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Choi and the Lefties
2005-02-11 13:58
Skim and you could miss it, but in the middle of Ken Gurnick's Dodger Spring Training preview on MLB.com is the first vote of confidence in the ability of Hee Seop Choi ability to play everyday, as opposed to platooning, that I've seen in a while. "Maybe people misinterpret our expectations," Dodger general manager Paul DePodesta told Gurnick. "He doesn't need to be spectacular. If he does on a collective basis what he did in 2004 (15 home runs, 46 RBIs), we'll be in great shape. People don't realize he's only 25 and that was his first full Major League season. He gets on base. In the minor leagues, he hit left-handed pitching. We just need to take advantage of what we know he does best." The comments are particularly interesting in light of the recent signing of Norihiro Nokamura, who with Olmedo Saenz will challenge Choi for at-bats against lefties. In his entire major-league career, managers have given Choi just over 70 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He has four singles, two doubles, a home run, 11 walks and three hit-by-pitches, for an OPS of .507, compared to .814 against right-handed pitching. So this is not to say the other options against lefties won't prove better than Choi, but only that Choi has not been given enough of a chance. Jason Romano, of all people, has as many plate appearances against lefties in his career as Choi. Shouldn't Choi get more of a shot than that? Choi turns 26 in five weeks.
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