Cabrera to stay in left field

 

BY CLARK SPENCER

 

[email protected]

 

 

Left field belongs to Miguel Cabrera, Jeff Conine or no Jeff Conine.

 

Manager Jack McKeon said Monday he doesn't plan to move Cabrera back to right field -- at least not on a regular basis -- on days when Conine starts.

 

''He's the incumbent [in left],'' McKeon said of Cabrera, a converted third baseman who never has looked entirely comfortable playing the outfield, but especially so when he's in right.

 

Conine is working his way back from surgery on his right shoulder and could begin playing Grapefruit League games as early as today, though McKeon said Thursday could be a more realistic possibility. Conine went 1 for 5 as a designated hitter in a minor-league game Monday.

 

Until Conine is able to prove otherwise, Juan Encarnacion is the starting right fielder, with Cabrera manning left.

 

There had been speculation Cabrera might have to move to right on days when Conine was in the starting lineup.

 

But the feeling is Conine is better suited to making the switch to right than is Cabrera.

 

''Cabrera's going to stay in left,'' McKeon said.

 

MISSING RING

 

Josh Beckett has fond memories of Space Coast Stadium, but he no longer has the championship ring he won as a member of the 2001 Brevard County Manatees.

 

It was stolen from his apartment about three years ago, he said.

 

Beckett began the 2001 season with the Manatees, a Single A affiliate at the time for the Marlins, and went 6-0 with a 1.23 earned-run average. That earned him a promotion to Double A Portland (Me.) later in the season, and to the Marlins in September of that year when he made his major-league debut.

 

''I do like the mound,'' Beckett said Monday after holding the Washington Nationals to one run on four hits over six innings.

 

REGULARS START

 

McKeon said he hopes to start all of his regulars Friday when the Marlins face the Mets in Jupiter.

 

''Starting next week, we're going to play the way it's supposed to be played,'' said McKeon, who has not had the Marlins bunting or utilizing the hit and run.

 

McKeon said he's hopeful center fielder Juan Pierre, who has been out since March 7 with a strained right calf muscle, also will be back in the lineup by Friday, if not Thursday.

 

THIS AND THAT

 

? Right-handed reliever John Riedling has what the Marlins are calling tightness in his right shoulder and is not expected to pitch for several days at least. Pitching coach Mark Wiley said he does not believe the injury to be serious and anticipates Riedling will be ready for the regular season.

 

? The Marlins promoted Mike Hill to vice president/assistant general manager. Hill, 34, joined the Marlins in 2002 and has served as assistant to general manager Admin Beinfest.

 

 

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/11197332.htm

Good decision.

There's a surprise. Not.

 

Perhaps this will finally put to bed all the musings we've endured here suggesting Cabrera could and/or would be playing right field in 2005.

yes good decision..........and nice post

Thanks for posting.

 

Also like the note reagrding Mike Hill. Hill is a very bright baseball mind and will soon be in high demand. It was smart of the Marlins to promote him and keep him around a bit longer. Hill is going to be a heck of a GM some day.

 

:thumbup

The correct decision

Putting him in left field will allow Miguelito to concentrate more on his hitting. I can't wait to see what this guy will do now that he has Delgado behind him.

This has been quite a strange case. A leftfielder who is incapable of playing the other corner outfield position.

 

So strange in fact that it probably has little to do with his abilities, rather the whims of Cabrera and the team.

 

Oh well. I hope Hermida has as good as an arm as reported by some, and that he blossoms into a starter in the Marlins' outfield.

The part about Riedling also draws some concern....let's hope this was a one-time thing rather than a season-long worry.

The part about Riedling also draws some concern....let's hope this was a one-time thing rather than a season-long worry.

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Agree. He's the only 2+ inning guy in 'pen right now.

this is good news. Now Cabs can concentrate on playing LF

This has been quite a strange case. A leftfielder who is incapable of playing the other corner outfield position.

 

So strange in fact that it probably has little to do with his abilities, rather the whims of Cabrera and the team.

 

Oh well. I hope Hermida has as good as an arm as reported by some, and that he blossoms into a starter in the Marlins' outfield.

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I don't for the life of me understand why you would think that he should be able to play both positions and to characterize it as a "whim" is not, at least to me, well-reasoned. The landscape is littered with ballplayers who, for one reason or another, could not make the transition from one position to another effectively ending their careers. And I don't buy this notion that he's not a better left fielder than right. If you saw him as many times as some of us have at PPS, he always seemed to have that deer caught in the headlights look in right. Antedoctal evidence to be sure, but nonetheless after fifty+ years of watching this game, obvious.

