Bill Hall's Position: Everythingfielder
by Randy Booth on Feb 18, 2010 10:22 AM EST
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PrintBill Hall isn't just a utility player -- he's a super utility player:
Bill Hall (also a right-handed hitter) is most comfortable at third base and in left field, but the team also wants to give him time at shortstop after working with infield coach Tim Bogar. The team would like to move him around the diamond, giving him a look at both second and first.
So he'll play every infield position, save catcher. He could see some time at pitcher because, ya' know, sometimes Red Sox backup infielders do that kind of thing. He'll also definitely see some time in the outfield. Why? Because he likes playing there, but we also know that he's a better option out there than, say, Kevin Youkilis. You agree?
Hall is going to be a fun player to watch this season. The Red Sox really haven't had a player like Hall in recent years that can basically walk position to position and be able to play it successfully without a hitch. Hall isn't the greatest defensive player in the world, but he's good enough to play at all these positions. I think he's going to be a great asset to Terry Francona and the coaching staff because of his versatility.
This all prompts the question: over/under five (5) different positions Hall plays this season?
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Can he pitch scoreless innings?
Otherwise Alex Cora and Nick Green are still better.
And the answer to this poll is “Pull.”
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea /
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown /
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
I should have had a "pull" option for you
Didn’t think about it, but it seems so obvious now…
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by Randy Booth on Feb 18, 2010 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
Could have avoided
push or pull by just doing a number like 4.5…
But can I change my answer to “pull,” too?
For anyone who missed it
Bill Hall = Skeet
PULL.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea /
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown /
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
at least 5 and probably 6
2b, 3b, ss, lf, rf are all definites 1b is a really good possibility
I honestly kind of hate having Bill Hall on the team.
I recently read Chris Coste’s book (poorly written, but a fun story) on his trip to the major leagues where he claimed that one of the greatest knocks against him was that he was a jack-of-all-trades. While you’d think it would be a good thing, it actually instills a bias against him as a master of none.
I don’t know, but I’d really feel a lot more comfortable having a real middle infielder in Bill Hall’s place (Angel Sanchez, perhaps? Lowrie is ideal, but he’s much better served in AAA). Once Lowell gets shipped out (which he presumably will) we could bring up Darnell McDonald to fill the 5th outfielder hole (more importantly, to give us a potential pinch runner off the bench—12:2 SB:CS last year, stole 30 or more bases in ’06 and ’07, 19 in ’08.
USG
I have some of the same concerns
but Hall was a nice fit on many counts and I do like him on our bench.
Really, these issues are second half problems… Id worry about them getting us in shape for the playoffs. For the regular season, I know we’ll have injuries and all sorts of other issues, so it doesnt concern me much at all. Im sure we’ll see Reddick, Lowrie, etc… at time. If Jed can prove healthy in the first half at Pawtucket he’d be an excellent fit with Hall on our bench. That’s what Im hoping for and I think that’s probably the Sox’ hope as well. If not, we go out and find a utility infielder at the deadline. Not a big deal, especially since we can take on salary other teams can’t…
I really doubt Lowrie spends any meaningfull time with the team in 2009
Outside of an injury to Pedroia, Scutaro, or Beltre, I expect the Sox still see Lowrie as a legitimate major league starter, and leave him in AAA to make sure he keeps getting ABs.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 18, 2010 11:40 AM EST up reply actions
Don't tell BS.UF
It’d break his heart, if he were here.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea /
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown /
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
I think he probably feels the same way.
Being relegated to the bench can kill a career. Lowrie wants a shot at being Orlando Cabrera, not Marco Scutaro.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 18, 2010 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
WHO WOULD EVER WANT TO BE ORLANDO CABRERA?!?!
Just kidding, of course. I would.
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by Randy Booth on Feb 18, 2010 12:12 PM EST up reply actions
Well, in my scenario he has proven his health by playing regularly until say... the All Star Break
I think if he does that we would very likely call him up for the stretch run.
Regardless of Lowrie’s career aspirations I think he’d probably be delighted at that point to be back in the majors.
Maybe
I just don’t see him winding up a backup any more than I do Reddick/Kalish. As much as they’d be an improvement to the big league team, it’d be potentially wasting their value.
Lowrie has to prove his health, but he also has to relearn hitting some. He hasn’t had consistent playing time in over a year.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 18, 2010 11:57 AM EST up reply actions
As much as they’d be an improvement to the big league team, it’d be potentially wasting their value.
Im talking stricktly about the stretch run here, July onwards. Theyve got plenty of development time by then.
Perhaps
Definitely September. August if things are getting too close.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Feb 18, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
I feel like if Lowrie's healthy, he'll get the call up for any long term things
like someone ending up on the DL. Hall is there to rest people for a day or two, and we all know that Pedroia at least is gonna be unhappy if he rests for more than a couple games. Scutaro seems to last pretty well too, so we probably won’t see much of him in the middle infield
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