Benching Nixon

[mosox]

Tito will most likely bench Trot for a second game with Leiter on the mound. The guy slams 5 RBI's Friday night and then gets to sit out two games and watch Millar play in right. Nixon has not hit well against leftys in past years but his average against leftys this year is up to 270 with an OBP of 341. That's better than Millar's numbers against leftys, 235 avg, 300 OBP. I'm sick and tired of Tito playing this lefty/righty stat game when a guy like Trot is swinging a hot bat.

[trotmanNixon]

I can't agree with you more. I am tired of not seeing Trot Nixon in right field. I get totally aggravated when I see Millar, a 1st baseman playing RF. Like you said the guy gets a 3-run homerun Thursday, an inside the park homerun on Friday and he gets to watch today’s game from the bench. Maybe he did something to piss off management, because I really don't see the logic otherwise. I could understand it a little more if we were playing the Devil Rays or something like that, but this is the Yankees we are playing, now is not really the best time to benching your starters. Hopefully this doesn't lead to Trot's departure from Boston, because that would make me very sad.

[Sizzlin22]

I can't agree with you more. I am tired of not seeing Trot Nixon in right field. I get totally aggravated when I see Millar, a 1st baseman playing RF. Like you said the guy gets a 3-run homerun Thursday, an inside the park homerun on Friday and he gets to watch today’s game from the bench. Maybe he did something to piss off management, because I really don't see the logic otherwise. I could understand it a little more if we were playing the Devil Rays or something like that, but this is the Yankees we are playing, now is not really the best time to benching your starters. Hopefully this doesn't lead to Trot's departure from Boston, because that would make me very sad.

Biased opinion. Anyways I agree with taking Trot out of the lineup when lefties are pitching, just look at his career numbers against lefties. It's not like Millar damaged us in any way today.

[element1151]

I'd still rather have Nixon out there then Millar.

[trotmanNixon]

I see your point and I am a bit biased, but if you look at the stats this season, Millar is actually batting .235 against lefties as Trot is batting .270. So I can understand taking him out when we had Payton because he was batting .295 against lefties. But with Payton gone I just can't see benching him right now while we are playing the Yankees, especially since he was super hot in the first two games of the series. But once again I am a bit biased and will admit it.

[Sizzlin22]

True Nixons average is a little higher but it's also in a signifigantly less ammount of at bats.

[Sox fan in Tex]

Too bad that Stern isn't a righty. I assume that we'd keep Nixon in there for Sunday.... makes more sense with those numbers that you guys have shown. .270 vs. leftys for Nixon, .235 for Millar.

[trotmanNixon]

True Nixons average is a little higher but it's also in a signifigantly less ammount of at bats.

 

That is true, Millar does have 44 more at bats against lefties this year. I am just mad at the timing I guess since we are playing the Yankees. Trot Nixon is batting .286 against Yankee lefties this season, but with only 7 at bats as Millar is batting .231 with 13 at bats. So, really if you go on averages, you could go either way. As long as Millar doesn't make fielding mistakes I guess I can live with it for a few games.

[MaNnY4pReZ24]

Biased opinion. Anyways I agree with taking Trot out of the lineup when lefties are pitching, just look at his career numbers against lefties. It's not like Millar damaged us in any way today.

The only way for him to get better against lefties is to get some at bats against them. Since we got Kapler back im sure tht we will bench him still but i have to disagree with benchin him.

[Irish Jay]

I could not agree anymore with the person who started this post. Nixon is a heart and soul player on this team and taking him out of the lineup as often as Francoma does just makes this team not as good. Nixon's average against lefties is very modest this year.. As the guy said in this thread Nixon has a far higher batting average against lefties than Millar does, however Millar is Tito's sweetheart.

 

Another thing, how can we ever expect Nixon to EVER hit lefties when he never gets a shot at them!?!?!?.....PLAY NIXON FRANCONA STOP BEING A DUD!!!

[yankees228]

I'm glad that Francona is not playing Nixon against the Yankee lefties. I understand that his numbers are poor against lefties but he always scares me. Besides Ortiz he is the Yankee killer and he always seems to hit the ball hard. I completely see where you guys are coming from by saying you want him in the lineup.

[GabeKaplerluver19]

Millar is too slow to be in the outfield!

[soxie thefangirl]

He was fine yesterday.

[Irish Jay]

Nixon reminds me a lot of Paul O'neil. He is just a great fiery presence in the clubhouse that inspires the rest of the Red Sox. Early in his career it was O'neil who was subbed out of the games against lefties but an intelligent manager like Joe Torre realized how much of an important player he was and started him every game. In turn what happened is that O'neil became pretty good against lefties. Not great but he held his own.

 

Nixon has been pretty steady against lefties this year but despite that he continues to be taken out of the game. 5 RBI's Friday night and as Mosox said he will likely sit 2 straight games in a huge divisional series!!! Quite frankly its INEXUCSEABLE!! We need Trot in the lineup! Not too mention the fact that Millar can go 0 for 60 and still be an every day player. I just don't get it.

[YanksHater213]

Tito needs to learn that to win, especially vs. the Yankees, we need to play our best lineup. And our best lineup doesnt involve Kevin Millar in right field. It involves Trot Nixon there, and until he is hitting .200 or something like that against lefties, he should play against them.

[Sizzlin22]

Tito needs to learn that to win, especially vs. the Yankees, we need to play our best lineup.

With a lefty starter Millar over Nixion may very well be the best possible lineup. Nixion could probably have hit lefties had they started him more often against the when he was younger, but he has in essence, been groomed not to hit lefties. It's too late in his career to try and start to break him back into hitting lefties.

[BoSox21]

Trot Nixon is a hugely underrated player. He's fantastic with the bat and he's probably been the Sox best fielder this season. He should be a mainstay in the lineup, especially when he's swinging a hot bat

[sarasoxfan]

millar is a member of the "asses of evil" (bellhorn, millar and embree) he is fat and useless, and with his measly 4 homers a waste.

 

Nixon, on the other hand is fantastic, he should be playing everyday..even against lefties, with a rolled up newspaper, bliondfolded, holding a bucket of chicken (all eaten by millar) nixon would be better than that windbag.

[trotmanNixon]

Well Trot is starting tonight in RF, so all is well at least for tonight. Maybe he will have a huge game against Leiter tonight.

[Irish Jay]

millar is a member of the "asses of evil" (bellhorn, millar and embree) he is fat and useless, and with his measly 4 homers a waste.

 

Nixon, on the other hand is fantastic, he should be playing everyday..even against lefties, with a rolled up newspaper, bliondfolded, holding a bucket of chicken (all eaten by millar) nixon would be better than that windbag.

 

 

This post is so funny and cruel but yet so true!! Although I like Bellhorn but I agree his playing time needs to be limited. Millar is a fried chicken eating, useless turd boy.

[BoSox21]

well, say what you want but aside from wakefield, millar was probably the best guy out there for us last night and he has been hitting very well lately