AZZenny
Registered User
Thinking about what Mao said on another thread - put CJ in AZFL at LF again and let him phase in to replace Gonzo next year -
It has been noted that he was not skilled in OF defense, although he made few errors, and I thought over the course of AZFL last year he started looking adequate - even competent, which is the most one ever could have said about Gonzo in his prime.
CJ has said that the switch to OF was tricky in terms of a much different knowledge base and skill set than IF, where he'd always played since little league, and he was just getting some sense of comfort when he was put at 1B, where he hadn't played since some in HS.
The move to 1B was at least partly because of a presumed rapidly-building logjam for OF spots - at one time Quentin, Kroeger, Zeringue, Carter, M. Williams, Terrero, not to mention Gonzo, and now Green. Well, CQ and Terrero are the only OF prospects in real proximity, Carter is a born DH, the others - if they pull it together - are a good 2 years off still.
Meanwhile, we have a jam at 1B too, and if the sometimes wished-for near-future moves of Green, Gonzo, or Glaus to 1B are considered - !!
So I like Mao's suggestion. But whatever they do, wish they'd leave the kid to really learn defense one place or another. He's not a defensive whiz who can adapt easily to new positions, and if his D is mediocre, it's maybe partly because he hasn't played either OF or 1B long enough to thoroughly learn the position since we drafted him.
It has been noted that he was not skilled in OF defense, although he made few errors, and I thought over the course of AZFL last year he started looking adequate - even competent, which is the most one ever could have said about Gonzo in his prime.
CJ has said that the switch to OF was tricky in terms of a much different knowledge base and skill set than IF, where he'd always played since little league, and he was just getting some sense of comfort when he was put at 1B, where he hadn't played since some in HS.
The move to 1B was at least partly because of a presumed rapidly-building logjam for OF spots - at one time Quentin, Kroeger, Zeringue, Carter, M. Williams, Terrero, not to mention Gonzo, and now Green. Well, CQ and Terrero are the only OF prospects in real proximity, Carter is a born DH, the others - if they pull it together - are a good 2 years off still.
Meanwhile, we have a jam at 1B too, and if the sometimes wished-for near-future moves of Green, Gonzo, or Glaus to 1B are considered - !!
So I like Mao's suggestion. But whatever they do, wish they'd leave the kid to really learn defense one place or another. He's not a defensive whiz who can adapt easily to new positions, and if his D is mediocre, it's maybe partly because he hasn't played either OF or 1B long enough to thoroughly learn the position since we drafted him.
