Didn’t Think I’d Be Posting About Delwyn Young Again So Quickly…
April 17, 2009 at 5:30 am | Posted in Delwyn Young, Doug Mientkiewicz, Xavier Paul | 7 CommentsDodgers utilityman Doug Mientkiewicz suffered a dislocated right shoulder diving into second base on a two-run pinch-hit double Thursday night and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list.
That’s a shame, because I actually like Eyechart, who seems like a good guy all around. But as I’ve said several times, I’ve felt he’s not the best fit for this team – we don’t really need a slick-fielding lefty-swinging backup first baseman as much as other teams might. So I can’t say I’m totally crushed by his loss, from a roster composition standpoint. But who takes his roster spot?
Candidates to replace Mientkiewicz are Blake DeWitt, who was sent to Triple-A Albuquerque Monday, and rookie Xavier Paul, who is batting .571 at Albuquerque. A decision will be made Friday.
Both DeWitt and Paul bat left-handed, as does Mientkiewicz. Delwyn Young would have been the likely replacement, but he was traded Monday night to the Pittsburgh Pirates for two players to be named.
I’m mostly kidding, because obviously no one knew Eyechart was getting hurt ten minutes later, but this really illustrates my whole point from the other day: having to lose a player just so you can shoehorn mediocre veterans like Eyechart and Juan Castro on the roster is never a good idea. I just didn’t think it would come to be proven so quickly.
As for who comes up, it has to be Paul. Not only is he killing the ball in AAA, but he fits the roster needs better. If they thought DeWitt wasn’t getting enough playing time as the main infield backup, he’s surely not going to be doing so with Castro still around as the main backup shortstop. Besides, Eyechart was (in theory) the 5th outfielder, so unless we’re really putting Casey Blake out there, another outfielder is needed. And as Paul is a good defender with a strong arm, maybe we can finally stop seeing Juan Pierre as a defensive replacement!
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Mientkiewicz shouldn’t be lumped in with Castro as a mediocre veteran. Eye Chart can field superbly at first and the outfield (something Delwyn Young can’t do), and he had a .367 OBP the last 3 years.
Mientikiewicz is exactly the kind of player you want on your bench.
Castro, on the other hand, is a waste of space.
Comment by Eric Stephen— April 17, 2009 #
Perhaps calling him “mediocre” was a bit much, but I did say that I liked him just fine as a player. I just don’t like him on THIS team. He’s a great fit for a team with a mashing poor-defense first baseman. If we’re not going to take advantage of his biggest skill (first base defense) then I don’t really see the point of having him on the roster.
I also don’t see him as much of an outfielder, since he’s got very little experience out there.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness— April 17, 2009 #
The sad thing about this injury was that his head-first slide was completely unnecessary. If you watch the replay, you can see that he turns his head to see where the ball is, and you get a glimpse of the fielder moving away from 2nd base to catch the throw from RF. He’s safe if he goes in standing up, and if he’s a little worried about overrunning the base, then he can do one of those feet-first slides where you pop up quickly.
Comment by The Dude Abides— April 17, 2009 #
Actually, I disagree that Eyechart was a poor fit. He is an excellent pinch hitter and no slouch as a spot starter. Plus, he handles LHP just as well as RHP, so he isn’t wasted if the other side brings in a LOOGY. Juan Castro is the poor fit. No one on the Dodger infield other than Blake needs a defensive caddy, and Castro’s worst defensive position is 3B anyway. Young can provide emergency cover at 2B and even 3B if you lose both Hudson and Loretta in the same game and DeWitt can be brought up the next day.
A bench as follows:
Pee Wee
Eye Chart
Loretta
Pierre
Ausmus
Would easily rival the best in baseball. Only one truly crap hitter in the bunch, and that is Ausmus who will get the least playing time and almost never pinch hit. Even Pierre has his uses.
Comment by Alireza— April 17, 2009 #
I like the fact though that nature has a way of prying the old guys away from management’s grasp that they just can’t let go of to make room for the new guys. There’s some type of beauty to the the law of the jungle.
That slide looked less gracefull than a wounded wildebeast being brought down.
Comment by Dodger Dude— April 17, 2009 #
[...] contribute this year, getting just 20 plate appearances before and after missing five months after destroying his shoulder in mid-April. So, that puts him at somewhere around “37th most important Dodger of [...]
Pingback by MSTI’s 2009 in Review: First Base « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness— October 27, 2009 #
Hey there everyone i was just introduceing myself here im a first time visitor who hopes to become a daily reader!
Comment by Untontaidax— November 9, 2009 #