The curious case of Chris Heisey

[OnBaseMachine]

Originally Posted by HokieRed

Just for the sake of the history, Adam Rosales is doing a heck of a lot better imitation of an everyday player with his current .737 OPS at 2b than Chris Denorfia ever did.

Rosales is a decent guy to have on the bench, IMO. Maybe he'll go in a slump or something but as of right now, Rosales is hitting .271/.326/.411 - .737 OPS. His OPS+ is 100, which means he has been a league average hitter this season. Now factor in that he's got a +4.0 UZR at second base (+13.2 UZR/150). He's been a solid player for the A's this season. I'd like to have him on the Reds bench.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Let's not forget some of the intangibles too. Gomes' aggressiveness & hustle are BOTH contagious. You also don't really want to tinker too much with a club that's WINNING and LEADING THEIR DIVISION.

I like Chris and I think he'll amount to pretty close to what Doug just mentioned. But this club is gelling and that's not something that can be analyzed on a spreadsheet. Sometimes you just play well together as a team.

[Homer Bailey]

Originally Posted by nate

I've been saying Heisey should be playing for much longer than a week.

Or month.

Yes, yes you have.

I've been saying Heisey should be playing for much longer than a week and I never thought Rosales was an everyday player. I thought Deno warranted a longer chance but that didn't happen.

Do you think Heisey is an everyday player?

Prove it.

I'm just not going to take the time to look up old posts. If Heisey had a .600 OPS right now, would people be laboring for him to start? Doubt it. I think the hot 75 PA's have given some on this board (not necessarily you) some false hope that Heisey is a plus bat. I would argue his track record says otherwise.

Not really. Heisey has value with the glove. Gomes...neg.

True. Like I said, if Gomes continues to hit the way he has over the last month or so, I have no problem giving Heisey a full audition for the LF role. However, I think a platoon would be unfair to Heisey, because he hits lefties a lot better than he hits righties.

I also think Gomes will get hot again soon. Maybe not as hot as May, but I could easily see him rebounding with a .900+ month.

[membengal]

I think Heisey is an everyday player.

I don't think that time is now.

I also don't understand the pushback against the idea that he can and should be getting three starts a week and giving regular rest to each of the three starting outfielders.

What's wrong with keeping them fresh and getting Heisey a few more at-bats?

[HokieRed]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

Rosales is a decent guy to have on the bench, IMO. Maybe he'll go in a slump or something but as of right now, Rosales is hitting .271/.326/.411 - .737 OPS. His OPS+ is 100, which means he has been a league average hitter this season. Now factor in that he's got a +4.0 UZR at second base (+13.2 UZR/150). He's been a solid player for the A's this season. I'd like to have him on the Reds bench.

So would I. This is the last bad consequence of the stinking Taveras trade; that we had to move Rosales to move him. It's probably best for Rosales, though, as he's getting a chance he'd unlikely have gotten in Cinti. My point was just that Rosales is a whole lot better player than Denorfia and it's a mistake to treat them as if they're the same thing.

[Roy Tucker]

Originally Posted by membengal

I think Heisey is an everyday player.

I don't think that time is now.

I also don't understand the pushback against the idea that he can and should be getting three starts a week and giving regular rest to each of the three starting outfielders.

What's wrong with keeping them fresh and getting Heisey a few more at-bats?

That's my take as well. Rotating Heisey through the OF slots is a good idea.

I hate to make drastic changes when the club is doing very well. Give him some more ABs. If he does well, the better player will win out.

[Cedric]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

That's my take as well. Rotating Heisey through the OF slots is a good idea.

I hate to make drastic changes when the club is doing very well. Give him some more ABs. If he does well, the better player will win out.

Spot on. It's just not logical or realistic to expect a players manager like Dusty to suddenly drop Gomes.

It's just not going to happen.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Cedric

Spot on. It's just not logical or realistic to expect a players manager like Dusty to suddenly drop Gomes.

It's just not going to happen.

Just because it won't, doesn't mean it shouldn't.

[Cedric]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Just because it won't, doesn't mean it shouldn't.

Why are we even talking about Heisey? Isn't he a Cub and we have Marmol anyway?

[Homer Bailey]

Ugh. Nix is starting tonight in left. He'd be my last option for left.

He'll probably go 3 for 4 though.

[nate]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Do you think Heisey is an everyday player?

I think I want to see more.

I'm just not going to take the time to look up old posts. If Heisey had a .600 OPS right now, would people be laboring for him to start?

Why would I guess what "people" think? I know what _I_ think and am confident and comfortable enough to state as much. I don't have to construct a strawman of what "Redszone thinks" and knock it down to make my point.

Doubt it. I think the hot 75 PA's have given some on this board (not necessarily you) some false hope that Heisey is a plus bat. I would argue his track record says otherwise.

I think "Redszone thinks" is a poor way to make a convincing or discussion-worthy point.

"Redszone" doesn't think anything. From what I can tell, the widely varied opinions here cover pretty much every side of every imaginable issue.

True. Like I said, if Gomes continues to hit the way he has over the last month or so, I have no problem giving Heisey a full audition for the LF role. However, I think a platoon would be unfair to Heisey, because he hits lefties a lot better than he hits righties.

I also think Gomes will get hot again soon. Maybe not as hot as May, but I could easily see him rebounding with a .900+ month.

I could see Heisey providing more value than Gomes over the course of a season.

[TRF]

Heisey and Janish should both be rotating starters at three positions. Heisey in the OF, Janish at SS, 3B and occasionally 2B, just to give BP a breather.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by TRF

Once a week, start Heisey in LF, then CF, then RF against a tough LH pitcher.

They kid is batting .194 vs lefties with a .286 OB%, .730 OPS.

Vs RHers.... .407 BA .500 OB% .778 SLG% 1.278 OPS

Granted that's only 63 total ABs, but what I've seen from him so far vs lefties, other then the 3 Hrs, he looks somewhat lost right now. I certainly wouldn't want to throw him up against TOUGH LHer right now.

Originally Posted by TRF

Heisey out performed him in May, June and July. Yes, Heisey had a better OPS in May than Gomes.

I respect ya buddy, but don't you think that is an awfully small sample size comparison to say that Heisey out performed Gomes?

Heisey had a total of 27 ABs in May, 26 in June, and 10 so far in July.

Gomes had almost that many ABs in one month. Johnny's had 60 ABs in April, 88 in May, 90 in June, and 26 so far in July. That's 264 ABs total compared to 63. I just don't think that is a fair comparison at all.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by TRF

Heisey and Janish should both be rotating starters at three positions. Heisey in the OF, Janish at SS, 3B and occasionally 2B, just to give BP a breather.

This I'm all for 100%. I just don't see it happening.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by GAC

I respect ya buddy, but don't you think that is an awfully small sample size comparison to say that Heisey out performed Gomes?

Heisey had a total of 27 ABs in May, 26 in June, and 10 so far in July.

Gomes had almost that many ABs in one month. Johnny's had 60 ABs in April, 88 in May, 90 in June, and 26 so far in July. That's 264 ABs total compared to 63. I just don't think that is a fair comparison at all.

It's not a fair comparison, but a lot of that is going around. BUT as far as outperforming him, he did so on both sides of the ball. Defensively, there is no argument here. none.

The real question is, is this the real Chris Heisey? I happen to think it is, and most scouts agree.