Is Bryan LaHair legit?

[scarey]

Nobody is claiming he's going to get a 8.46 WAR, but when we're approaching 150 PAs we're getting a sample size large enough to suggest he can hit on the major league level.

 

35.7% strikeout rate

.600 BABIP

35.7% HR/FB ratio

 

He can't hit at the major league level, but a perfect storm of luck is making his actual production awesome. It's perfectly possible to enjoy that luck and still know that going forward it's not going to continue.

 

25.7% line drive rate. Of course his production is unsustainable, but to chalk it up to mostly luck isn't fair. The guy is squaring the ball up pretty well.

[Clem Fandango]

From an ESPN article highlighting the best players in April at each position...

 

1B: Bryan LaHair, Cubs (.390/.470/.780, 5 HR, 14 RBIs)

One of the feel-good stories of the month, the 29-year-old minor league veteran was given the first base job only as a placeholder for prospect Anthony Rizzo. He may not give it up quite so easily. Thirteen of his 23 hits have been for extra bases and, incredibly, he's batting .676 when not striking out. Yeah, yeah ... that impossible to keep up, of course. Still, he could make for some interesting trade bait for a team in a pennant looking for some power at first base. (Yes, we mean you, Los Angeles Dodgers.)

 

Just figured I'd post it since it mentioned him, and there wasn't a better place to put it

[Heisenberg]

He's becoming my favorite player even though he's old. I think he's legit.

[weis21]

He's becoming my favorite player even though he's old. I think he's legit.

Welcome to the board!

[Pushfrog98]

He's becoming my favorite player even though he's old. I think he's legit.

Yo, I'm on to you, bitch!

[C.C.]

I love the guy just so we aren't rushing Rizzo. Hell, keep it going and let Riz spend the whole year in AAA.

[MWV]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Gordon Wittenmeyer is reporting that moving LaHair to the OF in order to accommodate Rizzo is being discussed within the organization. Link

The scenario Wittenmeyer presents is one of moving DeJesus to CF and putting LaHair in RF. Soriano-DeJesus-LaHair could be a pretty brutal OF defense, although to be fair, I think this particular idea is mostly speculation on Wittenmeyer's part.

[biittner77]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Gordon Wittenmeyer is reporting that moving LaHair to the OF in order to accommodate Rizzo is being discussed within the organization. Link

The scenario Wittenmeyer presents is one of moving DeJesus to CF and putting LaHair in RF. Soriano-DeJesus-LaHair could be a pretty brutal OF defense, although to be fair, I think this particular idea is mostly speculation on Wittenmeyer's part.

 

Does that speculation mean that they want B Jackson spending the whole season at AAA?

[C.C.]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Gordon Wittenmeyer is reporting that moving LaHair to the OF in order to accommodate Rizzo is being discussed within the organization. Link

The scenario Wittenmeyer presents is one of moving DeJesus to CF and putting LaHair in RF. Soriano-DeJesus-LaHair could be a pretty brutal OF defense, although to be fair, I think this particular idea is mostly speculation on Wittenmeyer's part.

 

Does that speculation mean that they want B Jackson spending the whole season at AAA?

 

I hope so.

[Guest]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Gordon Wittenmeyer is reporting that moving LaHair to the OF in order to accommodate Rizzo is being discussed within the organization. Link

The scenario Wittenmeyer presents is one of moving DeJesus to CF and putting LaHair in RF. Soriano-DeJesus-LaHair could be a pretty brutal OF defense, although to be fair, I think this particular idea is mostly speculation on Wittenmeyer's part.

 

Does that speculation mean that they want B Jackson spending the whole season at AAA?

 

Jackson would be playing CF, and they certainly aren't going to put LaHair or Soriano in CF(or RF for that matter), so it probably doesn't have any impact on Jackson.

[PrimeTime]

Bite the bullet and release or trade Soriano eating almost all the contract and stick LaHair in LF? It's not like there would be any huge difference defensively between the two.

[Sammy Sofa]

What's the rush to do that?

[Guest]

There would be plenty of difference defensively between Soriano and LaHair.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'd really like to see LaHair log some innings in LF first. LaHair and Soriano could make quite the platoon, though the defense would be pretty rough.

[biittner77]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Gordon Wittenmeyer is reporting that moving LaHair to the OF in order to accommodate Rizzo is being discussed within the organization. Link

The scenario Wittenmeyer presents is one of moving DeJesus to CF and putting LaHair in RF. Soriano-DeJesus-LaHair could be a pretty brutal OF defense, although to be fair, I think this particular idea is mostly speculation on Wittenmeyer's part.

 

Does that speculation mean that they want B Jackson spending the whole season at AAA?

 

Jackson would be playing CF, and they certainly aren't going to put LaHair or Soriano in CF(or RF for that matter), so it probably doesn't have any impact on Jackson.

 

So they bench DeJesus or trade him?

[Guest]

No, they continue to play him in RF.

[davell]

I'm sure LaHair would be a butcher in the OF, but at least he has played close to 200 games in the OF in the minors, including 50 in 2010 and 12 last year.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

No, they continue to play him in RF.

The scenario brought up had Soriano in LF, DeJesus in CF, and LaHair in RF to open a spot for Rizzo.

[Guest]

Don't know how I missed that. A Soriano/DeJesus/LaHair outfield would be absolutely wretched.

[jersey cubs fan]

Don't know how I missed that. A Soriano/DeJesus/LaHair outfield would be absolutely wretched.

 

Man, I was so confused with what you were writing. Eventually I just assumed you were doing some sort of voodoo "if I ignore that ridiculousness then it never came up" jedi mind trick thing.

[Clem Fandango]

http://gifsoup.com/view/802139/m-j-2-legit-2-quit-o.gif

[Little Slide Rooter]

If LaHair can keep this up for a bit longer, he should be the favorite to start the All Star Game. Joey Votto's the only guy who I could see standing in his way at this point. In fact, as sad as this Cubs team is, we could conceivably have 2 starters in the ASG, Castro being the other with Tulo as his main competiton.

[bukie]

Yeah....no.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Aside from Votto, who is there? A lot of casual Cubs fans are very excited about our "young" first baseman. Remember 2008? Not the season, the All Star vote.

[Guest]

Bryan LaHair is not going to be voted as All Star game starter. Stop.