Renteria is worse when he bats lower, but that doesn't mean Francona is a moron, he shouldn't have to base the entire structure of the lineup or a substantial portion of it on Renteria's inability to jock up and deliver in the 6th spot...Renteria just needs to step it up himself
grammar edit, outside chance i have down's syndrome
I think the case can be made that this could actually help him fantasy-wise.
He'll get his fair share of ABs in the two-hole, against lefties (where his numbers are great), seeing good pitches, with Manny and Ortiz batting behind him. Great news for his average and run numbers.
He'll also get ABs behind those guys, giving him RBI opportunities (one area where he's still great among shortstops not named Tejada), and if he can get on base with the bottom of the order, he can put up some steals (the combination of Boston's philosophy and the big bats behind him would seem to mean few steal attempts when he's hitting second, though his steals will not come close to matching 2003 either way).
Granted, this five-spot stuff is coming when he's facing righties, against whom he struggled last year. But also factor in that he hit for better average and RBI production batting low in the Cardinals order last year. He does seem to be more comfortable there, despite what some people think. Common misconception is that he spent most of the year batting second for the Cards last year, which he didn't, and he actually hit better later in the order.
He is going too high in drafts, though, since no one knows exactly how he will gel in Boston. Could have a monster season, could have a repeat of last year (although I would expect no worse).
bselig wrote:Renteria is worse when he bats lower, but that doesn't mean Francona is a moron, he shouldn't have to base the entire structure of the lineup or a substantial portion of it on Renteria's inability to jock up and deliver in the 6th spot...Renteria just needs to step it up himself
grammar edit, outside chance i have down's syndrome
Renteria actually has a better BA, OBP, and OPS hitting in the 5 and 6 spots compared to the #2 spot throughout his career. Francona is just doing what he feels is good for the team going into the season. Who knows how things will play during the summer.
I'd much rather have Bellhorn, despite his many strikeouts, in the 2nd spot. Sure he strikes out a lot, but he doesn't hit into many double-plays, whereas Renteria hits into a lot of double-plays:
Roger Angell: I was talking with Bob Gibson and I said: 'Are you always this competitive?' He said: 'Oh, I think so. I got a three-year old daughter, and I've played about 500 games of tic-tac-toe with her and she hasn't beat me yet.'
brandnew wrote:Who cares? If you draft Renteria above the 10th, you should be punished anyways.
Seriously, he's a really bad pick... really overrated IMO.
On that, we shall see. I have him projected as my #2 SS this season, behind only Tejada. The guy has a swing tailor made for the Fens, and I expect him to be among the league leaders in doubles. Renteria didn't have his best season in 2004 to be sure, but if he rebounds to anywhere near his prior level he will be a major 5x5 producer.
I'd much rather have Bellhorn, despite his many strikeouts, in the 2nd spot. Sure he strikes out a lot, but he doesn't hit into many double-plays, whereas Renteria hits into a lot of double-plays:
Doesn't really matter to me who bats 2nd in the lineup, but as a person who played baseball in high school and college all I can say is that having your lineup changing on a daily basis is a pretty big distraction. I absolutely hated it. I think you would be much better just picking a #2 hitter and sticking with him than trying to platoon that position in the lineup.
As for Renteria, he should flourish in that park, I expect him to hit over 310 again this year. I still have avoided him though, there are just cheaper SS options that should be good enough later in the draft.
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by bselig » Sat Mar 26, 2005 3:22 pm 
