Joe Benson leading off?

Joe hit leadoff today, and now I have a number of questions. I admittedly haven't been paying close enough attention to see if he has in previous ST games, but regardless, does this make sense to anyone else? Do the Twins realistically expect Joe to hit leadoff? Is this just an attempt to get him extra ABs at the start of the game? In Benson, aren't we looking at more of a Torii Hunter (free swinger, bigger power threat, plus fielder) than a Denard Span? Are we just stuck in a world where speedy CF's who provide plus defense= leadoff hitter? Am I just anxious/confused/making-a-mountain-out-of-a-molehill because I'm looking at 6 inches of fresh powder (and more still falling), opening day is just weeks away, it's midterms week and I really just want baseball to start again?

It just strikes me as odd-- like when the Tigers kept trotting Granderson out as their leadoff hitter when he didn't really possess the complete skill set required of the position.

Um, let's see: yes, no, maybe, probably, conceivably, undoubtedly. Any more questions?

USAFChief - you kind of stop the comments when you answer all the questions in the first post.
Think about the rest of us.
Thank you

P.S. Mave - I wouldn't make too much out of Benson leading off a ST game. He's fast, but I don't expect his OBP to push him to leadoff.

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Originally Posted by USAFChief

Um, let's see: yes, no, maybe, probably, conceivably, undoubtedly. Any more questions?

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Possibly.

Chief-- Nope. All clear. Much appreciated.

Goat-- I agree-- in the minors his OBP isnt terrible, but the strikeout totals... ouch... pretty much an annual minimum of 2:1 K/BB, topping 100 K's/year several times.

I won't put the topic to bed just yet-- one more hypothetical question. Let's say for the sake of said scenario that Benson not only makes the team but is slated as the everyday leadoff hitter. I'm thinking he would be right-handed Jacque Jones 2.0 (with a better defense). Thoughts?

Power-wise, the Right-handed Jacque Jones comp is pretty good. However, Benson had very good Isolated Discipline in the minors, so he should walk more than Jones and strikeout just as much. Better defense too. When Hicks or Mastroianni have been in the lineup, they've led off and Benson has hit 6th or 7th or so.

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Originally Posted by Mave

Are we just stuck in a world where speedy CF's who provide plus defense= leadoff hitter?

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Yes, it's Gardy's world and we all have to live in it.

My comp for Benson is Drew Stubbs (high k's and BB's, late blooming power and decent CF defense). Baker has batted Stubbs 1st or 2nd 75% of his career so far and I would not be shocked if Gardy did the same with Benson.

In addition to a world where CF = leadoff hitter and 2nd base = #2 hitter the Twins really don't have a lot of options for leadoff and the #2 hitter. Assuming that Mauer, Morneau and Willingham are 3/4/5. There is no conceivable way that Gardy won't have Mauer #3.

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Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Yes, it's Gardy's world and we all have to live in it.

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Outstanding...

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Originally Posted by kab21

My comp for Benson is Drew Stubbs (high k's and BB's, late blooming power and decent CF defense). Baker has batted Stubbs 1st or 2nd 75% of his career so far and I would not be shocked if Gardy did the same with Benson.

In addition to a world where CF = leadoff hitter and 2nd base = #2 hitter the Twins really don't have a lot of options for leadoff and the #2 hitter. Assuming that Mauer, Morneau and Willingham are 3/4/5. There is no conceivable way that Gardy won't have Mauer #3.

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So, you're saying Mauer's going to be coming up to the plate with the bases empty, a lot, this year?

The twins are looking to replace Denard Span in CF. There are three candidates: Mastroiani, Hicks and Benson. The fact that Benson cannot hit leadoff will hinder his chances of making the team. You might think this isn't fair to him, but when you look at the other people in this order who can hit a little (Mauer, Morneau, Plouffe Parmelee and Doumit), it makes sens that the CF has to lead off. If we had a shortstop or second baseman who could lead-off, Benson might make more sense as a number 8 hitter. But we don't. And we do have a natural leadoff hitter in the CF competition (Hicks). Benson (or Mastorianni) hitting lead off in spring games is just a way to show everybody who the leader of the competition is (Hicks). It is clear to all the scribes that the Twins want Hicks to replace Span and are giving the others opportunities to compete in order to motivate them.

