In some ways, I admire the restraint of John Farrell. He held off an entire 20 games before the irresistible lure of Corey Patteron's Speed at The Top of The Order suckered him in.
Needless to say, the mythical hit and run opportunities with Patterson and Yunel Escobar come after Patterson - who reached base three times in the last 5 games, rocking a healthy .245 on base for the young season - steals first.
As dear friends Rob and Kris said lo those many years ago "we have nothing against him, just don't hit him leadoff." The man has skills, none of which are best suited at the top of the lineup.
Guhhhh.
ReplyDeleteYou know, with Nix and Hill on the DL, I actually think Mike McCoy is probably the best leadoff option on this team if he's going to be playing every day. He had a .411 OBP in AAA last year, .405 the year before that, and still-respectable .376 the year before that. And he's fast, which seems to be a quality JF looks for at the top of the lineup.
Mille fois, non.
ReplyDeleteEscobar is a good choice as a leadoff hitter, even if he is in a slump at the moment. He walks, hits for a decent average, and can steal the occasional base. A leadoff hitter ought to be one of the team's top three hitters, and at the moment Yunel qualifies.
ReplyDeleteI blinked when I saw the comment on ESPN's power rankings for the Jays' Then I figured it was probably Drew. Then I confirmed. Laughs were had.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to see any more speed from Patterson than I have from Travis Snider, in that Snider a) knows how to bunt, and b) arrives before the ball at first base when executing said bunt.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why Mike Mcoy isn't an option as a 1 or 2 hitter. He's better than Chone Figgins over the last 2 years, and he's getting all kinds of PA's at the top of that Mariners lineup! :P