineup?
UPDATE: Sky Kalkman published optimized lineups for the Twins, Mets, and Yankees yesterday and for the Cubs and Red Sox today. The first one has an even better summary of the lineup commandments. Thanks for stopping by in the comments, too, Mr. Kalkman.
To optimize the lineup, put your three best hitters in spots #1, #2, and #4, with #1 favoring low-HR, high-OBP players, #2 favoring high-OBP players, and #4 favoring high-SLG players. Then put your next two best hitters in spots #5 and #3, with the better hitter going #3 only if he derives significantly more of his value from HRs and isn't that much better than the other option. Then fill your #6 through #9 spots in decreasing order of talent, with consideration given to handedness, baserunning, and contact vs. power hitters when players are close in hitting ability. Put good baserunners ahead of contact hitters and power hitters behind players who can't advance themselves.
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Comments
Excellent first fanpost; well done all around.
I do have on minor quibble; Clement did have more success against LHP than RHP in the minors, and he’s done the same in the majors. That’s pretty unusual, and I don’t think it’s likely to continue.
Well this comment was poorly constructed.
by Aaron Campeau on Mar 19, 2009 2:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I should've been more clear on Clement
I saw your point about how reverse platoon splits are almost always flukes, and I think you’re right. I don’t think Clement will hit lefties way better than righties in the majors. I only highlighted Clement’s minor league splits to make the case that he he should be in the lineup every day (catching at least half our games and DHing maybe 1/3 of them, with Junior DHing the rest). I called him a platoon player only because there’s talk he might platoon this year.
Also, thanks for the kind words, everyone. Much appreciated (although I’m unsure exactly what all this talk of owning is about).
Also, I should’ve added something about how lineup construction becomes more important as games become more important (sort of like a leverage index). Maybe someone who likes Greek letters more than I do has figured exactly how much difference it can make in one game or in a playoff series.
Also from The Book
You should regress platoon splits 50% towards average at 2200 PAs by righties against lefties and 1000 PAs by lefties against righties. That’s for hitters, the numbers for pitchers are much lower, as there’s more variation in platoon affects with pitchers (think Chad Bradford or any LOOGY with a sick slider and nothing else.)
Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.
Nice post.
After a couple of years of being vulnerable to righties for lack of – how do you say? ah yes! left handed sock – I’m really liking what I see at the top of the order.
One thing I think is worth considering is rotating the order of Griffey/Branyan/Clement. There will certainly be times when the 3-4-5 hitters come up late in the game with men on and the other team’s LOOGy will get called upon to get through them. You want the first guy to be the one that is easiest to pull from the game, and while Griffey should not be allowed to face lefties late and close the fact is it’s going to be hard to pull the trigger on that in front of a fan base that has been living on memories of the late nineties. Branyan is coming here with the understanding that he will be platooned unless he hits his way out of it so he should not grumble too much.
So now you have a lefty specialist having to face a lefty-mashing specialist. If the pitcher is not pulled in favor of another righty (probably not – Shelton is not that scary) it may be better to hit Clement next as he has less vulnerability to same-handed pitching and the #4 spot is less important than the #5. Finally, in the five-hole, you get Griffey, where he has enough protection from lefties and can be replaced with Balentien if need be.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Mar 19, 2009 6:19 AM PDT reply actions
This is excellent. Great work.
I don’t think Wlad’s bat will make up for his horrendous defense, so going with Endy seems to make the most sense. Maybe Wlad will prove me wrong. Same thing with Yuni and Cedeno to a lesser extent.
Throw the snacks in the bag and I'm ghost like Swayze!
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997
But you can pinch-hit Wlad or Shelton for some of those guys.
You get to face a single starter for most of the game (unless you’re kicking ass). Build a lineup for that, and adjust to circumstances as they arise.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
Yes, and when you PH those guys they bring in a right hander.
Griffey faces a lefty = easy out
Branyan up next = forced to PH, right hander brought in to face Shelton
It’s a very bad idea to hit them back to back.
See Bearskin Rugburns argument above for switching Griffey to #5
Of course, that sort of undoes the Tango argument for having your better hitter at #5
The big problem is we don't have any high OBP righties, and all our MOTO lefties have huge platoon splits
and hitting 4 lefties in a row is a bad idea if the bad guys have a left handed reliever. I’m not sure the book really applies here.
