Baker on who may be in the 2 hole...

[Shawon12]

I thought you all would get a kick out of this quote from Dusty from Cubs.com. Looks like Neifi in the 2 hole...

 

Extra bases: Of the three second basemen in camp -- Todd Walker, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Neifi Perez -- Baker said all of them could handle the No. 2 spot in the order. "That's the most unselfish, smartest spot in the lineup," Baker said. "You have to be able to handle the bat. It's also a position that won't run as much because then they'll walk D-Lee. It's a position for a more established, accomplished veteran player." ...

[Shilzzz]

it works with walker and hairston well, but if neifi hits second, then pierre shouldn't steal, because after perez it will be pierre at second with one out and lee up. hmm.

 

one would imagine that being in a contract year baker might try to be smart. guess not.

[Anna]

Baker just scares me sometimes. Neifi does not meet the requirement of being able to handle a bat, unless it's a new batboy the Cubs are looking for. And even though I don't see anyone in the number two hole running a lot, would it really be such a bad thing if the other team walked Lee in order to get to Ramirez? That is, assuming the would-be Frenchman of right field doesn't sneak in between them. Oh, the horrors.

[soccer10k]

I'm hoping that Ronny Cedeno plays well enough to bat in the 2 spot later in the season.

[Jon]

It's not just that Pierre shouldn't steal with Neifi batting second. He won't be able to steal with Neifi batting second. The guy just doesn't take enough pitchers.

 

And if Dusty values Pierre's speed enough to not bad Neifi there, that could mean 1) he's not starting at second and 2) might not be starting regularly since Neifi's value to Dusty goes down a bit if he's hitting 7th or 8th.

 

At least I hope.

[Brian]

I wonder if Dusty learned something over the offseason, because saying that you can't run in the 2nd hole because the walk DLee, contradicts his love of sac bunting in the 2 hole that got Lee walked a bunch last year...

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

it works with walker and hairston well, but if neifi hits second, then pierre shouldn't steal, because after perez it will be pierre at second with one out and lee up. hmm.

 

one would imagine that being in a contract year baker might try to be smart. guess not.

 

Neifi won't advance the runner. he'll probably hit into the DP.

[Shilzzz]

it works with walker and hairston well, but if neifi hits second, then pierre shouldn't steal, because after perez it will be pierre at second with one out and lee up. hmm.

 

one would imagine that being in a contract year baker might try to be smart. guess not.

 

Neifi won't advance the runner. he'll probably hit into the DP.

 

yeah, probably.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

it works with walker and hairston well, but if neifi hits second, then pierre shouldn't steal, because after perez it will be pierre at second with one out and lee up. hmm.

 

one would imagine that being in a contract year baker might try to be smart. guess not.

 

Neifi won't advance the runner. he'll probably hit into the DP.

 

yeah, probably.

 

hehe, caught you trying to be optimistic, didn't I? :lol:

[Abe Frohman]

In the defense of Neifi Perez hitting 2nd, he is #11 on the active list of sacrifice hits (bunts) to advance runners with 92 in his career. Though I would rather have about 6 or 7 current Cubs hitting in the 2 hole besides Neifi - he is strong in that category.

 

Neifi will never have an OB% even near .350, but he won't strike out a lot (nor walk a lot), and can score runs. He had a couple of nice seasons in 99 and 00, but there is no reason to even ponder Neifi in the 2 hole if you have a Todd Walker, Matt Murton, and Ronny Cedeno to do the job.

[Drew Doughty]

Neifi shouldn't be starting.

[BigbadB]

I wonder what the record is for GIDP's per at bat (minus leading off an inning at bats)? I wonder how close Neifi came to breaking that record?

 

He led off an inning 138 times in 604 plate appearances. He GIDP 22 times last year. He came to the plate with no one on 368 times.

 

604-368=236 plate appearances divided by 22 GIDP's is almost once per 10 plate appearances.

[Abe Frohman]

Put a "Milo" on that guy (Moneyball is the balls).

