Minnesota Twins: Time To Move Byron Buxton Out Of The Nine Hole
It has gone on long enough. It’s only been three games, but I’m already sick and tired of Byron Buxton batting out of the nine-hole for the Minnesota Twins. It is one thing to ‘protect’ Buxton, but it’s another to stash him below, to put it nicely, guys who aren’t that good.
I understand not batting Buxton first. That’s the ‘protecting’ of Buxton that is acceptable. Also, why mess up any of the mojo that Brian Dozier currently has going for him. Dozier is the best second basemen in the league, but that’s a whole other rant.
This Twins team is not a murder’s row offensively. Well, maybe it is but they are murdering the wrong damn team.
In tonight’s lineup, June 17, Byron Buxton is batting below Eduardo Nunez, Chris Herrmann and Kennys Vargas. The first being a guy the Twins should have never picked up, the second is lucky that Josmil Pinto keeps getting concussions and is not-so-good defensively behind the dish and third is a guy who’s one job is to hit and he is struggling to do that.
Twins lineup v Cards pic.twitter.com/XWnmjGVa7f
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) June 17, 2015
I don’t want to put tons and tons of pressure on Buxton, but batting him sixth gives him the opportunity for one more at-bat per game. More at-bats are a win-win situation for the Twins and Buxton. If he is as good as he is projected to be, he can help the Twins win with more at-bats plus he gets more experience facing major league pitching. There are no losses there.
Batting Buxton ninth in the first game is acceptable. I started getting perturbed in St. Louis about it, but now on reserves play night, it was time to move Buxton up in the order.
I don’t want to dig on Paul Molitor, because in the grand scheme of things what he has done with this club so far is beyond any of our wildest dreams, but the guy I applauded early in the season for moving around his lineup, isn’t doing that anymore.
Case in point, Joe Mauer is still batting second.