Moving To First – Last Place Move

Hank Blaylock has made a Ranger career decision, he’s moving to first base.  The team is not smart to let him do so, but then again when were they ever accused of being smart.  First Base is a position you put baseball players who aren’t good at defense.  It’s the position you put your offensive fire power in order to hide their defensive inequities.  It’s a position you manage until your 22 year old, Double A hitting .313 with 10 homers and 33 RBI’s, prospect is ready to break into the Majors.  It’s not a position you put your solid defensive third baseman in order to let Ramon Vasquez play, and I like Ramon Vasquez.

This can be traced (in my opinion) to Ron Washington’s inability to A:  Stick with Jason Botts; and B:  Allow Frank the Cat to be Frank the Cat.  Ron has certain players he goes out of his way to play (last year it was Jerry Hairston Jr., this year Ben Broussard) and certain players he refuses to give a fair shake – Jason Botts and Catalanotto come to mind.  He puts them in bad situations and expects them to impress him.  He pulls them early and often while playing them very little to begin with. 

Frank’s situation has changed a little because of Broussard’s release, but is now going to change again with Hank’s move.  Opposing managers know all they have to do is bring in a lefty around the sixth or seventh inning and you won’t have to see Frank anymore.  They desire their lefty against whatever righty we have to throw up there because, A:  Frank is a good hitter, and B:  Frank won’t be able to face whatever righty you have out there later in the game.   Frank hit .231 with a .375 on base percentage against lefties in 19 PA’s last year.  I don’t know which one is worse the fact he was only allowed the opportunity to hit lefties 19 times, or the fact that somebody needs to tell Ron a .231 average and .375 on base percentage is not reason enough to pull him for Jr. Jerry Hairston or Chris Comcast Shelton.  Frank hit .299, .293, .301, and .300 in the four years prior to becoming a Ranger.  In the three years he was healthy he averaged 117 more AB’s than he did last year.  He hit .260 last year and is hitting .247 this year.  If you want to know how to screw up a good .300 hitter I suggest a chat with none other than Ron Washington.   Frank is and has been a good hitter in this league, why is he the first guy Ron pulls for hitting?  It’s not a trick question – Ron’s a jackass.

A good manager puts his players in the best position to help the team win.  The reason I call Ron a jackass is because there is no reason to be a dirty, rotten, fool about this game.  There is no reason to stand in your own way.  Jackasses have to be coerced.  They’re stubborn beasts of burden who refuse to move even if it benefits them.  And because of Ron’s refusal (for whatever reason) to get out of his own way, Hank for no apparent reason (oh, other than the great Ramon Vasquez, and I like Ramon) is going to move to first base.  Congratulations Rangers, for being intellectually baseball challenged.