Hermida is no joke when it comes to power, but right now Ramirez easily has him beat and likely will do so for the rest of both of their careers. Hermida has exceptional plate discipline and that's not something that goes away. Thus, his ability to simply get on base is more than enough to make him a capable lead off hitter.

 

Ramirez is being wasted where he is right now. Plain and simple.

 

That is plain and simply your opinion. Ramirez is going to hit anywhere in the order. However, he is the only one capable of hitting lead off on our team right now. Hermida is not a lead off hitter. He is better suited for the #3 spot where he is. The only problem with this lineup right now (which I know we can agree on) is Uggla hitting second. My opinion is that they should swap Uggla and Cantu for the time being. I'm not sure about Cantu's OBP but I'm sure it can't be worse than Uggla's and I know for sure that he will make much more contact than Uggla.

 

I don't even understand why this is an arguement right now the way that our offense is producing. Ramirez makes this offense go at the top of the order. Once Maybin is ready, and we have another viable option, we can think about moving Hanley down in the order.

I wouldn't put Willingham third. He should be hitting in front of Hermida/Ramirez because they have superior SLG. You want the number three hitter to be the best of Ramirez, Hermida, and Willingham.

 

Again, the emphasis on speed/baserunning is ridiculously overstated. Oakland's experiments with Jeremy Giambi leading off were commendable.

 

and a failure

In defense of Uggla, both Jim Leyland and Tony LaRussa have used a power hitter in the two spot when they did not have a prototypical high on base percentage hitter.

Just like Tommy said in the game. Freddie doesnt want to be flip flopping Uggla from 2nd to 6th. Amezega doesnt play everyday and who else would u bat 2nd when Amezega isnt in the lineup?

 

I understand the problem, but it doesn't mean that Uggla should be left hitting 2nd into eternity.

 

The bottom line is that Uggla will have around 30 hrs and 40 doubles this year with a barisp of .190 and I'm scared to know what his actual BA may be. He is the least 2 hitter that there ever was. This isn't a criticism at all of Uggla, whose jersey t-shirt I own, but where his manager places him in the lineup, which has been hurting this team since last year's all-star break. He is the quintessential 5,6 hitter.

 

I don't have an answer for who should bat 2nd when Alfredo doesn't play because it's not Cody Ross. So I guess I'm in favor of having Alfredo play every day. His Luis-like abilities with Uggla slugging 5th or 6th will make the lineup deeper. And if Alfredo doesn't hit lefties, from the right or left, he still won't be that much worse than Uggla in terms of BA and OBP, which the 2 hitter is supposed to excel at.

 

Maybe when De Aza comes back he can play every day and hit 2nd. But I guess the real point here is that the whole thing will be moot once messiah Maybin comes up to the bigs.

I like Amezaga too and think he could be an every day starter for this team as well. He's a much better outfielder than Ross and is much better suited to cover our outfield. But you simply can't ignore what Ross has done against lefties in his career.

I wouldn't put Willingham third. He should be hitting in front of Hermida/Ramirez because they have superior SLG. You want the number three hitter to be the best of Ramirez, Hermida, and Willingham.

 

Again, the emphasis on speed/baserunning is ridiculously overstated. Oakland's experiments with Jeremy Giambi leading off were commendable.

 

I'll say that stolen bases are overrated (just because the caught stealings that go along with them are so costly) but to say speed is overrated is nuts. Speed turns a lot of singles into doubles and doubles into triples and ground outs into infiled hits and allows baserunners to take extra bases. All these things are very important.

I still contend having Hermida, Willingham, Ramirez batting 1-3.

 

agreed.

I wouldn't put Willingham third. He should be hitting in front of Hermida/Ramirez because they have superior SLG. You want the number three hitter to be the best of Ramirez, Hermida, and Willingham.

 

Again, the emphasis on speed/baserunning is ridiculously overstated. Oakland's experiments with Jeremy Giambi leading off were commendable.