It think I’d hit them
Ichrio
Cedeno/Guttierez
Branyan
Beltre
Griffey
Lopez
Clement
Guttierez/Betancourt
Chavez
With Clement moving up the order (2/4) one he demonstrates that he’s ready to be a big league hitter
My gut says
L Ichiro
R Beltre
R Lopez
L Branyon / R Shelton
L Griffey
R Guitierez
L Clement / R Johjima
R Cedeno / R Betancourt
R Chavez
With platoons in #4 and #7 slots
and with either Cedeno or Betancourt at #8 depending on who wins the position.
Easy to pinch hit for Branyan though (assuming Shelton is still available)
But this is venturing dangerously close to lineup-bation. (What’s the term for this? The lineup version of rosterbation?)
I think if I were filling out the lineup card
I might hit Branyan third because homeruns are worth the most with runners on, or two out and no one on.
Nice links, nice post.
This is the kind of logical thinking that’s interesting to read, much better than McClaren explaining Vidro in the 2-hole because he’s hit more doubles than anyone else in the lineup.
From what I remember
I like Beltre in the #2 hole. What he lacks in classic hit & run bat control, he makes up for in OBP, power and base-stealing.
I’m not sure how much value there is in looking at how people perform in different lineup slots (SSS and all)… but I know that it’s considered very important to players. And I think I remember Beltre thriving more in the #2 slot than in the heart of the lineup.
Very, very well done.
Why would I watch Transformers when I can play with them at my house?
by .Taylor on Mar 19, 2009 6:33 PM PDT reply actions
2 spot
I don’t think Beltre is ideal in the 2 slot. Guitierrez or Endy could be the best fit. I’m a firm believer that you put speed in the first two spots, because getting on board early gives you a better chance to win. I also put a speedy guy in the number 9 slot. I think Endy, Cedeno, Gutz, or Chavez end up in the 9 spot. How often have we seen Ichiro not score because he has a pokey bastard in front of him on the basepaths? I like Beltre in the 3 or 6 spots.
Gutierrez and Endy aren't very good hitters though.
(actually Gutierrez might be but he hasn’t shown it yet so I’ll remain skeptical for now.)
But generally you want your best hitters to get as many PAs as possible (with some exceptions, such as putting your best hitter fourth) and the #2 hitter gets a ton of PAs. I love speed at the top of the lineup, but not at the expense of more outs.
by Aaron Campeau on Mar 27, 2009 1:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Gutz, Endy, Beltre
Beltre .327 career OBP, aided by ridiculous 2004 OBP of .388. Gets extra-base hits.
Gutz .308 career OBP, largely determined by last year, but he has potential to be better, and patience and speed. Needs to learn to take a walk vs. fight it off.
Endy .311 career OBP, better vs righties, which is where I would bat him #2.
I guess I can concede that Adrian Beltre’s ability to hit for extra bases would put him in a good place to be a #2 hitter. I would not be unhappy with him there, not in the slightest.
If Gutierrez can hit as well as I think he can, he's a perfect #2 hitter.
I’m trying not to get overly excited.
by Aaron Campeau on Mar 27, 2009 3:29 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Gutz can go #2 also
Speed, some power, and patience. Like I said, just needs to learn to walk vs. fight it off. He ain’t Ichiro.
Exactly.
Sure, other players get a higher percentage of their value from OBP, but when their OBP is actually lower than Beltre’s, well, you want the better hitter higher in the lineup.
Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.
On Gutierrez
If Gutierrez can hit close to his minor league slash line (.281/.347/.454), he’d be an excellent choice for #2 hitter (Gut’s major league slashline is .258/.308/.409). He still strikes out alot, and he wouldn’t be a #2 hitter like A-Rod in ‘96, but he’d be one of the M’s best hitters for sure. If you want Beltre in the three or six spot (and accept the Book’s lineup optimization calculations), then you’’re implicitly saying that Beltre’s only the M’s 5th or 6th best hitter. Also, Kalkman’s article talks about how you don’t want to stack speed back to back in the lineup because it’s harder to steal as many bases that way. It’s better to put a basestealer in the #6 ot #7 than in the #2 hole because the en of the lineup usually is full of singles hitters. I saw your lineup below and it looks solid, however. I’d just do it a little differently.
Are you familiar with the Tango approach mentioned above?
The speed at the top idea is a bit old school. Out prevention goes further than speed in creating runs, because as David Cameron once asked Brian Hunter, “How will you steal first base?”
Do you have more than a gut feeling as to why speed will score more runs?
Score from first on a double
but even that’s stretching it. I understand the concept, but in practice, you’d always rather have high OBP guys at the top
by seattlebruin on Mar 31, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions
The Book suggests that speed is important at the top of the lineup, but not SBs
Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.
Smack me with a fish!
I’m stupid for saying Beltre 3 or 6. Two or four makes the most sense.
