I recently did a story on Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche. In it, I questioned why LaRoche has been already named the club's starting third baseman for this season despite having proven anything, and I mean ANYTHING, last season?
Barring injury, all indications are that LaRoche will be at third and batting either seventh or eighth when the Pirates open the 2009 season in St. Louis. I say that because LaRoche left workouts Thursday with muscle spasms in his lower back, though the team listed him as "day to day."
Assuming this is a minor injury, LaRoche will be back soon and his progress will not be stunted. Lord knows if it is stunted any more, he might as well go work on his brother Adam's ranch rather than play across the diamond from him.
Though it was a small sample size (to use a Joe Bendel term), LaRoche proved worthy of earning nothing last season. Yes, he played with a torn ligament in his thumb for much of the season and there is something to be said for playing through pain.
But a .152 batting average and nine errors in 49 games isn't a healthy resume from which to build on.
I'm not saying it's LaRoche's fault, he seemingly tried the best that he could. The question is with management. In an organization where there is such little room for error, why just give a position to a player who underperformed and who is looking like an injury liability?
There are guys who could give LaRoche competition, including free-agent pickups Eric Hinske and Ramon Vasquez, along with Neil Walker.
To just give this guy the starting third baseman's job seems premature to me. This could turn out to be the dumbest move to begin a season since a computer thought that Tike Redman could bat third.
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