you make me feel like a natural astro

[BatGirl]

let's say garner takes twinkie's advice on how to build a winning team, and he has everyone play in their natural positions.  what does the starting line-up look like?

 

[Lurch]

Grounders to the right have no chance getting past our 5 first basemen?

[JackAstro]

2B Biggio
LF Pence
1B Berkman
1B Lee
1B Lamb
2B Loretta
LF Scott
C Ausmus
SS/Rover Bruntlett

I acknowledge that there may be some flaws with this. I haven't figured out which guy is going to pitch, or from where, but I'm getting there.

[mihoba]

2B Biggio
LF Pence
1B Berkman
DH Lee
DH Lamb
2B Loretta
LF Scott
C Ausmus
SS/Rover Bruntlett

I acknowledge that there may be some flaws with this. I haven't figured out which guy is going to pitch, or from where, but I'm getting there.

Fixed it. And just where is 2B Chris "Mazeroski" Burke? Playing out of position has caused all of his problems, you know.

[homer]

2B Biggio
LF Pence
1B Berkman
1B Lee
1B Lamb
2B Loretta
LF Scott
C Ausmus
SS/Rover Bruntlett

I acknowledge that there may be some flaws with this. I haven't figured out which guy is going to pitch, or from where, but I'm getting there.

Lamb is a 'natural' 3B.

[JackAstro]

Fixed it. And just where is 2B Chris "Mazeroski" Burke? Playing out of position has caused all of his problems, you know.

I felt that his current natural position was 'bench'. Only so many spots in the lineup, y'know.

[Limey]

Fixed it. And just where is 2B Chris "Mazeroski" Burke? Playing out of position has caused all of his problems, you know.

Only position player not to reach base last night (7/2).  Nice spiral route on a liner to RCF too.

I know he's been pushed around by the club a little, but he just looks like a bad player to me.  If he was better that would shine through sometime, but it simply doesn't.  At his best, he's mediocre.

[Froback]

Only position player not to reach base last night (7/2).  Nice spiral route on a liner to RCF too.

I know he's been pushed around by the club a little, but he just looks like a bad player to me.  If he was better that would shine through sometime, but it simply doesn't.  At his best, he's mediocre.

If he is the club's best young candidate for 2B after Biggio, what does that say about the other candidates?

[S.P. Rodriguez]

If he is the club's best young candidate for 2B after Biggio, what does that say about the other candidates?

Do we know this to be a stated opinion by anyone in the organization at this point?  Seriously, check out this 2B of the futures stats against righties... very fine display of hitting prowess (think Mendoza line, only worse).  And the raving comments on his "gem of a play" last week at 2B strike me as the type of play where a player with better footwork and a non-noodle arm would have looked much more routine.  Just my opinion of course.

[Limey]

If he is the club's best young candidate for 2B after Biggio, what does that say about the other candidates?

I think Purpura's behaving like a stock holder with a shitty stock.  He's waiting for it to come back, and losing, instead of cutting his losses.

Burke has been around the bigs for 4 years now: he's been nothing special with the bat at best, and has been average at best when he's played at 2B.  He doesn't have a high enough OBP to lead off, he doesn't make contact enough to hit 2nd, he doesn't have the power to hit 3, 4 or 5 and he doesn't have the average to hit 6 or 7.

So there you have it: an average glove who'll bat #8.  Where do I sign?

[xxx]

Lamb is a 'natural' 3B.

wouldn't Biggio be a catcher? Isn't that his natural position?

[Andyzipp]

wouldn't Biggio be a catcher? Isn't that his natural position?

Despite the rewrite I'm seeing all over the place, Biggio wasn't a great catcher, he was okay but he could hit.  The organization moved him to second as much to preserve his speed as to get a more competent back stop.  Of course, somehow that turned into Eddie Taubensee and Scott Servais.

[Noe]

Of course, somehow that turned into Eddie Taubensee and Scott Servais.

Two guys who, of course, lacked the seven tools that Biggio had.

[Froback]

Despite the rewrite I'm seeing all over the place, Biggio wasn't a great catcher, he was okay but he could hit.  The organization moved him to second as much to preserve his speed as to get a more competent back stop.  Of course, somehow that turned into Eddie Taubensee and Scott Servais.

My issue wasn't that they turned to Taubensee, it was that they traded Lofton for him.  But then hind-sight and all.

[JimR]

My issue wasn't that they turned to Taubensee, it was that they traded Lofton for him.  But then hind-sight and all.

at the time, it did not look like a bad trade.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Despite the rewrite I'm seeing all over the place, Biggio wasn't a great catcher, he was okay but he could hit.  The organization moved him to second as much to preserve his speed as to get a more competent back stop.  Of course, somehow that turned into Eddie Taubensee and Scott Servais.

Biggio's greatest problem at catcher was his inability to throw out runners stealing bases. He was so bad that it affected his ability to catch with men on base. I remember guys running at will, to which Biggio would react to buy trying to hurry up his throws, which took him out of a good receiving posistion, which led to more and more passed balls, more runners advancing, more runs scored against. He wasn't improving as a catcher. He made the all-star team but not because he was a good catcher. He was a hitter who played catcher.

Biggio sure seems to be playing better now that his playing time is based on performance and not achieving a goal. This team is not out of it yet, and until it is, there is no way Biggio's gonna step aside and let Burke have his job. And Burke hasn't done squat to take it from Bidge. He might take a lot of games off but Biggio is the official starting 2nd baseman and will be for the rest of the season.

[matadorph]

Biggio: .259/.302/.403

Burke: .218/.307/.323

Burke hasn't done anything to make me think he should be the starting second-baseman.