Bill Hall for CF!

by nmc on Oct 2, 2006 3:01 PM CDT

You know it, Bill Hall backers, time to stick him in a spot and let him lead the crew to postseason bonanza next season. I say CF for these reasons...

First of all, NOT these positions because:
2B - Rickie will be there forever
SS - The organization appears to have a lot of stock in JJ
3B - All signs point to Koskie staying there
Corner OF - He'd just be average for those positions, plus the seemingly large amount of OFs the team already has

I'm not certain why many would automatically tab Hall for SS just because he hits above average for that position. The team already has a guy who can handle the position, plus with Hall and Koskie my perception is that they are mashers, and some of their pure extrabaseitude would have to be balanced out by a player who looks at pitches. Sure, JJ only has one season of above .360 OBP (in the minors), if someone could post how many pitches he looks at that would help very much.

CF appears to be the biggest question mark for the team next season (as far as hitters), even by not doing anything the team will have their infield back in tact and could relent with a Jenkins/Mench platoon in RF. Brady would be servicable in CF, but right now he appears to have already been thrust into a platoon/late inning defensive replacement guy. Why not put Billy out there? The team already has a coach who's made the SS-CF switch, he's proven he can play anywhere, and who's not to say he could be a better version of Torii Hunter out there?

Bill Hall in CF every day would really get me excited for 2007. I could also write about the team getting a FA CF, slotting Billy at 3B and having Koskie be the greatest bench player in history, but my fingers are tired.

Poll

Bill Hall: 2007 CF Mastadon?

Yes

13 votes

No; start him at third

14 votes

No; start him at SS

6 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Maybe...

...but I'm hoping Tony Gwynn will win the CF job in Spring 2007 and keep it for the next 5-10 years. He can be Mini-Lofton.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Oct 2, 2006 5:23 PM CDT reply actions

That boy

Needs to learn to take some pitches first. That, or hit .333 and will himself to an OBP above .350. I like his style and speed, but my reservations rely along his Pierre potential.

Nate - I'm so rad!

by nmc on Oct 2, 2006 11:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Bill Hall needs to play 3B

What gives you the impression that Corey Koskie has the 3B job locked. This is the biggest decision that Ned needs to make in the offseason. He must find a permanent position for Bill Hall because he's too talented to not play everyday and have to worry about which position he's playing from day to day.
The fact is 3B is the perfect place for him because of his cannon of an arm and power numbers at the plate.

by Danville1999 on Oct 2, 2006 5:41 PM CDT reply actions

Well

The reason I think that it is logical to put Hall at CF instead of third is because Koskie gives the team another left handed bat to balance the lineup, plus Koskie would be effective with a RH platoon (be it Cirillo/Graf/whomever). As it stands, Fielder is the only LH batter in the lineup.

Secondly, if Braun excels next season at AA/midseason up to AAA, he could be starting in Milwaukee in 2008 (late probably). Koskie is signed through 2007, and the ideal Brewers situation is Braun proving to not suck playing the field and being ready once Koskie is done.

Thirdly, who could the Brewers get to play CF better than Hall? Vernon Wells?

Nate - I'm so rad!

by nmc on Oct 2, 2006 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions

A run for Wells.

It's funny that you mention Wells, because I think that he could really help the Crew and he's not out of the realm of possibility -- we all saw the Gord Ash influence in dealing with Toronto this past winter, and Wells was the first guy Ash drafted as a GM, so Ash might have a hard-on for him. With Wells in CF, that leaves Hart in RF and some sort of platoon with Gabe Gross in LF, which to me sounds great, especially when that leaves Gwynn and Jenkins as two solid guys off the bench (I'm sorry but while Gwynn will make a great fourth OF, he'll never have the stick to start consistently). Play Hall at 3B if this is the scenario, convert Braun to LF, and the future looks bright.

Barring a deal for Wells, or some other one that brings in a CF (don't sign Torii Hunter, please don't sign Torii Hunter), I think Hall would fit pretty well. He has the arm, and assuming he can notch 30HR per year and a .500 SLG, his bat should play most anywhere.

by baumann on Oct 7, 2006 3:11 AM CDT up reply actions

i don't have any problems

with bill hall playing CF every day. I admit I've sort of been a JJ hardy hater, but my opinion on him is changing. His minor league stats indicate he could be an .800 ops guy and with above average defense, that is an awesome player. Added to this, CF is just 2 slots ahead of SS on the defensive spectrum, which means Hall's stats at CF are still well above average. The average ops of CFs this year with at least 500 plate appearances was .807, quite a bit below Hall's .898. I have no clue what he's like on defense in CF, but I'd put my money on him being above average.

