- NEWS
- Murder defendant: 'Dating Game' proves point 43 minutes ago
- Report: Gay O.C. soldier returns to duty 24 minutes ago
- Rowdy storm moving into O.C. 58 minutes ago
- Planting starts at $1.4 million Great Park farm 55 minutes ago
- SPORTS
- SI exposes Winter Olympians 3 hours & 4 minutes ago
- Laker Rim Shots 2-8-10
- Sneak peek: SI swimsuit edition 2 hours & 53 minutes ago
- Angels' Shields won't be ready to start spring training
- BUSINESS
- Office romance flirts with disaster 2 hours & 54 minutes ago
- Here's why Toyota is recalling the Prius 3 hours & 14 minutes ago
- Temp work pointing to a recovery?
- $16.5M apartments sale sets record
- ENTERTAINMENT
- LIFE
- Cocktail ideas for Valentine's Day 3 hours & 48 minutes ago
- Kaiser is top HMO in state ranking 1 hour & 3 minutes ago
- Study: Junk food ads make kids fat, not TV 1 hour & 14 minutes ago
- Heidi Montag surgeries hurt women, docs say
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
Is it time for Figgins to move down?
October 23rd, 2009, 12:27 am · 12 Comments · posted by BILL PLUNKETT, OCREGISTER.COM
ANAHEIM
With the Angels’ batting .201 as a team and having scored just 10 runs in the first four games of the ALCS, Angels manager Mike Scioscia resisted the urge to make any major changes in his batting order for Game 5.
The only move he made was a minor one in his batting order. He moved Juan Rivera down a spot, to seventh against right-hander A.J. Burnett.
But he did admit a more significant shakeup was contemplated.
The time for that might come in Game 6 with Chone Figgins a prime candidate to be on the move.
The Angels’ leadoff man is 2 for 30 in the post-season and has looked particularly overmatched when batting right-handed. When the Yankees start left-hander Andy Pettitte in Game 6, No. 9 hitter Erick Aybar (9 for 28 in the post-season) and Figgins could swap places.
“We’ll look at a couple things,” Scioscia said after Thursday’s game – phrasing that usually indicates a move is forthcoming. “We’re going to absorb this one. We’ll talk as a staff and see where we’re going to go.”
The Angels will also have a decision to make at catcher where Mike Napoli’s offensive edge over Jeff Mathis has disappeared. Look for Howie Kendrick to be back in the lineup at second base against Pettitte as well.
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.- Keep it civil and stay on topic.
- No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
- People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
12 Comments
Leave a Reply
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
Latest Angels headlines- AngelsWin.com Blog Feed
- A to Z Angels: George Brunet February 9, 2010
- A to Z Angels: Mike Butcher February 8, 2010
- A to Z Angels: Rick Burleson February 5, 2010
- FoxSports.com calls upon AngelsWin.com February 4, 2010
-
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
“When the Yankees start left-hander Andy Pettitte in Game 6, No. 9 hitter Erick Aybar (9 for 28 in the post-season) and Figgins could swap places.”
Exactly what I was thinking.
Even better bench Figgins and play Izturis at3B.
I thought about that too but Figgins is better defensively at 3B than Maicer.
FINALLY!
Been bad against lefties all year, and he is 2/30 this post season … scoring what, 2 times? It’s not like he has a history of playoff success to keep him glued in the leadoff spot, or the lineup for that matter. He has got to be the worst hitter with more than 100 at bats in the playoffs. Something like .170 avg, 40 k’s, in 120 some odd at bats?
Only problem, he’s going to leave Abreu in the 2 hole against the lefties as well.
Baby steps.
Whole lot of season left right?
If Juan Rivera can build off his last at bat, maybe 2% chance given his horrible last 2 months, then they could really do some dynamic things offensively in game 6.
As for beating CC, pride wise, can they really let this guy dominate them for the 3rd time in a week?
Actually his stats in the playoffs are as follows:
.169 avg - completely horrible
.222 OBP - even more horrible
.296 strike out avg - I’m getting even sicker
Yep time to make a move, I think Figgie may do better at 9 than 1, takes the pressure off of him. I think Aybar may thrive at leadoff.
At this point what do we have to lose.
I remember a couple years ago when Napoli and Mathis were brought on board - Mathis could not do anything right in that first season. Fans were calling for his head. I’m glad he’s hitting great in the post season - I just wish he would hit like that all season long. I say start Mathis over Napoli. As a manager, you have to play the players that are HOT RIGHT NOW and anybody can see that he’s in the zone right now.
oh…and yes…almost forgot: swap Aybar and Figgins in the lineup. Another benefit is that it will reduce Figgins asking price when it comes time to sign contracts for next year…unless he’s managed by Scott Boras who will somehow turn it into a positive.
Really? You think a switch in the batting order for 1-2 games is going to knock down his free agent value?
I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale…
Figgins is obviously ice cold right now, but he still helped set the tone for the game with his first inning walk. Obviously it’s going to be tougher to get Pettitte to throw four wide ones than Burnett, but I don’t see how sliding Aybar into the lead off spot suddenly wakes up the offense. It seems just as likely that Figgy reaches base four times tomorrow and all this becomes moot. Like Vlad, Chone notoriously looks completely lost during his slumps but he always comes out of it before long. Maybe tomorrow is that day?
And to Randy: Figgy is not a Boras client, though he’ll still get his payday considering how few true lead off hitters are out there and how flexible he is positionally. Someone (likely somewhere in the windy city) will make him a very rich man.
I was hoping he’d bench Rivera as he looks like he is dogging it.Is it me or does Rivera look lost/hurt since after the all-star break? He either needs to rehab that hamstring off season or dump 10 lbs.Figgins is too valuable in the filed to bench although maybe stick him in left and Izturis at third.Kendrick and Mathis should move up in the order.I was stunned at the graph on how many baserunners Vlade has left .He is improving though obviously.
Definitely switch Aybar & Figgins. I thought it was going to happen last night. Maybe this will help Figgins relax a little. It seems he tends to have this issue during playoff time, like a “deer in headlight”.
A tall 3rd baseman will make us all forget about Figgins’ defense