Willingham SLG > Hermida SLG, for their careers and for this season, so I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

And again, Hanley's SLG is boosted by the fact that his speed will allow him to take an extra base that most players, including these two, won't get. Just think inside the park HR for a second. Or How Hanley has 18 career triples vs Hammer's 7. Do you attribute that more to power or speed?

This season's number are negligible. You know this. Small sampling size and Hermida started the season on the DL. To also place emphasis on Hermida's first season (2006) is also misleading. His OBP was also low that season. From that data one can make the assumption that he does not walk well. Anyone with a brain knows that isn't the truth.

 

The best side by side analysis comes from 2007 which is likely a better depiction of Hermida's ability and the numbers we should expect from him throughout his career. Hermida outslugged Willingham by 40 points in 2006. Hermida's 2007 numbers are still higher than Willingham's 2006 (his best season), as well.

 

You simply aren't thinking critically.

 

The number of triples is most attributed to speed and that could inflate the SLG, but Hermida still has a degree of raw power and likely greater than Willingham's. I don't know all of the SABR equations that exist but if you simply take AB/HR ratios, Hermida's was better in 2007.

 

Still the point to be taken is that Hermida is still growing as a player. He started off slowly in 2007 and had to compensate toward the end. With Willingham we've pretty much seen his peak and more importantly he isn't going to be a long term solution for the Marlins. Hermida hits for a higher average, walks more, and hits just as many (if not more) home runs. He should be hitting after Willingham.

 

Willingham is nothing more than a solid player with a knack for getting on base. Ramirez/Hermida are the only players on the roster at the moment who should warrant consideration for hitting third.

Hermida is no joke when it comes to power, but right now Ramirez easily has him beat and likely will do so for the rest of both of their careers. Hermida has exceptional plate discipline and that's not something that goes away. Thus, his ability to simply get on base is more than enough to make him a capable lead off hitter.

 

Ramirez is being wasted where he is right now. Plain and simple.

 

That is plain and simply your opinion. Ramirez is going to hit anywhere in the order. However, he is the only one capable of hitting lead off on our team right now. Hermida is not a lead off hitter. He is better suited for the #3 spot where he is. The only problem with this lineup right now (which I know we can agree on) is Uggla hitting second. My opinion is that they should swap Uggla and Cantu for the time being. I'm not sure about Cantu's OBP but I'm sure it can't be worse than Uggla's and I know for sure that he will make much more contact than Uggla.

 

I don't even understand why this is an arguement right now the way that our offense is producing. Ramirez makes this offense go at the top of the order. Once Maybin is ready, and we have another viable option, we can think about moving Hanley down in the order.

Obviously it's my opinion. Why does that even need to be said?

 

Why is Hermida not a capable lead off hitter? Why is he a better number three option? Why is Ramirez not an option? Please explicate.

I wouldn't put Willingham third. He should be hitting in front of Hermida/Ramirez because they have superior SLG. You want the number three hitter to be the best of Ramirez, Hermida, and Willingham.

 

Again, the emphasis on speed/baserunning is ridiculously overstated. Oakland's experiments with Jeremy Giambi leading off were commendable.

 

I'll say that stolen bases are overrated (just because the caught stealings that go along with them are so costly) but to say speed is overrated is nuts. Speed turns a lot of singles into doubles and doubles into triples and ground outs into infiled hits and allows baserunners to take extra bases. All these things are very important.

It means nothing if you can't get on base first. In that respect it is overrated. Again, this is why the Marlins offense struggled in 2005. Was it Juan Pierre's worse SB/CS ratio or was it the fact that his OBP dropped substantially.

 

Having a player with strong baserunning abilities is an added benefit for the lead off spot. Given what the Marlins have to work with, they are detracting from a more important aspect (power in the third spot) in order to service a lesser need (speed in the lead off spot).

 

The first thing that needs to be done (and the most important) is to have Uggla demoted in the lineup. He and his .590 OPS are the most crippling aspects of the lineup right now and outweigh everything else I'm talking about.

