Down goes Gamel [Knee reinjured, out for 2013 season]

[Ennder]

I know that Carp hits better against lefties, but you have to wonder where this leaves Overbay with BOS.

 

That lefties thing is almost certainly just a fluke like it almost always is. I suspect he is probably even against RHP and LHP at best in the future. Having said that Overbay shouldn't be on a major league roster at this point.

[xisxisxis]

You need to take another look. Halton's career numbers: .294/.352/.448. That's an .800 OPS on the nose.

 

I know very well what Halton's numbers are. I looked them up. I also looked up his home/ road splits for last year in the PCL (a notorious hitters league) where Halton had coors field like splits except in reverse (monster away, career like home). So I discount his performance last year as being driven by some very good numbers in some very hitter friendly parks (how did that Christian Guerrero guy turn out after inflated high desert performance, or Dave krynzel, or any other brewer prospect who had a great year at high desert and never again).

 

Halton has 40 HR in 4 milb seasons, Morris has 57 in 3 and has yet to feast on PCL parks. That's more than 40% more HR in 1 less year than Halton. There's very little in Halton's numbers that predict success in the majors. In fact they scream organizational filler.

[The stache]

Braun, Gamel. Guh.

 

I want to give up, but I'll stay for the GIFs!

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img577/6301/workingp.gif

[Nottso]

People need to chill about the '1B is easy' comments, as they're being made within the context of MLB. Out of all the positions in MLB, 1B is by far the easiest.

 

Exactly.

[monty57]

People need to chill about the '1B is easy' comments, as they're being made within the context of MLB. Out of all the positions in MLB, 1B is by far the easiest.

 

Exactly.

 

It is certainly the position which requires the least athletic ability, but like any position in MLB, any miscues are unacceptable. I think most competent MLB defenders could learn to play first, but I wouldn't want to throw someone out there without giving them time to practice. First base is something like third base without the throw. You get a lot of shots at you, which OFs aren't accustomed to, you need to know where to go on every play (backup, cutoff, etc), and most importantly, you need to be able to scoop throws in the dirt, which is something no other position really sees on a regular basis. It's great to see a "real defender" go to first and make diving stops on baseballs, but that is completely offset if they routinely let throws in the dirt skip by them.

 

Again, most players at the MLB level are so good at every aspect of the game that first base should be "easy" for them to learn. However, there is a reason Red Sox nation gets their panties in a bunch every year during interleague play when Ortiz may have to take the field. A first baseman who can't field bad throws will give away a lot of runs as outs are turned into errors.