I also like having a healthy Koskie at 3rd. He is one of the best defensive 3rd basemen in the league. Somehow we ended up 14th in the bigs in Defensive Efficiency. I guess it helps we didn't have Weeks in there for much of the season. I really like our D next year though except for Rickie and Prince, but they obviously make up for it with the bat.

Who knows what's in store for the Brewers as far as pitching goes, but there is no reason not to be excited about next year.

by conan for president on Oct 2, 2006 7:49 PM CDT reply actions

Re:

I actually agree with nmc here. Bill Hall fits perfectly into the mold of a guy who could move to center, and he's still young and athletic enough to make the transition. When ARod was initally traded to the Yankees I was clamoring for Jeter in center, and although Hall doesn't have the intangibles (heart + (soul^twinkle in his eyes)/plate appearances) he certainly has the athleticism and defensive instincts to be worth a shot. Ryan Braun still looks to be the third basemen of the future, and it's not like the Brewers need to trade Hall for a starting pitcher or anything. He's a better bet in the center than all the guys in the organization who are working towards playing there or already do.

by Marc Normandin @ Brew Crew Ball on Oct 3, 2006 7:07 AM CDT reply actions

You make it sound like

... agreeing with me is a bad thing. :)

Keep up the good work, Marc.

Nate - I'm so rad!

by nmc on Oct 3, 2006 8:18 AM CDT up reply actions

But you're so

radioactive!

Oh, wait, that's not right.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Oct 3, 2006 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions

Braun/Hall

I'm certainly open to the idea of Hall being moved to CF, but since Braun isn't ready, they might as well give Gwynn and/or Nix a chance to do something interesting. Besides, Braun might still have to move to an outfield corner (actually, he's pretty fast, so he could probably handle center as well as Hall, for a couple years anyway).

by battlekow on Oct 3, 2006 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions

Watching Saturday's game...

...the Cardinals' announcers mentioned that they were talking to someone - Yost, I think - and that he mentioned that they're planning on moving Hall to a corner OF spot.

Chew on that.

by Acheron on Oct 4, 2006 4:57 AM CDT reply actions

That's silly

He's quite a bit more valuable as a SS or CF.

by battlekow on Oct 4, 2006 8:32 AM CDT up reply actions

Au contraire, mon frere

How else will they block Corey Hart next season? They want Billy Hall on that outfield wall, they NEED him on that wall!

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Oct 4, 2006 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions

I want your skulls...

Gotta have you on my wall.

For a trip, download the Lemonheads' cover of that song.

by battlekow on Oct 4, 2006 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions

yes, but...

if Bill Hall and Corey Hart are the starting corner outfielders (big if, I know), that means a) Kevin Mench is gone, b) Jenkins is gone, and c) they're not going to do something stupid like give LF to Nix.

by Jeff Sackmann on Oct 4, 2006 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Gabe Gross?

by battlekow on Oct 4, 2006 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions

I figure...

if Hall is LF/RF, then there's a sort of platoon of Gross and Hardy or Gross and Weeks, as needed. Against some righties, Hardy or Weeks sits, Hall plays IF, and Gross starts. That becomes less likely, I suppose, if Graffy comes back.

by Jeff Sackmann on Oct 4, 2006 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Likely?

I don't think any of this is likely. We don't even know if Koskie is ever going to play baseball again. I think there's a not-insignificant chance that he's done, which would of course make Hall the third baseman. Even if Koskie comes back, Ryan Braun seems to be more defensively challenged than Hall and thus a better bet to move to an outfield corner.

I also don't want to go down the road of making Hardy or Weeks, especially Weeks, into platoon players. Gabe Gross I'm more comfortable with in a platoon, though I'd like to see even he get at least a couple months to show whether or not he can hit lefties at at least a pre-2006 Jenkins clip.

by battlekow on Oct 4, 2006 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

I certainly don't mean a strict platoon. But I don't mind giving Hardy and Weeks one day off per week, maybe two if one of them is hurting a bit. If they hadn't proven to be fragile (especially Weeks, who doesn't have Sal Fasano to blame for his missed time), I'd view things differently. But I wouldn't object at all if Hardy and Weeks were 130/140-game players instead of 160-gamers.

by Jeff Sackmann on Oct 5, 2006 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions

Half agree

Hardy, I'm fine with; he's a role player. Weeks, however, has the chance to be a star, and shouldn't be limited in any way at this point in his career; I don't think he's proven himself to be fragile at all. If he continues down the Molitor path for a couple more years, maybe, but not now.

by battlekow on Oct 5, 2006 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm certain that it was brought up...

... and that it was nixed.

Nate - I'm so rad!

by nmc on Oct 4, 2006 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

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