Friday, February 24, 2006
Around the Horn: Bench
02/15/2006
ATLANTA -- When Julio Franco arrived for the final month of the 2001 season, the Braves were hoping they'd found a short-term solution for their problems at first base.
What they had was an ageless wonder who proved to be an invaluable role player over the course of the next four seasons. Now that he's gone, the Braves' bench is full of much younger players who will be called upon to provide those vital late-inning at-bats in clutch situations.
With Franco now with the Mets, the Braves are looking to fill his roles, which included being a right-handed hitter who platooned at first base and always gave manager Bobby Cox confidence in pinch-hit situations.
Heading into the 2006 season, Atlanta's top bench players appear to be Wilson Betemit and Pete Orr, who will serve as utility infielders for the second straight year. The switch-hitting Betemit and left-handed-hitting Orr are both strong defensive players who are very capable with the bat.
Betemit, who hit .305 during his rookie season last year, would likely be in the starting lineup for many big-league teams. While he's not a speed demon, the 25-year-old infielder is a solid defender who possesses good power from both sides of the plate.
After Chipper Jones began a six-week stint on the disabled list on June 6 of last season, Betemit took advantage of the opportunity to play every day, hitting .325 in 83 at-bats in June and proving to be a reliable third baseman. He hit just four home runs last year, but he banged out 12 doubles and four triples.
Unlike Betemit, Orr was never considered a top prospect. But in his rookie season last year, the 26-year-old Canadian hit .300 and displayed impressive hustle. He was successful in seven of eight stolen-base attempts and hit eight doubles in 150 at-bats.
Orr, who will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, has also shown he can be successful with the bunt. Being speedy and left-handed, Orr should be a late-inning factor in a number of games this year.
The reason the Braves' bench didn't get significantly younger with Franco's departure is because it now includes the 39-year-old Todd Pratt, who will continue his career-long role as a backup catcher.
Pratt, who hit .251 with seven homers while making a career-high 49 starts in 2005 with the Phillies, is looking forward to filling the backup role behind Brian McCann, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday shortly after reporting to Spring Training.
"I'm excited to work with him and teach him what I can," Pratt said after signing with the Braves as a free agent in December. "I'm going to be the best that I can be for the Braves and the best that I can be for Brian McCann."
Before determining who will serve as their backup outfielder, the Braves must decide who is going to play left field. The left-handed-hitting Ryan Langerhans seems to be the best option, but Cox could choose to use Langerhans in a platoon with Matt Diaz, who was acquired in a December trade, or the left-handed-hitting Kelly Johnson, who showed glimpses of good plate discipline in his rookie year last season.
Diaz, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on March 3, has spent most of his six seasons of professional baseball in the Minors. He had brief big-league stints with the Devil Rays in 2003 and 2004, and his longest Major League stint came last year, when he hit .281 in 89 at-bats with Kansas City.
With Langerhans and Johnson both being left-handed hitters, Diaz certainly has a chance to earn a roster spot. He hit .370 in 54 big-league at-bats against left-handers last year.
Without Franco, the Braves may decide to give Adam LaRoche a chance to be an everyday player at first base. They also could choose to give the right-handed-hitting James Jurries, who hit .284 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs at Triple-A Richmond last year, some time there.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
ATLANTA -- When Julio Franco arrived for the final month of the 2001 season, the Braves were hoping they'd found a short-term solution for their problems at first base.
What they had was an ageless wonder who proved to be an invaluable role player over the course of the next four seasons. Now that he's gone, the Braves' bench is full of much younger players who will be called upon to provide those vital late-inning at-bats in clutch situations.
With Franco now with the Mets, the Braves are looking to fill his roles, which included being a right-handed hitter who platooned at first base and always gave manager Bobby Cox confidence in pinch-hit situations.
Heading into the 2006 season, Atlanta's top bench players appear to be Wilson Betemit and Pete Orr, who will serve as utility infielders for the second straight year. The switch-hitting Betemit and left-handed-hitting Orr are both strong defensive players who are very capable with the bat.
Betemit, who hit .305 during his rookie season last year, would likely be in the starting lineup for many big-league teams. While he's not a speed demon, the 25-year-old infielder is a solid defender who possesses good power from both sides of the plate.
After Chipper Jones began a six-week stint on the disabled list on June 6 of last season, Betemit took advantage of the opportunity to play every day, hitting .325 in 83 at-bats in June and proving to be a reliable third baseman. He hit just four home runs last year, but he banged out 12 doubles and four triples.
Unlike Betemit, Orr was never considered a top prospect. But in his rookie season last year, the 26-year-old Canadian hit .300 and displayed impressive hustle. He was successful in seven of eight stolen-base attempts and hit eight doubles in 150 at-bats.
Orr, who will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, has also shown he can be successful with the bunt. Being speedy and left-handed, Orr should be a late-inning factor in a number of games this year.
The reason the Braves' bench didn't get significantly younger with Franco's departure is because it now includes the 39-year-old Todd Pratt, who will continue his career-long role as a backup catcher.
Pratt, who hit .251 with seven homers while making a career-high 49 starts in 2005 with the Phillies, is looking forward to filling the backup role behind Brian McCann, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday shortly after reporting to Spring Training.
"I'm excited to work with him and teach him what I can," Pratt said after signing with the Braves as a free agent in December. "I'm going to be the best that I can be for the Braves and the best that I can be for Brian McCann."
Before determining who will serve as their backup outfielder, the Braves must decide who is going to play left field. The left-handed-hitting Ryan Langerhans seems to be the best option, but Cox could choose to use Langerhans in a platoon with Matt Diaz, who was acquired in a December trade, or the left-handed-hitting Kelly Johnson, who showed glimpses of good plate discipline in his rookie year last season.
Diaz, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on March 3, has spent most of his six seasons of professional baseball in the Minors. He had brief big-league stints with the Devil Rays in 2003 and 2004, and his longest Major League stint came last year, when he hit .281 in 89 at-bats with Kansas City.
With Langerhans and Johnson both being left-handed hitters, Diaz certainly has a chance to earn a roster spot. He hit .370 in 54 big-league at-bats against left-handers last year.
Without Franco, the Braves may decide to give Adam LaRoche a chance to be an everyday player at first base. They also could choose to give the right-handed-hitting James Jurries, who hit .284 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs at Triple-A Richmond last year, some time there.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
