Red Sox outfield
Posted by Andy on June 23, 2010
Have you seen the craziness in the Red Sox outfield?
Start off with starting CF Mike Cameron, who has missed more than half the season with kidney stones, stomach problems, and now a sports hernia that's preventing him from playing every day. He's got 3 RBI in the 25 games that he's played.
There is a ton of buzz that J.D. Drew, starting RF, is going on the DL today. He came out of a game on Friday and hasn't played since.
Starting LF Jacoby Ellsbury has been injured since an April 11th collision with Adrian Beltre left him with broken ribs. Ellsbury came back for a few games in May but had to go back on the DL. He's appeared in just 9 games so far this year.
Ellsbury's replacement, Jeremy Hermida? Beltre broke his ribs, too, in a collision on June 4th. Hermida toughed it out for a few games after that but ultimately he went on the DL.
So that's Boston's top 4 outfielders. Amazing.
Give Theo Epstein credit for plucking Darnell McDonald from nowhere. McDonald costs very little and has been adequate, racking up an 87 OPS+ while being forced into everyday play. His Total Fielding Runs stands at -8, which is not good, but like I said the guy has been adequate as an injury replacement.
Last night the Red Sox started Daniel Nava in LF, Cameron in CF, and Josh Reddick in RF. McDonald will surely have to spell Cameron tonight. While in the midst of a very tough 6-game NL road trip (they get Ubaldo Jimenez tonight and Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez later) the Red Sox's season could hinge on the results. It doesn't look great with so many injuries in the outfield plus not having a DH spot for David Ortiz while playing in Colorado and San Francisco.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:55 am
I don't see why you say that we should give Theo Epstein credit for finding McDonald. The guy is a replacement level outfielder - and the whole point of the concept of replacement level is that they are easy to find.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:57 am
You might have a point--not sure. I guess it's not so often that a team is forced to pick a player off the scrap heap and start every day in center field. I'm impressed with McDonald but maybe it wouldn't be so hard...need more data.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:59 am
Ken - Darnell turned the Sox season around. He came up and almost single-handedly won the first two games he played in, ignited the team. He has played very well and has a knack for coming up big when it is needed. Yes, Theo did do a great job in getting him!
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Maybe I'm a moron, but is it incredibly difficult to play the corner outfield positions? Why not put Youk out there and start Ortiz at first?
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Ortiz a mediocre fielder and Fenway is a very difficult OF to play. MacDonald has played all three OF positions well.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Youkilis looked bad in one game in LF last season and I think Francona decided he doesn't want to embarrass him. I'd guess he could handle it in Fenway, but in Fenway you don't need to put Big Half-a-Player at first.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Greg - Red Sox tried putting Youkilis in LF last year for a couple of interleague games and he was a butcher. Don't think they want to revisit that!
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Crazy! I was impressed with the Red Sox opening day roster, thinking that they had the most accomplished bench in baseball. My only concern was the potential for dissatisfaction with playing time. Who knew? Bill Hall has played outfield.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Youk played ok in 18 games in OF in 2006, but they probably don't want to put pressure on him from playing out of position that will harm his offense.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I would say the outfield has played Hall more than Hall has played the outfield. He's been terrible defensively wherever they put him. Good thing he can hit (and pitch.)
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Little-known fact: Beltre gives credit for his re-emergence to a new training regimen he learned from Chris Pronger. They're just trying to keep him from elbowing Clay Buckholz.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:59 pm
I heard somewhere recently that Beltre is widely regarded as both the strongest and toughest player in MLB, taking over both titles from Gary Sheffield. Apparently he's also a very nice guy.
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:04 pm
So put Ortiz at 1st, Youk at 3rd & Beltre in the outfield.
If he runs into McDonald, big deal.
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I'll second Andy's comment on Beltre's toughness.
Remember when he suffered a "contused" testicle last year, and insisted on playing through the end of the game, despite the internal bleeding and discomfort (he was hurt in the ninth, and the game went 14 innings)?
He is one of the great gamers in all of baseball.
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Downpuppy - Ortiz isn't adequate enough to play every day at 1st. Plus Beltre is GG at 3rd. Darnell just whacked a 2 run homer off Jiminez! Rah rah rah!
June 24th, 2010 at 7:36 am
& they lost 8-6. Alas!
Of course Ortiz can't play every day at first, but he could use a little time off his butt. And Youk is a pretty good 3B. Just something they might try sometime.
June 24th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Play Lowell in the outfield... he's just hanging out around the clubhouse anyway. 😉