Expectations of Eleven: Daniel Murphy

[Benjamin Grimm]

There are so many questions, and just over seven weeks until Opening Day. Things are gonna start getting interesting over the next few weeks.

[Frayed Knot]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What square peg? He looked better at first-- quick, surprisingly decisive-- than he ever looked in the outfield; if he had one fault there, it was trying to cover too much ground... which is much less of a flaw at the keystone.

The square peg where you take someone who was a bat-first corner player throughout his amateur and minor league career and try to re-make him in the middle of the diamond in the majors at age 25.

Mora turned out to be just fine

But not as a short-stop.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Even beyond the different arm-strength requirements, there's a world of difference between second and short. Murphy's defensive tendencies seem to favor his development at that particular position-- as much as they can for someone who, as you point out, is trying a new position in young adulthood-- as long as he gets sufficient practice making the throws.

He sure as hell won't be a Gold Glover, at least not this year. But even if he's only a faking-it occasional second baseman, he's better defensively than at least one starter in the division, and he becomes a cheap DeRosa-type.

[Edgy MD]

In general, the more managers display the courage to push players as far right along the defensive spectrum as they can, the better. Replacing a fielder with a hitter can be so valuable.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Really. Does anyone here dissent with that?

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Really. Does anyone here dissent with that?

Are you kidding? Me -- I went with Gates Brown StratOMaticv71 all season (LF 4 (+4))* and won the crown.


*Those are defensive ratings. That's what Mo Vaughn would rate if he played left field.

[Vic Sage]

i loved Kevin Mitchell at SS.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm all for giving Murph the opportunity and think he can be "a faking-it occasional second baseman".
Of course that's not the same thing as an everyday one and for all the Mitchell at SS memories it's a spot he played 25 times in his career, 20 of them starts. I suspect Muffy will get more than that but, again, not full time.

[Lefty Specialist]

Frayed Knot wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What square peg? He looked better at first-- quick, surprisingly decisive-- than he ever looked in the outfield; if he had one fault there, it was trying to cover too much ground... which is much less of a flaw at the keystone. The square peg where you take someone who was a bat-first corner player throughout his amateur and minor league career and try to re-make him in the middle of the diamond in the majors at age 25. Mora turned out to be just fine But not as a short-stop.

Precisely my point. We're putting a lot of good wishes on this one with very little to back it up. Sure, Murphy eventually looked passable at first, but Ike Davis has closed off that option.

This team has played people out of their normal positions so consistently over the years it amazes me.

[Edgy MD]

I don't think Murphy eventually looked passable at first. I think he was always fine there (more than passable), and Manuel eventually got around to getting past his infielder's prejudice that any fool can play outfield and anybody who can't certainly shouldn't be let in the infield.

[Edgy MD]

Wife: None I can find.

Grrrlfriend Tori Ahern.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[FMan]Osprey in her face![/FMan]

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Imposing personal fantasies on others...not cool.

[Fman99]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: [FMan]Osprey in her face![/FMan]

[Edgy MD]

Murph played nine innings in right field in a minor league exhibition yesterday.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Murph played nine innings in right field in a minor league exhibition yesterday.

scheduled to start in RF today in the Grapefruit, but unlikely due to the torrential downpour and the St. Lucie Mets not bothering to tarp the field before hand.

[Edgy MD]

Murph definitely exhibited the arm for third base last night, and it's a shame his managers haven't given him more of an opportunity to spell Wright over there on occasion.

His overaggression on the basepaths, that's a different story.

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: Mora turned out to be just fine, maybe Murph will too.

Well, he's proven he can hit ok. But can he father quintuplets?

Later

[Edgy MD]

Daniel Murphy through May 6: .244 / .311 / .402 // .714.

Daneil Murphy through June 6: 309 / .366 / .433 // .799.

Turned a corner or merely hot?

[Edgy MD]

Last 28 days: .368 / .421 / .471 // .892

Last 14 days: .500 / .540 / .565 // 1.105

Last 7 days: .550 / .591 / .550 //1.141

[Vic Sage]

Turned a corner or merely hot?

are you suggesting he's turned the corner and he's now a .500 hitter?
i think i'll vote for "merely hot". Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Mole's winning this one so far.

My Boswellian future for him seems pretty pessimistic.

He's going up there with an idea again.

[Edgy MD]

Vic Sage wrote: Turned a corner or merely hot? are you suggesting he's turned the corner and he's now a .500 hitter?

No.

[Vic Sage]

well, then you've answered your own question. a reversion to the mean is imminent. But i may agree with you that he HAS turned some kind of corner. It's just difficult to assess what neighborhood that corner is in, when he's this hot. We have more than 1/2 a season to go to see where his reversion ultimately lands him.

I still think a .275-.280/ 15-20hr hitter is in there somewhere, which is excellent for a 2bman and less impressive for a corner man. Playing 1b is giving him ABs, but i don't think he has a future there and it retarding his growth at 2b. Not that there is anything to be done about it while Davis is out.

[Edgy MD]

well, then you've answered your own question.

Don't be such a smart guy.

If Wright and Davis returned tomorrow, would you try and steal some time for Murphy in left? I sure would.

[Vic Sage]

Don't be such a smart guy.

who are you, my 7th grade social studies teacher?

If Wright and Davis returned tomorrow, would you try and steal some time for Murphy in left? I sure would.

I sure would, too. But it's not stealing if Bay is giving it away. I'd platoon them until either Murphy stopped hitting, or Bay started.

I guess i'd like to see him get as many opps as possible at 2b, to finally determine whether he can be adequate defensively. but if not, ultimately, I see Murph as a supersub, getting ABs at 1b, 2b, 3b, LF & Rf, as well as PH and DH. He could give us 400 productive ABs a season that way. But i don't see him as an everyday player unless his bat can carry his glove at 2b (Turner seems to be a better balanced option at this point), as his bat is likely inadequate for the corners (either IF or OF).

[smg58]

He's on a pace for similar numbers to his 2009 season everywhere except batting average, and this was actually true when he was hitting below .250 as well. He's gotten a flurry of singles lately, but I figure he'll wind up about where he was in 2009.

[Ceetar]

smg58 wrote: He's on a pace for similar numbers to his 2009 season everywhere except batting average, and this was actually true when he was hitting below .250 as well. He's gotten a flurry of singles lately, but I figure he'll wind up about where he was in 2009.

I was figuring a slight up-tick for him from 2009 in 2010. Dunno how a lost season plays into his overall growth.

[Edgy MD]

Since May 21 --- a jerry-rigged, if not insignificant, period --- Daniel Murphy is tied with Adrian Gonzalez for most hits in MLB, according to Anthony DiComo

[Vic Sage]

Smart boy, that Murph... blowing out a knee before his production reverted to the mean.
But a great 1/2 season, Muffy!