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Tribe outfielder insists he can play every day; statistics say otherwise
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Mar 27, 2008
KISSIMMEE, FLA.: Platooning is an ancient and honorable baseball strategy. Also a tactic that can draw the wrath of fans and make the participants cranky.
Sometimes the managers who practice platooning don't even like it. Indians skipper Eric Wedge used a platoon of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels in left field last year and will continue to do so this season.
''I don't like to platoon, but you do it if that's the kind of club you have,'' Wedge said.
Nearly all position players want to be in the lineup every day. They believe that they can hit left-handers and righties.
Michaels is no exception.
''I definitely learned a lot about myself and the game the last couple of years,'' he said. ''I definitely think of myself as someone who could be an everyday player.''
Michaels' self confidence has not convinced Wedge to alter his role: left-fielder against left-handed pitchers, which means he only gets about 30 percent of the at-bats. Dellucci, who has the good fortune to bat from the left side, gets the rest.
''What can I do?'' Michaels said of being pegged as a guy who doesn't hit righties well enough to play all the time.
''I can't worry about that,'' he said. ''I went right from the minors to the (Philadelphia Phillies') bench as the fifth outfielder in 2001. I stayed for two weeks and spent the rest of the year in Triple-A.
''In 2002, for the second year in a row, I was the last guy cut in spring training. But Dave Hollins got hurt, and I was called up as the fifth outfielder again. This time I stayed the whole season, but I only batted against left-handers.''
When a player is climbing the ladder through the farm system, only rarely is he used in a platoon system. He sees both kinds of pitchers, and player development people make evaluations.
''It's not an issue in the minors,'' Michaels said. ''It never became an issue until I got to the big leagues. Now, I'm not even thinking about hitting against right-handers. But the way I feel, I'm just as confident against righties, just as comfortable.''
Statistics bear out the decision to make Michaels a platoon player, though they hardly make an overwhelming case.
During the past three years, he has batted .299 against lefties and .262 against right-handers. Then again, almost all right-handed batters perform better against lefties, including those who play every day.
Michaels also has a slightly
better slugging percentage against lefties (.437) than righties (.370). During this three-year span, Michaels has more at-bats against right-handers (595) than lefties (455) but not last year, when he batted .286 in 136 at-bats against lefties and .252 in 131 at-bats against right-handers.
If Michaels is a platoon player, why did he receive almost the same number of at-bats against rightes and lefties? The answer relates to the reason why Wedge doesn't like to platoon. At a certain juncture in a game, a manager often will be presented with a dilemma.
''When the game plays out, at some point, you might get into a pickle and be in a situation where you don't match up,'' Wedge said.
Once someone is perceived as a platoon player, it isn't easy to shake the label.
''It's baby steps here and there,'' Wedge said. ''You're going to get some at-bats against the other kind of pitchers. When you get the opportunity, you have to build on that.
''Obviously, if you platoon, you're a better hitter against one kind of pitcher or the other. You have to work on your deficiencies. Some guys learn to slow the game down and figure it out.''
Maybe Michaels is one of those. At least his spring, Wedge seems to have noticed improvement.
''J-Mike is hitting right-handers and left-handers really well right now,'' Wedge said. ''He's working hard to become an all-around player.''
Michaels has accommodated himself to his role.
''The way the game has evolved, there are lots of matchups,'' he said. ''Guys become specialists.''
That does not mean Michaels has lost the desire to play all the time. His contract includes a club option for next year, but there is no guarantee the Tribe will exercise it. If the team passes, Michaels will be free to leave as a free agent.
He seems to enjoy playing for the Indians, but what if another team — a lesser team — gave him a chance to play every day?
''I really like this team; it's a great team,'' Michaels said. ''That would be a decision I'd have to make at the time.''
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
KISSIMMEE, FLA.: Platooning is an ancient and honorable baseball strategy. Also a tactic that can draw the wrath of fans and make the participants cranky.
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