Mine
1. Ichiro
2. Endy/ Gutz
3. Beltre
4. Branyan/ Sweeney
5. Griffey/ Balentien/ Johjima
6. Lopez
7. Clement/ Johjima
8. Betancourt/ Cedeno
9. Gutz/ Balentien
If Endy is in the field, Gutz is 9, if Balentien is in the field Gutz is 2 ( Balentien may also be a 2 hole option if he is as patient as he was two years ago), if Griffey is in left field… god help us; we have worse things to think about than who bats 2 or 9. Most of the stuff is platoon splits, but the other options represent flexibility that will occur due to shifting playing times.
First is always vs righty, second is vs lefty (cept Cedeno), third is alternates.
Hitting Grffey and Branyan back to back is a horrible idea
but I probably mentioned that earlier.
by JI on Mar 27, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions
The alternative
vs. Righties
(especially if “AHHH no Clement WTF?!?!”)
L 1. RF Ichiro
R 2. CF Gutierrez/2B Lopez
L 3. DH Griffey
R 4. 3B Beltre
L 5. 1B Branyan
L 6. C Clement OR R 6. 2B Lopez/CF Gutierrez
7…another option for Clement
etc.
That would be a good lineup too.
Endy Chavez is a terrible hitter
Why would you bat him second ever?
And Gutierrez very good either but at least there’s a chance he might develop into one.
His numbers with a full time job are not as terrible as one would think
2004 (2nd full season) wOBA .311, 32 stolen bases, 132 games, 547 PA
2006 wOBA .338, 133 games, 390 PA
If you go check out his numbers it seems he has a good year at the plate and a bad year the next; last year was a bad year, so I’ll be optimistic about his cyclical nature.
Nope, darn what an oversight on my part
Guess I should take a look at the rest of the team now…..Boy is there egg on my face I tell you what…..
….Oh wait, well now that I look at it what do you know, Endy Chavez is worse than almost any of these guys at hitting.
Revisions
v. Righty
1. Ichiro L
2. Beltre R (maybe Gutz, more PA is good, Beltre 4 if Gutz is here)
3. Griffey L
4. Lopez R (6 if Beltre here)
5. Branyan L
6. Cedeno/ Betancourt (whoever wins battle)
7. Clement
8. Gutz
9. Endy
v. Lefty
1. Ichiro L
2. Beltre R
3. Lopez R
4. Sweeney R at DH
5. Branyan L at 1b
6. Gutz R
7. Balentien R in LF
8. Johjima R
9. Cedeno R/ Betancourt R
The righty lineup is puzzling
Why is our SS hitting sixth? either way, he’ll probably be our worst hitter. I’d probably put endy eighth and SS ninth so endy can steal bases in front of our singles hitters like Cedeno/Yuni and Ichiro.
The Lefty lineup makes sense, although I have little confidence in Balantien. Maybe he’ll do better, though.
6 and 8 switch on against righties you say?
Righty lineup is not puzzling, we avoid having a bunch of lefties in a row with the alternation in the lineup. It also addresses concerns about having Griffey and Branyan back to back. Cedeno/ Betancourt can also make since, as both are good baserunners, and Clement can move knock em in with his extra-base ability. But the switch you propose makes plenty of sense also. As the book says lineups aren’t life or death.
Does anyone else think that Balentien is the wildcard in our line-up? I think they will want to play him, because they want to trade him.
Nice revisions Decatur
Though I have to wonder why you give Balentien no play time against lefties, when he should mash them. I would put Balentien out in LF versus lefties. Other than that, I think I’m in pretty much total agreement.
I wouldn’t get too mad about Shelton, he’ll be up within the first two months, Clement will also be up within that period (if not traded for a RH starter), unless pitcher output is just phenomenal with Rob Johnson behind the plate, and he shows that he can hit MLB pitching. If he does that, though, we can trade Johnson, as he has already been inquired about. I’m the only one, but I think Johnson has Dan Wilson potential.
One thing: you forgot the DH vs Lefties. Johjima should be DH then, with Johnson starting at catcher. You can slot Johnson anywhere in the last 3 lineup spots, as he has good speed and can actually steal bases well for a catcher (8-10 per year potential, as good as Beltre).
Why are the links in this diary red now?
I’m scared
by Graham MacAree on Mar 31, 2009 11:29 AM PDT reply actions
Sending Clement down angered the spirits in the SBNation network
They’re probably angrier than the ones in the house in The Amityville Horror. For God’s Sake, Get Out!
Actually, it might be because of copying and pasting
I copied what had originally been the beginning of my body and pasted it into the end of my intro when I updated this post. That’s my best guess.
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