Presently we have Adam freakin' Everett batting 6th in our lineup, followed by Burke and Assmus. Everett's done much better than expected this year, but really, he's not a natural run producer, and should be hitting at the bottom of the order. Now, given the thin float of quality OF's available, guys like Adam Dunn are grotesquely overvalued. Of course, given the fact that there's a pending changing of the guard in Houston, I would rather not deplete our pitching resources to pickup a free-swinging, strikeout-prone veteran hitter. Last year, one of the most consistent batters in our lineup was Mike Lamb, as he platooned with Ensberg at 3B. Despite only having 278 ABs, Lamb pounded 14 HRs and 58 RBIs while batting .288. This year, with Ensberg's emergence, obviously, his PT has gone down drastically, and he's mostly being used in pinch hitting situations. However, he has proven that he's capable of producing when given regular ABs. My proposal is to give Mike Lamb the opportunity to play 1B or LF every day, and use Burke off the bench as a utilityman. Adam Everett would slide back into the #7 hole where ideally he belongs. Mike Lamb would hit 6th behind J Lane, who I'm also hoping emerges in the 2nd half.
Sadly, those numbers are very similar to Burke's. I think it's worth a try - he hasn't had extended playing time much.. I'd try him for a week or so and see how it goes. Can't really hurt. But put him at 1B - NOT left field! That's a freaking disaster.
If anything, Dunn is undervalued. But I agree with the rest of the post. Lamb's numbers are poor, but he hasn't had a chance at extended playing time. And his career numbers show us that he at least gives you the potential for some extra base power, which you don't have with Burke. Furthermore, you don't have to take Burke out entirely... you can platoon Lamb/Burke since Lamb is left-handed and start Burke against the lefties. Sadly, however, Purpura's quotes make it clear that Burke's probably the full-time option until we make a deal.
Except that we've been winning with Burke and his improved play in the line-up. To me, this wouldn't be worth trying until/unless our current hot streak is stopped.
Am I the only one who thinks its useful to have a big pinch-hit stick on your bench in close games? Even with Lamb in the everyday lineup, we're not gonna be blowing people away with our offense... and with the pitching we've got, it almost ensures us for being in close games (where you'd need that big stick off the bench). I don't have faith in Burke, Lane, or Everett to get that hit off the bench... but I do have faith in Lamb. I was championing Lamb being in the lineup before the beginning of the season (an idea that many of you in this thread shot down), but now... with us winning consistently... I'm fine with Burke being out there (plus, I do feel his defense is better than Lamb's, and he's added a new dimension to this lineup with his speed down there).
[rant]Trade them both and beg the Padres for Mark Loretta back. All the guy wanted was 1 million dollars to hit .300 when we decided to give the starting job to a SS who can't hit and not to mention we traded an All Star for him just cause someone in the organization thought it was cute they had the same last name! [/rant]
Yeah, that's what happened. They thought it would be funny to trade an Everett for an Everett. It had nothing to do with getting a great defensive shortstop and risk losing for nothing when they weren't going to match what he wanted in free agency. Your powers of ESP are freaking amazing because you knew that a career utility player was going to become an all-star 2 years after he left the Astros.
I agree...tired of having to say it so often. Similar reason Bill Spiers wasn't playing everyday unless injuries forced him in (though a bad back kept him out of the everyday job, also). But you need the bat on the bench.
Glad to see Phil Garner caught onto giving Lamb more time in the lineup. He's been hitting the ball really well ever since he got consistent playing time after the break. I'd like to see him settle in at LF or 1B and batting 5th or 6th.
Even if you start one of Lamb or Palmeiro - the other would still be on the bench to act as a pinch hitter.
is it just me, or is berkman looking a whole lot slower and less mobile than last year? personally i don't know if he's fit enough to play in the OF again yet..
Can we move Ausmus to the 9 spot and put the pitchers ahead of him. I swear i would rather have him strike out intentionally instead of going up there and automatically getting into a double play.
That might have to do with the fact that he sort of tore his ACL in the offseason and it still takes a good year to get anywhere close to the mobility he had before it.
He's still recovering from that knee injury - even if he's fit enough to play ball, it probably won't be next year until his knee's back to full strength.
Yeah, he looked terrible in left in one game I went too. He's played centerfield, so I guess he just isn't in shape or fully healthy yet.
Old news. "Mike Lamb and Orlando Palmeiro, two of Houston's strongest bench players, will see more starts in the future." -- astros.com, 7/21 ps. Lamb played pretty much every day in late April and May and he was terrible. pps. He's 11 for 44 since you started this thread, 3 BB & 12 Ks, with 5 HRs & 13 ribbies.
I guess my main point was to get Chris Burke out of LF and the #7 spot in the order. Up until today Burke was hitless in his last 22 ABs. Lamb has done a good job driving in runs and making solid contact.
