There might have been some people arguing that particular notion, but I think the more legitimate concern was that he'd have trouble maintaining his overall production while hitting in front of Joe Mauer as opposed to an NL pitcher. You just aren't going to get as many good pitches to hit in that setting. He's continued to control the strike zone well, but when batting in the No. 2 spot this year Carroll is hitting .250 with a .603 OPS – a sizable drop-off from his .700+ OPS in each of the past two years with the Dodgers. He's been better hitting at the bottom of the lineup, which is pretty clearly where he belongs. Yeah, that is a legitimate concern. Hitting in front of Mauer, the pitcher is going to try his damnedest to get you out before facing the meat of the lineup. On the other hand, I think we can all agree that Jamey Carroll is not a #2 hitter, despite the fact that he plays second base. As strange as it sounds, I've heard that other teams don't automatically insert a middle infielder in the two-spot in the lineup.