Happy birthday “Pig Pen!” Eric Byrnes is now 31 years old and is the oldest
starting position player on the Diamondbacks. He is one of only five players
likely to be on the opening day roster that are over 30 years of age.
Still, he's coming off a career year with the Diamondbacks and recently signed a
new contract. The deal is for $4.575 million but only one year. Does this mean
the D-Backs want to see if he can produce for two years in a row, do they want
to make room for another huge free agent (perhaps a mid season addition?), or do they have another
outfielder coming up?
What we do know is that in 2006 Byrnes led the D-Backs in home runs (26) and
stolen bases (25). It is
possible that he can improve even more on his career numbers in 2007? Not
likely, but known for
his carefree style of play and complete disregard for his own body when on the
field, he has the most motivation of any player on any diamond on any team.
There might not be any way to prove it, but Byrnes seems to be the poster
child for those that believe enthusiasm can position any player to move up a notch
statistically. Byrnes has enthusiasm in spades, so likely or not, 2006 might not
have been his career year after all.
We also know that Byrnes will be the starting left fielder on opening
day. Getting to the bottom of what kind of numbers he puts up means we
need to get to the bottom of where he'll hit in the lineup.
Lead off?
Byrnes didn't do it a lot last year, but he's hit in the first spot quite
a bit in his career. He's certainly got the speed to steal bases, and
his Rose-like determination could be good for a lineup full of youngsters.
On the other hand a .267 batting average and a .313 on base percentage leave
something to be desired. While the D'Backs are still without a true
lead off option, and will certainly consider Byrnes, he likely won't be the
first choice.
Number 2?
Byrnes was at his best in the two hole last season where he spent the majority of
his time. It's a natural spot to fill, but also a natural spot for Stephen Drew. The D'Backs want to win and win now, but they'd also like to put
a prized prospect in a spot where he can excel. Expect the D'Backs to
ask Byrnes, a veteran comfortable all over the lineup, to let the kid stay
in his comfort zone.
Number 3?
The number three spot in the order is considered the premier hitter in
the lineup. Leading the team in homers generally gets on
consideration, but Chad Tracy appears destined for that spot on the lineup
card. Even if Tracy moves to cleanup, expect the D'Backs to then
attempt to use Tracy to protect one of their young sluggers before they turn
it over to Byrnes.
Clean Up?
He's not your prototypical four hole hitter, but then again, right now
nobody in the D'Backs starting lineup is. Some youngsters balk at the
pressure of hitting fourth, so Bob Melvin could easily slide Byrnes into
that spot. If he gets it, don't expect him to be there for long, as
Chris Young, Carlos Quentin and even Drew have more natural power, and its
likely by the end of June Young or Quentin will have taken that spot and
made it their own.
Number 5
The five whole is known for restarting the line up after the clean
up did his job. This can be a great spot for Byrnes towards the middle of the
season after the adrenaline wears off of the younger players. It allows
him to use his power, without completely wasting his speed. Byrnes
hitting fifth would allow Conor Jackson to hit sixth, where his patience at
the plate allows Byrnes to swipe a few bags, while simultaneously taking
some of the pressure off Conor to jack 35 homers a year.Number 6
The six spot is where Byrnes will be the most productive in this new look
D-Backs line up. The D-backs have more speed and versatility than last year.
Batting sixth, Byrnes doesn’t have to worry about his OBP, speed numbers, or his
power numbers, they will just come. He will not have any pressure to deliver
throughout the season. Some may see this as a downer for most players, and it
is, for most players. However, Byrnes is not most players. He carries that
determination like he has a chip on his shoulder already. He doesn’t need any
added pressure to make him a better player. He protects the youngsters,
jumpstarts a bottom of the lineup that could include Miguel Montero, Conor
Jackson, Carlos Quentin and even Orlando Hudson (if Young gets elected to
hit lead off). Since there will only be three true veterans in the
starting lineup, it make sense to space them out. If Hudson leads off
and Tracy hits third, dropping Byrnes to the six (or maybe even seven) hole,
keeps that veteran presence just a pitch or two away.
Byrnes style of play is something all of us had when we were
younger. Passion, determination, and sheer willpower can win games and with a
nickname like “Pig-Pen” expect a little dirt to get kicked up by Byrnes on his
way to another break out season.