Who will be this years Yuni or Kotsay?

[mothershipconnection]

No doubt about it: Izturis is not any good. Unlike Betancourt, though, he can play 3 positions competently and was signed to be an emergency-plan utility infielder on a minor league deal. If that were Yuni's role, and his salary, nobody would've really had a problem with him.

[logan82]

Corey Patterson.

[hawing]

Corey Patterson.

If he darkens any door in Milwaukee, I'm on board with this.

Longtime bf.net readers might remember my reliever rage when the Brewers (temporarily) took back Jaime Navarro. I was pretty sure it was a bad idea and look how that turned out. C-Patt would be worse yet. At least Navarro was passable his first time through.

 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, something-something. May he stay submerged in Nashville.

[Madtown343]

Patterson is not relevant.

 

I think the more we discuss this the more I think people are right when they say we really dont have "that Guy" this season.

 

I think Gonzo is going to frustrate people offensively with the high K numbers, but if his D is stellar people will his role on the team. Likewise I think Aramis will struggle in the field with wild throws and Gamel's inexperience will not help cover up his liabilities. However, offensively he can hide those problems by hitting well with runners in scoring position and being a clutch performer.

 

I will go with the guys I think are under the most pressure to start the season, especially from the casual fan.

 

Lineup:

 

It has to be Gamel. The casual fan already has traded him for "a bag of balls" countless times by now, and if he gets off to a slow start it will turn into an I told you he couldnt hit major league hitting. I think he can and will prove them wrong, I just hope he really is in excellent shape and ready to seize his first real chance at a big league spot.

 

Rotation:

 

I am going to go Marcum. The guy was awesome, maybe our best pitcher for the entire regular season. However, if we go back to his first start against the Reds where he struggled with command and the message boards were flooded with we traded Lawrie for Suppan #2!!! Well all of those posters hibernated til the playoffs and Marcum laid 3 consecutive stinkers and looked just as beaten mentally as he did physically. If he were to get off to a slow start in the regular season I could see people riding their recent memory of the post season and really trying to put emphasis on how Lawrie would really look good on this team

 

Bullpen:

 

The obvious is Loe because everyone already thinks he had a horrible 2011. (Despite the reality that he was effective more often than not, and especially when used versus righties) However, I actually think the guy who could be ridden this year could be Parra who people are sick of hearing about his potential or Krod if he cant find ways to wiggle out of jams quite so consistently this season.

 

 

I think it is a good thing that we have to look so hard to find who we think might be a weak link. Is it report date yet?

[Bombers]

I think Izturis is possible, because you will have times when he is the designated bunter, doesn't get it down, and makes an out. He'll also probably bunt twice a game in the games he starts.

 

Cesar Izturis. If he's on the MLB roster, the guy is pure agony with the stick. He's just like Yuni, except he cant make contact.

 

Ding Ding Ding Ding ... we have ourselves 2 winners.

[monty57]

Actually Ishikawa is probably "this year's Kotsay." A guy whose history shows that he shouldn't be able to hit, so posters say shouldn't be on the roster, but he defies odds and actually does hit some, but posters continue saying he still shouldn't be playing because he shouldn't be hitting as well as he is.

 

Now, if they start playing Hart at 1B and Ishikawa in the OF, then he will really be "this year's Kotsay," because he will also be playing in a defensive position which he is not capable of playing.

[jerichoholicninja]

We knew last year that Yuni was going to be the starter and stink.

 

We hoped Izturis wasn't going to have to start but he has and stinks.

 

While similar, they are different situations.

[MJLiverock]

I think Monty57 hit it with Ishikawa to Kotsay comp but the Izturis to YB's made a strong push. Still amazes me to see posts expecting good things from Izturis prior to the season.