I wouldn't put Willingham third. He should be hitting in front of Hermida/Ramirez because they have superior SLG. You want the number three hitter to be the best of Ramirez, Hermida, and Willingham.

 

Again, the emphasis on speed/baserunning is ridiculously overstated. Oakland's experiments with Jeremy Giambi leading off were commendable.

 

I'll say that stolen bases are overrated (just because the caught stealings that go along with them are so costly) but to say speed is overrated is nuts. Speed turns a lot of singles into doubles and doubles into triples and ground outs into infiled hits and allows baserunners to take extra bases. All these things are very important.

It means nothing if you can't get on base first. In that respect it is overrated. Again, this is why the Marlins offense struggled in 2005. Was it Juan Pierre's worse SB/CS ratio or was it the fact that his OBP dropped substantially.

 

Having a player with strong baserunning abilities is an added benefit for the lead off spot. Given what the Marlins have to work with, they are detracting from a more important aspect (power in the third spot) in order to service a lesser need (speed in the lead off spot).

 

The first thing that needs to be done (and the most important) is to have Uggla demoted in the lineup. He and his .590 OPS are the most crippling aspects of the lineup right now and outweigh everything else I'm talking about.

Cite: Nick Swisher

 

Even OZZIE GUILLEN figured it out. But Jerry Owens is still injured so we'll see.

I also fully expect Hermida to eventually start OBPing Ramirez in the not too distant future. Not saying either player are ideal for either role but given what we have on the roster right now, I think that's the best the Marlins could come up with.

 

When Maybin is ready and hitting this will all go out the window.

lofton

hermida

hanley

jake

hammer

uggla

cantu

rabelo

 

/i know

 

 

 

 

 

On a different note, The cards and brewers are adopting a position player batting 9th to give more RBI opportunities to our big hitters.. what about fredo batting 9th? i know tradionalists don't like it but after the first time through, i think it could be affective

lofton

hermida

hanley

jake

hammer

uggla

cantu

rabelo

Lofton is a chronic bat flipper. The Marlins would NEVER allow a flipper on the team.

In defense of Uggla, both Jim Leyland and Tony LaRussa have used a power hitter in the two spot when they did not have a prototypical high on base percentage hitter.

 

that's in defense of frederico

I'm reading a lot about how Hermida is so patient and gets all these walks, etc. I know that was true of him in the minors, but really, I haven't seen the walks come rolling in with the regularity I expected in the majors yet.

Willingham SLG > Hermida SLG, for their careers and for this season, so I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

And again, Hanley's SLG is boosted by the fact that his speed will allow him to take an extra base that most players, including these two, won't get. Just think inside the park HR for a second. Or How Hanley has 18 career triples vs Hammer's 7. Do you attribute that more to power or speed?

This season's number are negligible. You know this. Small sampling size and Hermida started the season on the DL. To also place emphasis on Hermida's first season (2006) is also misleading. His OBP was also low that season. From that data one can make the assumption that he does not walk well. Anyone with a brain knows that isn't the truth.

 

The best side by side analysis comes from 2007 which is likely a better depiction of Hermida's ability and the numbers we should expect from him throughout his career. Hermida outslugged Willingham by 40 points in 2006. Hermida's 2007 numbers are still higher than Willingham's 2006 (his best season), as well.

 

You simply aren't thinking critically.

 

The number of triples is most attributed to speed and that could inflate the SLG, but Hermida still has a degree of raw power and likely greater than Willingham's. I don't know all of the SABR equations that exist but if you simply take AB/HR ratios, Hermida's was better in 2007.

 

Still the point to be taken is that Hermida is still growing as a player. He started off slowly in 2007 and had to compensate toward the end. With Willingham we've pretty much seen his peak and more importantly he isn't going to be a long term solution for the Marlins. Hermida hits for a higher average, walks more, and hits just as many (if not more) home runs. He should be hitting after Willingham.

 

Willingham is nothing more than a solid player with a knack for getting on base. Ramirez/Hermida are the only players on the roster at the moment who should warrant consideration for hitting third.

I agree about this season's numbers, but why are their career numbers seemingly also negligible? Hermida had a really good half season. I hope he hits like it more, but I still don't get why you feel that Hermida's inconsistency over the last two years is irrelevant.

 

But anyway, I don't get it - you want Hermida to hit leadoff, and yet object to my suggestion that he hit 2nd with Willingham batting number 3 on the basis that "Willingham should hit ahead of Hermida because Hermida SLGs more". So what then, should Willingham bat leadoff? I don't get it.

 

Hanley is the best leadoff hitter we have. Probably the best any hitter we have, so maybe that's besides the point. Most of us agree, no one on the team currently is equally or better suited to hit leadoff. All the stuff we always hear about Hermida, the patience and working long counts, IMO, suits him better to behind Hanley and give him a chance to move on base. Nevermind the idea of having a lefty pull the ball to RF to give Hanley more room to run to 3B from 1B.

 

But I guess I'll leave it at this - Hanley will continue to bat leadoff until we have another viable leadoff hitter. Hermida is not seen as one, so he won't be replacing him. Given that reality, if you want to move Uggla down from the #2 spot, who takes it? I say just slide the rest of the lineup up a spot and fit Uggla back in before or after Cantu. Remember that Hermida was originally batting #2 in 06 until replaced by Uggla as a result of his slumping and subsequent stints on the DL.

Hermida hasn't been inconsistent. He had a slow start and is starting to adjust to major league pitching. What you are saying is a complete misrepresentation. Look at his 2007 pre and post all star numbers. You are severely short changing is hitting capabilities. You can't make career projections based on combining statistics that contain his early adjustment ABs. I reiterate my early point, do you honestly believe the .330 OBP he posted there is a representation of his actual capabilities?

 

Hermida should be batting lead off because he has the best eye of anyone on the roster. While his numbers aren't quite on par with Ramirez's yet, they will be eventually. Willingham hitting lead off isn't a terrible idea, but I tend to assign him the second spot because Hermida has a better OBP capability and Willingham's power ability is perfectly adequate.

 

Ramirez is the best number three hitter we have. Working counts is an attribute you want of someone getting on base for the power hitter at the top of the order. I don't see your logic. You keep bringing up arbitrary (or perhaps I should say overstated to the point of being negligible) when the real determining factor is having guys that can simply get on base followed by guys with the ability to drive them in consistently. This really isn't a complicated issue. Ramirez is the best power hitter on the team right now.

 

Why is Hermida not a viable lead off hitter? His .369 OBP in 2007 is not good enough? I think you are just severely underestimating the kid's abilities because he didn't storm into the majors like Ramirez did and you are blinded by this.

Hermida hasn't been inconsistent. He had a slow start and is starting to adjust to major league pitching. What you are saying is a complete misrepresentation. Look at his 2007 pre and post all star numbers. You are severely short changing is hitting capabilities. You can't make career projections based on combining statistics that contain his early adjustment ABs. I reiterate my early point, do you honestly believe the .330 OBP he posted there is a representation of his actual capabilities?

No, but it is a representation of his performance, which is more important. I mean honestly, I'm not even sure how fruitful this discussion can be given your mindset that leads to statements like "so-and-so is performing above their capabilities", which makes no sense, given what the very definition of capable is. If someone does something, they're obviously capable of doing it, unless you believe it happened completely by dumb luck and forces beyond the beneficiary's control. Now that has nothing to do with consistency. Take Hendrickson, who has allowed a total of 4 ER in his last 3 starts posting a 2.04 ERA in April so far. Now whether or not you believe he can continue to perform at that level is one thing, which relates to his ability to consistently do it, but there can be no question that Hendrickson is capable of what he's doing by virtue of the fact that he is doing it.