 

Each player brings with him certain strengths and weaknesses. Cabrera's entire baseball life experience has been on the left side of the diamond. Do I think if the Marlins were a perpetual fourth or fifth place team with no hope of winning for seasons to come they could force the guy into the position and have him learn it over a number of years regardless of winning and losing? Sure.

 

But that's not the case. His strength is in left field, he's admitted as much. Winning every game is important right now, this season. I believe that making his defensive obligations less of a burden for him will mean better at bats, translating, if he's more comfortable in left he doesn't have to worry about the flyball he just misplayed in right, he may take better hacks. And over time he may turn out to be a very competent left fielder.

 

There was a time when many thought Miguelito could play just about any position on the diamond. Left field, right, third, shortstop, second, even first. I hope that debate is over. He's our left fielder.

Thanks for posting.

 

Also like the note reagrding Mike Hill. Hill is a very bright baseball mind and will soon be in high demand. It was smart of the Marlins to promote him and keep him around a bit longer. Hill is going to be a heck of a GM some day.

 

:thumbup

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yea he will.... he's the man

There's a surprise. Not.

 

Perhaps this will finally put to bed all the musings we've endured here suggesting Cabrera could and/or would be playing right field in 2005.

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It's a surprise to the good people at EA Sports, who have Miggy manning RF in MVP Baseball 2005!

 

But I agree with management's decision to have Conine in right and Miggy in left when Enc. isn't playing. Conine has a pretty decent arm (remember how he gunned down J.T. Snow in Game 4 of the NLDS in 2003) and Miggy just looks plain lost in right.

right move

 

cabrera looked lost in right last yr

For over 50 years, kids around Miguel's age who have played shortstop their entire lives have succesfully moved to every position in the field.

For over 50 years, many major league third basemen and shortstops have been moved to rightfield for their arms and have faired very well immediately or within short time with little to no loss to their teams.

 

I just find it odd how Miguel's such a special case. Then again he is a special player on and off the field. Hope everything works out for the best. I also hope this experiment would have gotten off the planning room floor and put into practice this spring. Unfortunetly Conine's injury and someone or a few did not wish to invest much time or effort to the process didn't allow for that. What did you call it before, Marlins2003? Something about making anything seem true if you draw your conclusions before compiling the data. That seems to have happened in this experiment, wouldn't you say?

I think it's a good decision.

 

Has anyone heard what we might get from the Pirates in exchange for Juan?

For over 50 years, kids around Miguel's age who have played shortstop their entire lives have succesfully moved to every position in the field.

For over 50 years, many major league third basemen and shortstops have been moved to rightfield for their arms and have faired very well immediately or within short time with little to no loss to their teams.

 

I just find it odd how Miguel's such a special case. Then again he is a special player on and off the field. Hope everything works out for the best. I also hope this experiment would have gotten off the planning room floor and put into practice this spring. Unfortunetly Conine's injury and someone or a few did not wish to invest much time or effort to the process didn't allow for that. What did you call it before, Marlins2003? Something about making anything seem true if you draw your conclusions before compiling the data. That seems to have happened in this experiment, wouldn't you say?

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I didn't say that no one has made a transition from one position to another.

 

I made the point that some have and some haven't.

its a good decision.

 

 

miguel always looked uncomfortable in right. its a different read off the ball for one, miguel never seemed to 'get it' out there.

 

 

and this ends the revolving position debate. for now.

I think it's a good decision.

 

Has anyone heard what we might get from the Pirates in exchange for Juan?

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The Pirates can't decide what they think is more valuable, a bag of baseballs or sunflower seeds.

Probably some random minor league infielder or reliever.

Thats good. He doesnt feel comfortable in right field. Id hate to see him there because he does poorly. All the angles and whatnot. I doubt it would have happened anyways. No one would move Cabs to right regardless. He sucks there.

Thats good. He doesnt feel comfortable in right field. Id hate to see him there because he does poorly. All the angles and whatnot. I doubt it would have happened anyways. No one would move Cabs to right regardless. He sucks there.

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RF is angle-less. LF has more "angles" with you want to call them that with the Teal Monster and clack.

Smart. Cabs did better in left last season.