Sickels: An Interview with Oakland GM Billy Beane

Beane-Sickels. Getcha ice-cold Beane-Sickels here!

JOHN SICKELS:
You mentioned the wave of young hitters who will be ready soon. Where does Chris Carter fit into that? Can he really play the outfield?

BILLY BEANE:
Chris is far more athletic than people think. He needs work out there, but he has a better chance to stick in the outfield than the other candidates like Barton. We haven’t given up on Barton at all by the way, we still believe in his potential. But Chris’s bat looks special. It would really help us fit him into the lineup if he can play the outfield.

JOHN SICKELS
I saw him late in the year for Midland, and I agree, he is more athletic than people say. He’s not just a slugger either, he looks like he’s pretty polished with the bat.

BILLY BEANE:
Yes. Our people in Midland thought he was the best all-around hitter in the Texas League, a pure hitter now, not just a power guy. He’s made adjustments as he’s moved up and has improved his approach at a rapid rate. And he’s still very young, too. We had some concerns about how he would adapt in Triple-A, but he handled the challenge well, hitting four homers for Sacramento. He will need some Triple-A time to make the final adjustments with the bat, and to settle on a position.

JOHN SICKELS:
So you will keep him in the outfield?

BILLY BEANE:
Well, it would help us if he could stick there. We’ll see how things look in the spring. We still have Barton and Doolittle to find places for, too.