Now I'm willing to buy into the notion that Hermida is CAPABLE of more, but if he doesn't actually do it that consistently, what's the point? Why should a half season on a hot streak be considered more representative of a player than 2 years and change worth of their performance at the ML level? And this fiction that he needed to adjust? If he had needed to adjust he wouldn't have been hitting 293 in his Sept 2005 callup, even in the limited playing time. He is just streaky.

Let me reiterate my point, do you honestly believe that the the 340 AVG he posted in the second half of 2007 is a representation of his actual capabilities, and that he can perform at that level over an entire season?

 

Hermida should be batting lead off because he has the best eye of anyone on the roster. While his numbers aren't quite on par with Ramirez's yet, they will be eventually. Willingham hitting lead off isn't a terrible idea, but I tend to assign him the second spot because Hermida has a better OBP capability and Willingham's power ability is perfectly adequate.

Wow, so you're really suggesting a lineup along the lines of

1 Hermida

2 Willingham

3 Hanley

Or better yet

1 Willingham

2 Hermida

3 Hanley

 

And that part I highlighted is certainly debatable. I honestly hope Hermida does turn out that well, but even then, I would never agree with these lineups.

 

Ramirez is the best number three hitter we have. Working counts is an attribute you want of someone getting on base for the power hitter at the top of the order. I don't see your logic. You keep bringing up arbitrary (or perhaps I should say overstated to the point of being negligible) when the real determining factor is having guys that can simply get on base followed by guys with the ability to drive them in consistently. This really isn't a complicated issue. Ramirez is the best power hitter on the team right now.

Ramirez is the best any # hitter we have. Working counts is an attribute you want everyone to have. Even given the belief that Hanley is the best power hitter, he is also the best baserunner (not: I did not say base stealer, although he is our best at that too). The thing is, I believe the gap between Hanley and the next best power hitter is a lot smaller than the gap between our next best baserunner. And baserunning is not irrelevant.

 

Why is Hermida not a viable lead off hitter? His .369 OBP in 2007 is not good enough? I think you are just severely underestimating the kid's abilities because he didn't storm into the majors like Ramirez did and you are blinded by this.

Well gee, with this logic, maybe we should bat Cody leadoff, since his 411 OBP last year ought to be good enough. Can't blame him for a lack of playing time, and don't start with it being all against lefties either. While he did OBP 474 vs LHP he also had an OBP of 372 vs RHP in over 100 ABs (vs RHP).

But being serious for a moment though, it's all about BASERUNNING. Like it or not, Hanley's numbers are boosted by his speed. Nevermind even the IF hits. But the thing is having a slower lesser baserunner ahead negates the baserunning ability of those behind them.

Here's a scenario - suppose destiny dictates that Hermida will hit a single and Hanley will hit a triple off a certain pitcher, and anyone in between will strikeout. Given that the logic for your move is that Hanley SLGs more, I think this is a reasonable scenario.

Now suppose Hanley is batting after Hermida, so Hermida is on 1B when Hanley hits, I believe one of two things will happen - either Hermida gets thrown out at the plate or he holds at 3B which in turn holds Hanley to a double.

On the flip side of that, if Hanley hits with the bases empty, he reaches 3B and is driven in by a Hermida single. This may seem silly and anecdotal, but having lesser baserunners ahead of Hanley will negate the benefits of his speed, which go beyond stealing bases. You lose a lot less by having someone else hit 3rd.

Good lord, didn't realize Amezaga has 10 walks and 1 strikeout so far. WTF.

No, but it is a representation of his performance, which is more important. I mean honestly, I'm not even sure how fruitful this discussion can be given your mindset that leads to statements like "so-and-so is performing above their capabilities", which makes no sense, given what the very definition of capable is. If someone does something, they're obviously capable of doing it, unless you believe it happened completely by dumb luck and forces beyond the beneficiary's control. Now that has nothing to do with consistency. Take Hendrickson, who has allowed a total of 4 ER in his last 3 starts posting a 2.04 ERA in April so far. Now whether or not you believe he can continue to perform at that level is one thing, which relates to his ability to consistently do it, but there can be no question that Hendrickson is capable of what he's doing by virtue of the fact that he is doing it.