Does benson being out of options mean he cant start in minors or that once up he cant be sent down?

Doesn't Benson have an option remaining?


Anyway, technically everybody on the 40-man roster is already "up" because there is no 25-man roster during the offseason/spring. Any player without options would have to pass through waivers to get to the minors.

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Originally Posted by kab21

My comp for Benson is Drew Stubbs (high k's and BB's, late blooming power and decent CF defense). Baker has batted Stubbs 1st or 2nd 75% of his career so far and I would not be shocked if Gardy did the same with Benson.

In addition to a world where CF = leadoff hitter and 2nd base = #2 hitter the Twins really don't have a lot of options for leadoff and the #2 hitter. Assuming that Mauer, Morneau and Willingham are 3/4/5. There is no conceivable way that Gardy won't have Mauer #3.

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Stubbs is a solid comp for Benson, but Benson might be better defender. As for the number 2 hitter, if the Twins really believe in Chris Parmelee, he should hit 2nd. He'd get far more at bats batting 2nd, compared with 7th or 8th. If they like him enough to basically hand him a job in right field, why not hand him the second spot in the order as well?

Benson definitely has at least one option left.

Whoever is the opening day CF will hit leadoff. Gardy constructs lineups on autopilot- hence Redmond batting third, Tolbert batting second and Gomez leading off.

Parmelee will never hit 2nd. Gardy is much too old school for that. He wants a #2 hitter that can bunt and move runners. Personally, I'd bat Joe Mauer lead-off. Why wouldn't you want the guy that gets on base the most in the league receiving the most AB's on the team? Stubbornness is the answer, in case anyone was asking that question to themselves for a fraction of a second.

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Originally Posted by Brad Swanson

Stubbs is a solid comp for Benson, but Benson might be better defender. As for the number 2 hitter, if the Twins really believe in Chris Parmelee, he should hit 2nd. He'd get far more at bats batting 2nd, compared with 7th or 8th. If they like him enough to basically hand him a job in right field, why not hand him the second spot in the order as well?

Benson definitely has at least one option left.

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Agree with this and have advocated for such in the past. With no obvious potentially successful candidates for typical Gardy batting order construction and his adamant opposition to moving Mauer up in the order, why not try an AL East-style bopping #2 hole hitter instead of a Slap-N-Punch-N-Judy that inexplicably has Gardy so enamored to? This would be a good chance in a 1st Down-Punting season to experiment with Parmelee hitting just behind Hicks/Mastro and just in front of Mauer. Now, all we need is someone to spike Gardy's cherry juice to get this done.

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Originally Posted by Badsmerf

Parmelee will never hit 2nd. Gardy is much too old school for that. He wants a #2 hitter that can bunt and move runners. Personally, I'd bat Joe Mauer lead-off. Why wouldn't you want the guy that gets on base the most in the league receiving the most AB's on the team? Stubbornness is the answer, in case anyone was asking that question to themselves for a fraction of a second.

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1. Hicks
2. Mauer

That is the top of the lineup that can win you some ball games.

Parmelee isn't a #2 hitter, you need a guy who at least has a little speed or preferably can get on base at a good clip. Parmelee personally projects as a #6/#7 hitter to me.

the nats did pretty damn good with werth hitting lead off last year. now they are tampering with success and hitting span first and werth second. benson now has 3 hits in 20 ABs with 7 Ks and 4 walks. he seems really over matched.

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Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

1. Hicks
2. Mauer

That is the top of the lineup that can win you some ball games.

Parmelee isn't a #2 hitter, you need a guy who at least has a little speed or preferably can get on base at a good clip. Parmelee personally projects as a #6/#7 hitter to me.

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Yeah, I would be hella on board with a Hicks-Mauer top of the order. Other than that it just seems like it would have to be Carroll-Mauer. But Gardy's choice might be something like Mastro-Dozier-Mauer.

Hicks-Mauer-Willingham-Morneau-Doumit-Plouffe-Parmelee-Dozier-Florimon is actually a formidable lineup. If Hicks is down, I would honestly just put Boggs in there at leadoff. Yeah.