Keystone Cops

As Spring Training continues, from what I have read over at the PD, in the last few days Skip at 2B has been struggling. I am still firmly on this band wagon with a round trip ticket. I remember last year when we had no real leadoff hitter, and the Sports talking heads and commentators wrote Skip off. We found out quickly that this guy could be put under the great pressure of leading off, as a table setter for one of the true greats in all of baseball history no less, and find success and prove that he belonged on the team for a full season and that he IS our lead off hitter.

This is a prime example of the organization’s movement to solving problems from within. Skip is one of those guys who just seem to love playing baseball, and who are willing to put in the work to make the team stronger. I am still in his corner.

It will be a rough go the next few weeks, and also early in the season but I would rather have Skip out there giving his all than singing a stop gap one year guy to keep the recent revolving door spinning.

Have a look at this from the PD on the competition for the expected two infield utility spots: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/7A935BBEF6F2289086257575000D5651?OpenDocument

TLR is the king of the double switch and moving player’s positions mid game. All four of those guys bring exciting skill sets to the table (I like the sound of T. Greene and Thurston) and I think any combo would be a surprising upgrade over Miles. Don’t get me wrong, I was a big Miles fan, be he will be over exposed with the North- siders the next two seasons.

Think of how this team could shift in the most LaRussian of ways: send your 2B to the OF for a defensive upgrade while keeping your leadoff guy, bring in a speedy utility guy to cover 2B adding a speed threat in the later innings with a defensive upgrade at the keystone, move the current 3B placeholder (Matther) to the OF for a 3B defensive upgrade with more speed but still keeping the power bat of “Joey Bombs”, if Albert is hurting you could give him a slight rest by shifting an OF (Duncan) to first which is a better fit defensively for him than the OF and he is still a strong bat and left handed so TLR can still play his leftie/righty matchups with the player off the bench. Doesn’t that sound like TLR will be happier than a kid in a candy store? Imagine him doing most of those things in the same inning all at once or between opposing at bats…he will either look like he is nuts and/or like a genius. I think that could throw any major leaguer off their game by getting in their head and forcing them to try to recall all of the scouting game plan stuff from locker room meetings, all the while they are flying solo in the batter’s box so they wouldn’t have the option of whispering with the guys in the dugout.

Current Bottom lines: Don’t bet against Skip and the Utility Competition will be fun to watch develop.