Is Bryan LaHair legit?

[champaignchris]

Will we know conclusively either way until he gets that chance? No. What we do know:

 

-LaHair is huge, 6-5, 240

-LaHair isn't a very good defensive 1B, rigid and somewhat clumsy in his movements

-As a 1B, moving to LF is moving the wrong way on the defensive spectrum

-In 6 years of AAA ball trying to break into the big leagues, LaHair played more than 50 games in the OF once. He hit .289/.354/.530 and was promptly released/not retained.

 

So while there is the hope that LaHair would not be terrible in LF, all available evidence points to that simply being a hope. Everything else spells out big trouble defensively for LaHair in the OF.

 

The obvious answer is to move Rizzo to left! :yahoo:

[Little Slide Rooter]

Will we know conclusively either way until he gets that chance? No. What we do know:

 

-LaHair is huge, 6-5, 240

-LaHair isn't a very good defensive 1B, rigid and somewhat clumsy in his movements

-As a 1B, moving to LF is moving the wrong way on the defensive spectrum

-In 6 years of AAA ball trying to break into the big leagues, LaHair played more than 50 games in the OF once. He hit .289/.354/.530 and was promptly released/not retained.

 

So while there is the hope that LaHair would not be terrible in LF, all available evidence points to that simply being a hope. Everything else spells out big trouble defensively for LaHair in the OF.

 

But is 2B a option? Seriously though, if he continues to hit anything like what he has so far, they'll find a way to get him in there.

[CubColtPacer]

What I'm glad to see from LaHair is that the peripherals are slowly improving. The strikeout rate is slowly coming down, the walk rate has picked back up, the amount of line drives are up, and the IFFB percentage has continued to drop. The BABIP and HR/FB rate are still ridiculously high, but the other numbers are starting to get into ranges where they won't indicate huge trouble for him when the BABIP and HR/FB normalize.

[SouthSideRyan]

peter gammons mentioned it today, while talking about lahair playing basketball for jp riccardi. he said something to the effect if he's athletic enough to play basketball, he can play lf.

 

Hey, well, that's not true.

 

lol seriously, what a weird comparison.

[davell]

TT, is LaHair a wiccan or not?

[Guest]

We'll know for sure if Rizzo comes down with malaria.

[Old Style]

What we need is more scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I know the idea is an idiot.

Can you believe what that meatball is suggesting? SHEESH!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

LaHair already at 1.9 fWAR and 1.6 bWAR for the year.

[jersey cubs fan]

What we need is more patronizing scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I don't know if it will work, but anyone mocking the idea is an idiot.

 

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

[bukie]

What I'm glad to see from LaHair is that the peripherals are slowly improving. The strikeout rate is slowly coming down, the walk rate has picked back up, the amount of line drives are up, and the IFFB percentage has continued to drop. The BABIP and HR/FB rate are still ridiculously high, but the other numbers are starting to get into ranges where they won't indicate huge trouble for him when the BABIP and HR/FB normalize.

He's 12th in baseball now in walk rate. Just behind Adam Dunn.

[SouthSideRyan]

peter gammons mentioned it today, while talking about lahair playing basketball for jp riccardi. he said something to the effect if he's athletic enough to play basketball, he can play lf.

 

Hey, well, that's not true.

 

lol seriously, what a weird comparison.

 

Look, if you don't think Glen Davis could man the OF, I don't know what to tell you.

[Elwood]

"I've envisioned exactly what's taken place," said LaHair, 29, who has toiled in the Minor Leagues since 2003, waiting for a chance. "I've focused on having a great season, and I'm not surprised."

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_05_07_atlmlb_chnmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=chc

[SouthSideRyan]

"I've envisioned exactly what's taken place," said LaHair, 29, who has toiled in the Minor Leagues since 2003, waiting for a chance. "I've focused on having a great season, and I'm not surprised."

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_05_07_atlmlb_chnmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=chc

 

BEAN HIM!

[sneakypower]

LaHair already at 1.9 fWAR and 1.6 bWAR for the year.

2nd in wOBA (.523), by a comfortable margin, and trailing Kemp by just .009

[TruffleShuffle]

our LF options are so terrible that lahair could probably play jack cust-style defense and be an upgrade.

[Warren Brusstar]

What we need is more patronizing scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I don't know if it will work, but anyone mocking the idea is an idiot.