Now I'm willing to buy into the notion that Hermida is CAPABLE of more, but if he doesn't actually do it that consistently, what's the point? Why should a half season on a hot streak be considered more representative of a player than 2 years and change worth of their performance at the ML level? And this fiction that he needed to adjust? If he had needed to adjust he wouldn't have been hitting 293 in his Sept 2005 callup, even in the limited playing time. He is just streaky.

Let me reiterate my point, do you honestly believe that the the 340 AVG he posted in the second half of 2007 is a representation of his actual capabilities, and that he can perform at that level over an entire season?

He's playing to his abilities. That's the point. He put up awesome numbers the second half of 2007. Clearly the Marlins front office was pleased with what they saw if they handed him the third spot in the order as soon as he come off of the DL. He put up a .369 on base percentage last season. That's very good and certainly good enough to lead off.

 

Not all players, especially the extremely young ones storm into the major leagues their first season. Thus his 2006 numbers are not a true indication of the player he is now. By your logic talent is always there and is ready exposed. Pllayer cultivation and development are unimportant. I mean, jesus, do you know anything about the game? If you look at his stats, he hasn't been inconsistent, he was just a slow starter. There is a huge difference.

 

Again, if he's so inconsistent and is not playing to his abilities why was he handed the third spot by default? Clearly the Marlins think highly of him (and I can't blame them) but they unfortunately seem to have a misguided perception on what the top of the order is supposed to represent.

Wow, so you're really suggesting a lineup along the lines of

1 Hermida

2 Willingham

3 Hanley

Yes. I've stated this explicitly.

 

Given what is on our roster right now, it is the best and most logical option.

 

Ramirez is the best any # hitter we have. Working counts is an attribute you want everyone to have. Even given the belief that Hanley is the best power hitter, he is also the best baserunner (not: I did not say base stealer, although he is our best at that too). The thing is, I believe the gap between Hanley and the next best power hitter is a lot smaller than the gap between our next best baserunner. And baserunning is not irrelevant.

Not irrelevant, but overstated. The point is getting on base. We have two guys in the lineup that have knack for doing so and Hanley's margin for power trumps those differences qualitatively.

 

Well gee, with this logic, maybe we should bat Cody leadoff, since his 411 OBP last year ought to be good enough. Can't blame him for a lack of playing time, and don't start with it being all against lefties either. While he did OBP 474 vs LHP he also had an OBP of 372 vs RHP in over 100 ABs (vs RHP).

You absolutely can blame him for a lack of playing time. He had less than 200 ABs next year. That is an extremely small sampling size. Again, you are failing to think critically. If he were actually guaranteed to be playing everyday and if in more ABs he proves he can still hit RHP, then he wouldn't be a terrible option. But the former won't happen and we already have two regular players that can hit at the top of the order.

 

But being serious for a moment though, it's all about BASERUNNING. Like it or not, Hanley's numbers are boosted by his speed. Nevermind even the IF hits. But the thing is having a slower lesser baserunner ahead negates the baserunning ability of those behind them.

In order to be a good baserunner one first must get on base. His SLG might be inflated a degree but he still has the best AB/HR ratio which is an indication of raw power.

 

Here's a scenario - suppose destiny dictates that Hermida will hit a single and Hanley will hit a triple off a certain pitcher, and anyone in between will strikeout. Given that the logic for your move is that Hanley SLGs more, I think this is a reasonable scenario.

Now suppose Hanley is batting after Hermida, so Hermida is on 1B when Hanley hits, I believe one of two things will happen - either Hermida gets thrown out at the plate or he holds at 3B which in turn holds Hanley to a double.

