Mookie?

[southpaw777]

Mookie may not be as consitent as Xander, but hes probably still the best option as a leadoff hitter IMHO. JBJ, to me, could be leadoff but he has to show more consistency as well. Hes been on a hot 6 week or so stint, and i know hes going to come back to earth. I just want to see if he can maintain a BA higher than 167 when he goes into one of his slumps. Mookie has been more consistent than JBJ in that way so far, and Im not one for messing with a lineup that is having this much success...

[redsoxdirtdog]

Perhaps the biggest reason not to move him????

 

FEAR OF screwing with a lineup that is clearly working. I'm way too superstitious to mess with things right now.

[Slasher9]

Mookie is the leadoff hitter for the next half dozen years. why is this even debatable?

he's 23....the OBP so many seemed to be so concerned about will improve with experience......

[redsoxdirtdog]

Mookie is the leadoff hitter for the next half dozen years. why is this even debatable?

he's 23....the OBP so many seemed to be so concerned about will improve with experience......

 

Come on Slash. Everything is debatable. & if not? We'LL make it so.

[mvp 78]

Perhaps the biggest reason not to move him????

 

FEAR OF screwing with a lineup that is clearly working. I'm way too superstitious to mess with things right now.

 

Being worried about how a lineup switch would impact the team is a real concern. Some guys can't hit leadoff, but Betts can.

 

Being worried about how a change create some supernatural rift in how the Red Sox play is not a real concern obviously.

[redsoxdirtdog]

Being worried about how a lineup switch would impact the team is a real concern. Some guys can't hit leadoff, but Betts can.

 

Being worried about how a change create some supernatural rift in how the Red Sox play is not a real concern obviously.

 

 

Then you've never played baseball?

 

[Emp9]

Come on Slash. Everything is debatable. & if not? We'LL make it so.

 

My feelings exactly.

[redsoxdirtdog]

Being worried about how a lineup switch would impact the team is a real concern. Some guys can't hit leadoff, but Betts can.

 

Being worried about how a change create some supernatural rift in how the Red Sox play is not a real concern obviously.

 

 

It's this very laissez-faire fan attitude that caused 2003!

Edited May 16, 2016 by redsoxdirtdog

[redsoxdirtdog]

my feelings exactly.

 

lol

[mvp 78]

Then you've never played baseball?

 

 

Not professionally.

[devildavid]

I don't think that only certain players are fit to hit leadoff. The only certain time you hit leadoff is at the beginning of the game. After that, the leadoff man can vary. It does not matter where you hit in the lineup. You either can hit or you can't. But since players do have a certain mentality about where they hit. it could impact performance.

 

Here is an analysis of how often batters hit in the same spot in a game:

 

how-often-batters-actually-bat-their-batting-order-position

[redsoxdirtdog]

Not professionally.

 

 

Sorry mvp 78. I fully admit to being a complete superstitious Boston Sports nutjob. Was like that playing, & it's turned into a very manageable OCD professionally. Generally serves me well, but can get "sticky" to watch..... I just made it a policy never to actually watch a sporting event with a client when I was in the business world. Now I'm in the public sector, so they have to put up with my "eccentricities."

 

DON'T MOVE HIM! This has become an existential threat.

[Bellhorn04]

I don't think that only certain players are fit to hit leadoff. The only certain time you hit leadoff is at the beginning of the game. After that, the leadoff man can vary. It does not matter where you hit in the lineup.

 

In theory the sequencing of the batting order maximizes the number of guys on base with the middle of the order bats at the plate. If you have your 2 worst OBP guys hitting 1-2 it's going to reduce the total number of men on base that Bogaerts and Ortiz have when they come to the plate.

[devildavid]

Why is Betts still leading off? His OBP is .318, the lowest of all the good hitting starters on the team. His walk Pctg. of 5.9% is also lowest of the top starting hitters on the team. Not really great numbers for a leadoff hitter. He may have potential, but why should he continue to get the most plate appearances? Everyone keeps talking about how great a player he is, but of all the stars on the team, he really hasn't stood out so far. It seems we are always waiting for Mookie.