 

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

 

This is exactly the kind of condescending, patronizing nonsense I'm talking about. GMAFB. The mere suggestion that the Cubs see whether LaHair can play the outfield at a level somewhere above Adam Dunn -- an idea that arguably the best front office in baseball is apparently entertaining -- does not make someone a Kaplan-ish meatball.

 

At least TT is addressing the position head-on. You resort to mocking strawmen that I haven't (and obviously wouldn't) suggest.

[Prizefight]

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

 

 

It's been pretty commonly discussed, even by Len and Bob if memory serves, that the Cubs are going to have to make room to keep LaHair on the field when Rizzo is called up. LF/RF are the obvious choices. It's a good problem to have. Why in the world would you trade him for a closer when SLG% is by a mile the biggest offensive weakness on this team.

[MWV]

"I've envisioned exactly what's taken place," said LaHair

I'm convinced. He's a wiccan.

[Prizefight]

"I've envisioned exactly what's taken place," said LaHair

I'm convinced. He's a wiccan.

 

:envisions myself sleeping with Mila Kunis:

[jersey cubs fan]

What we need is more patronizing scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I don't know if it will work, but anyone mocking the idea is an idiot.

 

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

 

This is exactly the kind of condescending, patronizing nonsense I'm talking about. GMAFB. The mere suggestion that the Cubs see whether LaHair can play the outfield at a level somewhere above Adam Dunn -- an idea that arguably the best front office in baseball is apparently entertaining -- does not make someone a Kaplan-ish meatball.

 

At least TT is addressing the position head-on. You resort to mocking strawmen that I haven't (and obviously wouldn't) suggest.

 

I don't know what has you so upset, but I wasn't being condescending. LaHair is LaLord.

[bukie]

Also, FYI (and so I can find it easily when I need it), here is the article that details when specific statistics stabilize for a position player during the year: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/when-samples-become-reliable/

[Warren Brusstar]

What we need is more patronizing scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I don't know if it will work, but anyone mocking the idea is an idiot.

 

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

 

This is exactly the kind of condescending, patronizing nonsense I'm talking about. GMAFB. The mere suggestion that the Cubs see whether LaHair can play the outfield at a level somewhere above Adam Dunn -- an idea that arguably the best front office in baseball is apparently entertaining -- does not make someone a Kaplan-ish meatball.

 

At least TT is addressing the position head-on. You resort to mocking strawmen that I haven't (and obviously wouldn't) suggest.

 

I don't know what has you so upset, but I wasn't being condescending. LaHair is LaLord.

 

Of course you were. You obviously aren't seriously suggesting trading Rizzo for a closer. Don't pretend otherwise.

[jersey cubs fan]

What we need is more patronizing scorn at the mere suggestion that the Cubs consider playing LaHair in left field when Rizzo is promoted. I don't know if it will work, but anyone mocking the idea is an idiot.

 

Why would you move your all star 1B to LF for some kid? Make Rizzo play another position, or better yet, trade him for a closer.

 

This is exactly the kind of condescending, patronizing nonsense I'm talking about. GMAFB. The mere suggestion that the Cubs see whether LaHair can play the outfield at a level somewhere above Adam Dunn -- an idea that arguably the best front office in baseball is apparently entertaining -- does not make someone a Kaplan-ish meatball.

 

At least TT is addressing the position head-on. You resort to mocking strawmen that I haven't (and obviously wouldn't) suggest.

 

I don't know what has you so upset, but I wasn't being condescending. LaHair is LaLord.

 

Of course you were. You obviously aren't seriously suggesting trading Rizzo for a closer. Don't pretend otherwise.

 

I am suggesting that the goal should not be to try and move LaHair to let Rizzo fit in, but rather that LaHair should be the one around which others are moved.

[Fro]

Seriously, can't we hire a coach to just improve LaHair's D in LF?

 

Is he doing NFL combine-type drills to improve his speed/quickness or are we stuck doing 1980s baseball "conditioning" drills?

 

I think anyone, assuming they're reasonably athletic should be able to play a serviceable LF with the right training.

[jersey cubs fan]

Seriously, can't we hire a coach to just improve LaHair's D in LF?

 

Is he doing NFL combine-type drills to improve his speed/quickness or are we stuck doing 1980s baseball "conditioning" drills?

 

I think anyone, assuming they're reasonably athletic should be able to play a serviceable LF with the right training.

 

Tracking flyballs/linedrives isn't all that athletic of an activity. It's largely instinctual after years of following balls coming off bats from that distance/angle.