Out of Position

A sidebar in the paper the other day made it clear Placido Polanco wasn’t happy with his part time role. No problem. Left field is now an option.

It’s no secret I like Polanco, but his start in left field last night against Washington, the first time he ever played any outfield position, reveals just how poorly the Phillies’ alleged brain trust has put together the current roster: twelve pitchers, four legitimate outfielders, two second basemen and assorted pinch-hitters and utility infielders. They may get away with playing people far out of position for one game, but that kind of maneuver eventually backfires.

Fortunately, a solution can be found in the minor leagues. Marlon Byrd, who earned a starting role after a torrid Spring only to land in the minors and then the disabled list due to a finger injury, is scheduled to begin rehabbing soon. He deserves a call up.

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Bobby Abreu had another adventure at the wall last night and it lead to a run. Scored a triple, the ball looked catchable from my recliner. We had better become accustomed to Bobby’s aversion to walls. At last report, every major league ballpark had several of them.

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Jim Thome’s batting funk is alarming even if it is just April because in reality his slump stretches well back into last season. Thome, who played with assorted injuries all last year, is hitting .212 through last night. Last year he hit .274 overall but only averaged .240 over the final three months of the season. Moreover, his power figures, which dropped over the last half of 2004, are well off his career average again this year.

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Washingtonians may have pined for major league baseball for more than three decades, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the attendance figures thus far. The Nats are averaging somewhere in the vicinity of 34,000 per game, hardly an impressive number for their first home stand in 33 years. The novelty of a new stadium may be missing for now, but a brand new team should be attraction enough. Things should only get worse when the city empties out in mid-summer.

Meanwhile, up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, the first-place Baltimore Orioles (break up the O’s!!!) are seeing an increase in their attendance. So much for Peter Angelos’ contention that a major league team in Washington would hurt his club. And, oh, by the way, the surge in attendance at Camden Yards proves another thing: put a winner of the field and people will come. Are you listening, Ed Wade?