On the flip side of that, if Hanley hits with the bases empty, he reaches 3B and is driven in by a Hermida single. This may seem silly and anecdotal, but having lesser baserunners ahead of Hanley will negate the benefits of his speed, which go beyond stealing bases. You lose a lot less by having someone else hit 3rd.

While I think hypothetical scenarios are pointless and fallacious, I think Hermida is a more than adequate baserunner and if Ramirez hit the ball far enough away from a fielder in order to make it to third, Hermida would likely score on the play. Hermida has an extra base on Ramirez and it's a longer throw to home.

 

Again, completely overstated. I'd give it more merit if you could actually substantiate it somehow statistically.

He's playing to his abilities. That's the point. He put up awesome numbers the second half of 2007. Clearly the Marlins front office was pleased with what they saw if they handed him the third spot in the order as soon as he come off of the DL. He put up a .369 on base percentage last season. That's very good and certainly good enough to lead off.

I guess the thing with me is I don't act as though I know what anyone is capable or incapable of. When someone does something I believe they can do it. When someone does something consistently, I believe they can do it consistently. And as for where he was put into the lineup, i'm sure they were pleased. But I think Hermida's position in the lineup is or should have more to do with the type of hitter he is on top of however good a hitter he may be.

 

Not all players, especially the extremely young ones storm into the major leagues their first season. Thus his 2006 numbers are not a true indication of the player he is now. By your logic talent is always there and is ready exposed. Pllayer cultivation and development are unimportant. I mean, jesus, do you know anything about the game? If you look at his stats, he hasn't been inconsistent, he was just a slow starter. There is a huge difference.

Again, he looked just fine. Very good even in 2005, even if it was in limited playing time. This whole "he wasn't ready" mentality was completely absent. And then he performed poorly through 2006 and through the first half of 2007. Maybe I am dumb about baseball - but I know what the word consistent means. If Hermida looked like a superstar in limited playing time in 2005 (hitting a HR every 10 ABs basically), then struggles for a year and a half, and then explodes for half a season, that's up and down and back up. So if you want to characterize that as consistent, fine. I'm done arguing the point.

 

Again, if he's so inconsistent and is not playing to his abilities why was he handed the third spot by default? Clearly the Marlins think highly of him (and I can't blame them) but they unfortunately seem to have a misguided perception on what the top of the order is supposed to represent.

I love how the Marlins are smart when they agree with me and dumb when they disagree with me implication.

Anyway, why was he given the #3 spot? Because of the only 3 more consistent producers over the last 2 years, 1 is locked into a role no one else can currently fill (Hanley), and the other 2 are somewhat flawed in the types of hitter they are for that role(Willingham & Uggla), not to mention Uggla's annual April slump currently ongoing. The rest of the team is either less consistent, less proven, the wrong type of hitter, or not an everyday player.

The point is that he's good now. 41 ABs followed by a decrease in performance does not signify inconsistency. And to say he was only good for half of a season is another misrepresentation. He missed all of April in 2007 and half of May. He struggled only until about June and put up awesome OBP from there on out. Hence, he put up more than solid numbers for the final 2/3 of his plate appearances. And the first third he was recovering from an injury.

 

Despite not giving a chance to hit lead off, Hermida at the very least has demonstrated a consistent ability to get on base. That is what the Marlins are looking for in a leadoff hitter. To say Ramirez is the only player to fill that role is completely ludicrous.

After watching today's game, if Hanley is gonna lead off, why put a whiff king like Uggla behind him; someone who can make good contact should be following Hanley. Just now Hanley walks, steals 2nd, and Uggla strikes out, lucky for him hermida picked up the rbi.

After watching today's game, if Hanley is gonna lead off, why put a whiff king like Uggla behind him; someone who can make good contact should be following Hanley. Just now Hanley walks, steals 2nd, and Uggla strikes out, lucky for him hermida picked up the rbi.

 

:whistle