BRANYAN DFA’ED?!

…. not sure how you’d have to juggle the roster, now that Lawton’s already here …. I bet one of you amigos can figure out a way to get Branyan and Lawton onto the roster together?

When you make the lineups, anything goes including Branyan at third. Bring one of those paper eclipse-viewing periscopes to the game, though, so you don’t have to directly view Branyan fielding a ground ball.

Q: Is this what D-O-V means by “platoon bat”?

A: Russ Branyan is the BEST platoon hitter available to the M’s right now, period. …or let me put it this way: if somebody can find a LH platoon hitter in baseball, who would do more damage in Safeco Field, I’d really enjoy seeing that player. Fire away.

The Mariners playing in Safeco Field, I have no idea why they’d hesitate. …and Branyan is willing to play part time. …I’d probably give you Clint Nageotte for Branyan, maybe more.

Branyan is simply the ideal #10 hitter the Mariners could acquire.
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Q: What’s this about an Earl Weaver bench?

A: Some managers prefer to have four switch-hitting shortstops on the bench (well, y’know), like Desi Relaford and Mark McLemore and Willie Bloomquist all at the same time, because it makes their job easy. They are never caught in an awkward situation in the 8th.

But Earl wanted specialized tools for his bench: A great defensive OF, and a base-stealer, and a lefty masher, and a righty masher. Rather than have five swiss army knives, Earl would have a screwdriver, and a wrench, and a wirestripper.

He then made it his responsibility to match those specialty tools to the situation.

Which was one reason his teams were always over Pythag.
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Q: Can Branyan hit, or is he kind of smoke-and-mirrors, being held out of “overexposure”?

A: There are some lefties with big swings who are plenty dangerous against curves breaking into them … but who are duck soup for MLB lefthanders.

Branyan is a legitimate thumper, if and only if the ball is coming via 3B. He’ll still strike out a lot vs RHP, but he can cope with the holes in his swing and out-guess the RHPs his share of the time.

Against LHP’s, they just have too many ways to get him out, and he can’t cover the plate. Against RHP’s it is a different story — Branyan can hit any given pitch provided he is looking for it. So even good righties are sweating bullets against Branyan.
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Q: What would you expect from him?

A: Short and sweet: if you ever gave him a fulltime platoon job … in Safeco, Branyan would hit .260 with lots of BB’s (.360 OBP) and 25-30 homers in part-time play.

Back when the blog-o-sphere was recommending a platoon for LF, Tony Clark and Russell Branyan were the first couple names we recommended as being legit platoon bats.
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Q: Most-comparable player?

A: This mighta been before your time, but the Mariners used to have a hitter exactly like the modern Branyan. That being Ken Phelps.

Platoon-Branyan is a carbon copy for Digger — .250 with tons of walks and tons of homers.

That is a great thing, in case y’missed the point.
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Q: Is Branyan a good match for Safeco?

A: Ricky R? Is that you?
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Q: What about defense?

A: How would Earl Weaver answer that question?

When somebody is going to hit you 25-30 homers in 400 AB’s, it is the manager’s job to find a way to hide the player on defense.

For example: left field, on days when Felix Hernandez pitches (since outfielders don’t matter then). Third base, against lefty lineups. You get the idea. First base now and then. Plenty of DH.

Q: What’s his ideal role?

A: Second bat into the club this year. Get a legit left fielder, Jenkins or whoever. Then:

Keep Ibanez and use Branyan as your #10 bat — 15 of Beltre’s games, 10 of Sexson’s games, 20 of Ibanez’ games, 15 of your left fielder’s games, and fill in when somebody hits the DL ….. and one AB in the late innings of every close game.

Use a lefty masher to win you games in the 8th inning. It’s fun. Give it a try.

Q: Will he accept a part-time role? Can you find a platoon partner for him?

A: Branyan highest total is 217 AB’s over the last five years. Despite rust and lack of use, he routinely slugs .500.

Every right-hand hitter in baseball is a platoon partner for a guy like Branyan. It’s the lefty part of the platoon that takes work.

Q: What’s the big deal about a #10 hitter?

A: Four words: Mark McLemore, 116 wins. #10 hitters give an offense consistency night-in, night-out. Because when the regs take a day off, your lineup doesn’t fall off.

I’ve got no idea why the Mariners never put an Earl Weaver bat on the bench, do you?

Cheers,
Dr D