Shane at the Top- Good or Bad?

With some serious concern over how the Phillies' lineup might perform with Jimmy Rollins out due to injury, the team exploded after getting behind by 3 runs early Wednesday, in their first game since Rollins injured his calf at the home opener on Monday.

Shane Victorino, the man assigned to take over the lead-off spot in the batting order for the absent Rollins, had a tremendous night at the plate. Victorino came within a double of being the second player in Citizens Bank Park history to hit for the cycle. Victorino went 4-for-5 with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored.

The initial concern was probably in direct correlation with Victorino's career numbers batting in that lead-off spot. Prior to last night's contest, Shane's stats batting 1st in the lineup looked like this- 44 games, .227 batting avg., 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 31 runs, 14 RBI, with an on-base % below .300. In 15 games batting in the lead-off spot last season, Shane batted .200, had a .264 on-base % & had 8 runs scored, but in 14 games batting first in the batting order in 2008, Shane had a .327 avg., with a .403 on-base % & 13 runs scored.

Victorino's production varies no matter where he bats in the order. He batted mostly 2nd in the lineup in 2009 and put up a .307 batting avg & a .370 on-base % in 124 games there. In 81 games batting in that same spot in 2008, Victorino's batting avg. was much lower, at .263 but he still produced a .335 on-base %.

With all that variance in mind, let's just consider that Victorino is a career .283 hitter with a .346 career on-base % and he's got speed. Certainly, he's the best option to bat lead-off at this time, and if his 2010 lead-off debut is an accurate indication of things to come, the first place Phillies will be just fine for the foreseeable future, until Jimmy Rollins returns from his injury.

----------------------------------

Be sure to follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.

Share on Facebook

Comments

Mike McGuire Living a Dream With Favorite Team

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Every young ballplayer grows up wishing he could play for his favorite team. Mike McGuire has an opportunity to do just that after signing with the Phillies organization in July. McGuire was a 43rd round draft pick taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 amateur draft out of the University of Delaware. Early scouting reports liked McGuire's abilities, despite some arm trouble. He advanced as far as High A Level Kinston last season. While there, he posted an 0-3 record with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts. The Indians weren't happy with McGuire's efforts this spring and released him. McGuire caught on with the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League, where he stayed in shape and pitched against other formerly affiliated minor leaguers. As a starter with the Skyhawks, McGuire went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 8 outings. From there, just as all players in those independent leagues hope for, the 24-year-old McGuire got noticed. The Phillies wer...

Harry's Plaque Has Misprint

At the ballpark today for the first time since Harry Kalas was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, I noticed an error in the text on his plaque. Verbage on the plaque reads like this... Voice of Phillies baseball on radio and TV for 39 seasons. Teamed with Richie Ashburn from 1971 until 1997. Harry was on the air for all of Mike Schmidt's 548 home runs, five Phillies no-hitters, seven National League Championship Series, three World Series, the first and final games at Veterans Stadium and the Citizens Bank Park 2004 opener. Received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 for "Major Contributions to Baseball" and was inducted into the broadcasters' wing at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His calls were legendary, especially his signature home run call, "Outta heeere." On October 29, 2008, he brought utmost joy to Phillies fans: "The 0-2 pitch, swing and miss , struck him out. The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 Worl...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog