Mets, Mariners Interested In Hatteberg

Scott Hatteberg? Why don't they just call up Valentino Pascucci already?

Should say Pascucci and Hatteberg are as different as can be*

Hatteberg would absolutely help. Getting a .280/.350 line would be a big boost over Delgado's completely negative value to this team. A guy that could play a decent 1B, and put the ball in play would help more then you know. For one thing, Hatteberg is not the rally killer smack in the middle of a lineup that Delgado is. It sounds silly, but the all of the Mets problems seem to come from lack of fundamentals, moving runners over, loading the bases with 1 out and not being able to score. So much of this is Delgado's fault as he almost never has a productive at bat. If Delgado was capable of just hitting a flyball or a groundball to secondbase when the Mets needed one they could have about 3-4 more wins because of him alone. But he constantly kills rallies by popping up and striking out in big spots.

I know dark, but look at his platoon splits the last 2 years. And also, I am not sure what the obviously correct direction is. Leave Delgado to struggle this way all season? Having Hatteberg be able to hit .280/.350/.425 in a platoon split from the 7th spot in the order would really help this team a lot. I know I say this everyday, and it sounds like I am a broken record, but the Mets are a horrible fundamental team so far this year, and Delgado cannot be trusted in a big spot. A guy that can consistently put the ball in play would be very welcome right now. Its not like I love Hatteberg so much, its just that he is a smart veteran presence and he can help this team out a lot with certain situations. The Mets have to have a gameplan when they go up. If there were a better option, I would be fine with that, but they need to find a guy that can atleast have a solid average/obp at 1st base. A lineup of
Reyes
Castillo
Wright
Beltran
Church
Alou
Hatteberg/Tatis
Castro/Schneider looks pretty good to me.

Right now, they just have a soft offense without Church and Alou, but even once they get back, it will be hard to deal with Delgado's automatic outs everytime he has an RBI spot.

When did I ever say anything about Delgado being the other half of the platoon? If they are going to keep Delgado, then obviously Hatteberg is useless. I thought you would realize this. But pair Hatteberg and Tatis/Pascucci at 1B and you get much more production then Delgado has given you. Easily.

And stop using Hattebergs 53 AB sample size this year. Thats the kind of stupid crap you call other people out for. Hatteberg was .323/.411/.491 in 375 PA last year vs RHP. In 2006, he was .302/.401/.450 in 450 PA against righties. So he is a fine half of a platoon. Especially from a team that generates offense from pretty much everywhere on the diamond when they are at full strength. A guy like Tatis or Pasucci platooning with him would add in the pop that Hatteberg lacks, and make for a fine 7 spot platoon in the lineup.

And somehow I still think that you knew I wasn't proposing having Delgado be the other half of the platoon.

“When did I ever say anything about Delgado being the other half of the platoon?”

…Oh, my bad ~ didn’t realize he was bumped in favor of Tatis in your lineup ~ I don’t generally pay attention to those things because we so many of the Cubs lineups that go something like “Beltran / Utley / Pujols / Lee / ARam / Fukudome / Soriano / Soto…” etc. Know what I mean?

Anyway, yeah if ya dump Delgado then… But if you do that, then you are relying on the 38YO to somehow turn around his season and produce semi-respectable numbers ~ why not hope the younger with a better track-record Delgado turns it around instead? You say I shouldn’t look at small sample sizes, but what else do we have to go on when we are talking about 38 YOs? The age indicates its probably not safe to rely on his past performance, meaning we either take what we have of rely on a prayer… And why look at the small sample size of Delgado then? I mean, he slumped to start last year too, and ended up hitting .285/.375/.469 in the second half…

As far as what they should do with 1B as a whole? Unfortunately, ya kind of have to wait it out with Delgado ~ but in the meantime they should bring in a RHer to platoon with, and ideally light a fire under, Delgado’s @ss… And in the meantime you also have to keep his @ss in the 7 hole ~ when he was demoted to that spot it’s the only time he looked alive… But instead he keeps seeing his name moving up the lineup… And giving him a day off once in a blue-moon to play 40-something light-hitting Easley or stop-gap Anderson isnt going to put fright into him, or provide better results at the plate. I agree with benching him for the last couple games and maybe that works, but playing him daily in the 7-8 spots is better for the team and possibly more degrading to him if this benching doesn’t work…