[CaliforniaRaisin]

It's not just that Pierre shouldn't steal with Neifi batting second. He won't be able to steal with Neifi batting second. The guy just doesn't take enough pitchers.

 

And if Dusty values Pierre's speed enough to not bad Neifi there, that could mean 1) he's not starting at second and 2) might not be starting regularly since Neifi's value to Dusty goes down a bit if he's hitting 7th or 8th.

 

At least I hope.

 

I think Neifi knows when someone's trying to steal and so he fouls it away on purpose.

[Chris]

I think Neifi knows when someone's trying to steal and so he fouls it away on purpose.

 

Those were some great moments in '05!

[erik316wttn]

Walker is a very good #2 hitter.

 

Pierre

Walker

Lee

Ramirez

 

is a pretty good 1-4, IMO.

[barryfoote]

" It's a position for a more established, accomplished veteran player." ...

 

Here we go again.

 

It is a position for a player that can bunt, take some pitches to allow the leadoff man to steal and is willing to sacrifice himself to advance the runner.

 

I know this is a crazy idea, but maybe the person that does this the best should be batting in this position. If Cedeno is that person then he should bat second, rookie or not. Just let the performance on the field decide this instead of pre-ordaining this a "veteran" position.

 

Also, in my opinion the reason Lee was walked a lot last year had more to do with who is batting behind him. Of course if first base is open, Lee will get walked if Burnitz is batting behind him. If Ramirez was batting behind Lee however, then the choice to walk Lee becomes much more difficult.

[Abe Frohman]

In addition, if Pierre is sacrificed leaving 1st open to walk DLee, it is not automatic because pitching around Lee to get to Ramirez, an excellent RBI machine, is not something that will happen all the time.

 

If it is something that happens a lot, I venture to say the Cubs will score a lot more runs. Don't forget that Lee can steal a base, and the 1st & 3rd double steal is not unheard of.

 

That is why we need Murton to step up. There is no true #5 hitter on this team.

[Drew Doughty]

Barrett?

[Warpticon]

Speaking of "Barrett" and "#5," check this out:

 

Three year splits: .267/.328/.467

Batting #5: .345/.433/.672

Batting #6: .338/.391/.628

 

he seems to like batting in those spots.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The title of this thread sounds really bad.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

The title of this thread sounds really bad.

 

Not as bad as when Joe Carter kept discussing how bad it was that Delino was stuck in the a-hole.

[CuseCubFan69]

It's not just that Pierre shouldn't steal with Neifi batting second. He won't be able to steal with Neifi batting second. The guy just doesn't take enough pitchers.

 

And if Dusty values Pierre's speed enough to not bad Neifi there, that could mean 1) he's not starting at second and 2) might not be starting regularly since Neifi's value to Dusty goes down a bit if he's hitting 7th or 8th.

 

At least I hope.

 

I can't imagine how many blown steals Pierre will have when Neifi fouls off a pitch in the dirt after Pierre is almost standing on second.

 

There is still no doubt in my mind Perez will be the starting SS.

[hawkeyecub]

I thought you all would get a kick out of this quote from Dusty from Cubs.com. Looks like Neifi in the 2 hole...

 

Extra bases: Of the three second basemen in camp -- Todd Walker, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Neifi Perez -- Baker said all of them could handle the No. 2 spot in the order. "That's the most unselfish, smartest spot in the lineup," Baker said. "You have to be able to handle the bat. It's also a position that won't run as much because then they'll walk D-Lee. It's a position for a more established, accomplished veteran player." ...

 

How did you get Neifi out of that?

 

If I would have just read that quote I would have thought he was talking about Walker.

[mul21]

The title of this thread sounds really bad.

 

Not as bad as when Joe Carter kept discussing how bad it was that Delino was stuck in the a-hole.

 

I'm pretty sure that was Madden on MNF talking about the offensive line. Then they corrected him after commercial and told him to say the a gap.