[Jasonbay44]

Why is Betts still leading off? His OBP is .318, the lowest of all the good hitting starters on the team. His walk Pctg. of 5.9% is also lowest of the top starting hitters on the team. Not really great numbers for a leadoff hitter. He may have potential, but why should he continue to get the most plate appearances? Everyone keeps talking about how great a player he is, but of all the stars on the team, he really hasn't stood out so far. It seems we are always waiting for Mookie.

Always waiting for Mookie? This is his second full season and he is coming off a very impressive year, what exactly were we waiting for last year? Who do you propose hits lead off instead? Mookie is going to be completely fine and there is literally no reason at all to change the lineup, its rolling, everyone is comfortable in their spot and we have the best lineup in baseball. I don't see any reason to change the lineup at the moment. Its not like Mookie is killing the team batting lead off..

[Dojji]

Quick, look through the league and find out how many CF's have an OPS of .800 or greater.

[StephenCurry30]

Mookie is a RF, and he is 17th among RF in OPS.

[StephenCurry30]

But there is no reason to move The Mookster from the lead off spot. He can hit for power, is black, has speed, and can create runs and get himself in scoring position better than other guys. Today for example, he scored from 2nd on a groundball in front of home plate, he is always running, always hustling and is going to be around a 6 WAR player again. Why is Mookie even a worry? Every team in the league would kill to have him and have him bat lead off.

[Dojji]

But there is no reason to move The Mookster from the lead off spot. He can hit for power, is black, has speed....

 

Umm? I've been accused of being insensitive in the past but how the holy flaming butterly hell does being black qualify one to bat leadoff?

[StephenCurry30]

When you think of a typical lead off guy you think of guys like Ricky Henderson.. Juan Pierre.. Jose Reyes...Curtis Granderson, Mookie, Rajai Davis, Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez (Marlins version),Crawford, Chone Figgins, Coco Crisp, Denard Span, Lou Brock.

 

I mean its true.

[Dojji]

Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Brett Gardner, Johnny damon, Julio Lugo when he was good. 3 out of the 3 guys who were leadoff hitters for us in the playoffs during the championship years (specifically Damon in 04, Pedey in 07 and Ells in 13) where as white as Wonderbread.

 

Yeah there was an era where a lot of the really good leadoff hitters like Tim Raines and Vince Coleman happened to be black, but it's the speed, not the color.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Dojji

[StephenCurry30]

Julio Lugo was white as wonderbread? Ummm...

 

http://thegoldensombrero.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/juliolugogoldensombrero.jpg

[moonslav59]

He will end up with an OPS in the top 3 Sox. 4th at worst.

I'll guess around .845.

[StephenCurry30]

Never mind, you edited it.. But I'm just saying, blackness is usually related to speed, speed = batting lead off. Not to be racist, but this is pretty factual. If you have a black OF with speed, he will usually bat lead off, steal and be good defensively. Again, not being racist.

[Dojji]

I meant the guys who led off for us by the playoffs. Obviously Lugo wasn't the leadoff guy by the end of the season.

 

Also can't believe I forgot Ichiro. Definitely not black and one of the best leadoff hitters of his era.

[Dojji]

Never mind, you edited it.. But I'm just saying, blackness is usually related to speed, speed = batting lead off. Not to be racist, but this is pretty factual. If you have a black OF with speed, he will usually bat lead off, steal and be good defensively. Again, not being racist.

 

Two of the very best black athletes we've ever had in Boston were Jim Rice and Mo Vaughn... one's up on the wall and the other one would be if his knees had held up better... neither exactly known for speed. Another was George Scott, also one of the first black athletes we ever had ... and not exactly a burner.

 

How are you not being racist again?

[StephenCurry30]

Ichiro is a great player, and obviously not EVERY lead off hitter is black, but its just interesting to notice a lot of them are and its usually the quality of a lead off hitter. Mookie is not an exception.

[StephenCurry30]

I said usually, obviously every race has slow guys. Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, David Ortiz wouldn't be typical lead off guys, but I also said its mostly quick outfielders. Mo Vaughn was a fat DH.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Wait, isn't Ellsbury Native American? He certainly doesn't look "white as Wonderbread". Also, Wonderbread sucks. How does anyone eat that crap? You can't even spread peanut butter on it, it just falls apart. It's like trying to spread peanut butter on a Kleenex.

[Jasonbay44]

Lol @ this race debate