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Friday, January 29, 2010

Ichiro will retain M’s leadoff job even with addition of Figgins

Because he can bat leadoff any time he wants to!

Ichiro led the AL in hits last year with 225 while hitting .352. Figgins hit just .298, but he led the league in walks with 101, giving him a slight edge on Ichiro in on-base percentage, .395-.388

Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu, in town for a week as the club gears up for the start of spring training in three weeks, said he’s planning on sticking with Ichiro leading off – unless he hears differently from his right fielder.

``It would be my right fielder,’’ Wakamatsu said Thursday when asked who would be leading off for him. ``We’ll go into spring training thinking that. (But) if Ichiro says to me that it’s time for him to move (to another spot in the lineup) or that he wants to try and hit more home runs, we’d be open to that.’’

It’s clear, however, that the leadoff spot is Ichiro’s as long as he wants it. And while a couple of his former managers have toyed with the idea of having Ichiro bat third, the right fielder has never developed a liking for that idea. It would seem unlikely in the extreme that he’d change his mind now.

He doesn’t have to, at least not on Figgins’ behalf.

``I’ve talked to Chone and I know it’s not a problem for him,’’ Wakamatsu said. ``Chone wants to win.’’

Repoz Posted: January 29, 2010 at 05:10 AM | 13 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: mariners, projections, sabermetrics

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1. Ray (RDP)

Posted: January 29, 2010 at 06:03 AM (#3449468)

Not worth rocking the boat over this. If Ichiro wants to lead off, you let him lead off.

I'm not sure who the more ideal leadoff hitter would be, anyway. On the one hand Ichiro's higher AVE and slightly more power would seem to favor him batting second; but the hits to the infield could be a problem with Figgins on first.

2. Hugh Jorgan Posted: January 29, 2010 at 06:49 AM (#3449489)

Well Ray, first of hall, we know Ichiro is a first ballot HOFer anyway so he can do what he wants!

Seriously though, intuitively for me, he seems to be the better #2 hitter and with his higher contact rate you could basically hit and run...well all the time really. And of course Ichiro can opt for the 2 run homer any time he chooses....

3. pinball1973 Posted: January 29, 2010 at 08:33 AM (#3449508)

The petty selfishness of this over-rated Hall of the Very Good leaves one astounded!

;)

4. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: January 29, 2010 at 09:01 AM (#3449512)

???????

5. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: January 29, 2010 at 09:05 AM (#3449514)

???????

This.

6. Srul Itza At Home Posted: January 29, 2010 at 09:37 AM (#3449519)

Although Figgins had the better OBP last year, Ichiro has the better career figure, and the better average over the last 5 years. Frankly, it is so close that it really is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

7. Leroy Kincaid Posted: January 29, 2010 at 01:25 PM (#3449541)

``I’ve talked to Chone and I know it’s not a problem for him,’’ Wakamatsu said. ``Chone wants to win.’’

Because Chone thinks the Mariners would lose if he led off?

8. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: January 29, 2010 at 01:42 PM (#3449549)

Why doesn't he just decide to start hitting homers, and bat third?

9. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: January 29, 2010 at 02:49 PM (#3449578)

This isn't exactly moving A-Rod to third, but don't you defer to the team icon in (what you consider) a close call? It's people management. The M's are the People Person's Baseball People.

Interesting question. I could also see the view that if the "icon" is a "leader" he should defer to make the new guy comfortable, if the change is actually good for the team.

e.g. ARod was the better SS. Jeter moving would have been good for the team, and probably would have made ARod more comfortable. So, a "leader" should make the move, in that case.

But, the team probably shouldn't force it.

10. The Good Face Posted: January 29, 2010 at 03:40 PM (#3449604)

Meh. It's not like Juan Pierre pushing Ricky Henderson down in the lineup here. I can't get overly excited about which slightly above average hitter gets to bat leadoff and which will hit second.

11. base ball chick Posted: January 29, 2010 at 04:20 PM (#3449640)

this is the problem with kissing "team icon" butt

us astros fans lived with this *(@^#! with biggio and bagwell from 04 on

07 was a complete throwaway season dedicated only to kising biggio butt - you wanna see primadonna, don't be lookin at barry lamar's Chair - look right at biggio

12. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: January 29, 2010 at 04:24 PM (#3449649)

This isn't exactly moving A-Rod to third, but don't you defer to the team icon in (what you consider) a close call? It's people management. The M's are the People Person's Baseball People.

Absolutely, esp. given that the difference between batting Figgins first or second can't be more than 2-3 runs over the course of a season (and that's assuming he matches his 2009 #s).

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Ichiro will retain M’s leadoff job even with addition of Figgins

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