With second baseman Gordon Beckham possibly back in uniform with the 25-man roster next weekend when the Miami Marlins visit U.S. Cellular Field and Conor Gillaspie getting more comfortable as the everyday third baseman for the White Sox, here's a question facing manager Robin Ventura moving forward. What will the Sox do with their high-priced offseason free agent acquisition Jeff Keppinger?

Even though the Sox technically got Keppinger to play 3B in the offseason, he's played more 2B with Beckham recovering from a hamate bone injury to his wrist suffered in Washington last month. Until this series with the Angels in Anaheim, Keppinger had a statistical oddity, a higher batting average than on-base percentage.

With 2 walks over the weekend in the 4 game split in Anaheim, Keppinger starts the night with a .197 BA, an OBP of .205 & 10 RBI's. Needless to say, it's not exactly what the Sox were hoping for when they signed him away from the Tampa Bay Rays this past winter. Might Keppinger, earning $3.5 million in the first of a 3 year, $12 million deal, suddenly find himself on RV's bench when Beckham possibly returns by the weekend, no longer an everyday starter? Might Keppinger suddenly become this team's new utility infielder?

He never strikes out!!!!

Think of the groundouts!!!

RP, that's part of the problem. Keppinger rarely struck out in Houston, San Francisco & Tampa Bay. He's already struck out 15 times with the White Sox in 147 at-bats.

I would argue that his low strikeout totals were WAY over valued

An out is an out is an out

Except when it's in a Kerry Wood game.

_________________

Which is why 27 of them in a row is better than anything else a pitcher can do on the mound.

SHARK, you probably could have posted about this in the Sox series thread. Keppinger doesn't deserve his own thread at this point.


Edit, damn you peeps! Damn you straight to Rockford!

_________________

I thought Keppinger warranted his own thread, especially considering who's thisclose to returning. Besides, it's not a sure thing that 2B Gordon Beckham bats 9th again when he returns possibly this weekend.

He'll play 2nd, but might not hit 9th. Typically thats reserved for the worst hitter on the team which would be Tyler Flowers.

_________________

That's where Flowers has batted lately. Ditto for his backup, switch-hitting Hector Gimenez. I've also heard the #9 spot might also be where a manager might want a second lead-off hitter to turn over the lineup for the #1 guy.

How is it even possible to have a lower OBP than BA?

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Until he walked twice in the 4 game split in Anaheim, Jeff Keppinger had such an unusual statistical oddity. Keppinger's OBP was anywhere from 3 to 8 points below his batting average. It's still not great right now, but Keppinger no longer has such a statistical oddity.

Thanks for not answering the question.

To answer you FF, I think it has to do with sac flies.

_________________

I get that. I just don't know how that happens? How is it possible?

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

That can't be true since the on base average resulting from batted balls is about .300. The on base average on missed balls is zero.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

BA looks at official at-bats to determine the %, so you would subtract errors, walks, HBP, and sacrifices.

OBP counts every time you step to the plate.

So this only happens when a players total walks + HBP is less than their sacrifices.

Not errors. Simply put BA uses at-bats and OBP uses plate appearances.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Good thing the Cubs didn't sign him.

_________________
favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Gordon Beckham (hand) started at shortstop Monday in his third rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte. Beckham is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with one double and two RBI over three rehab games and should be activated this weekend.

Interesting.......

Don't get too excited, Keyser. Gordon Beckham is a second baseman for the White Sox and when he returns, I expect him to play that position as soon as Friday vs. Miami barring any setbacks. He's fine where he is now.

A caller did ask Chris Rongey on the White Sox Radio Network postgame last night about Jeff Keppinger when Beckham does return to the active roster. Rongey suggested to the caller that Keppinger & Conor Gillaspie might platoon at 3B, with Jeffrey playing vs. lefties & Conor vs. righties.

Batters out vs pitchers out

Nope. Different for pitchers.

27 strikeouts is better than 27 robbed homeruns

Yeah, I misspoke.

A hitter who has low strikeout totals is not more valuable then a player with higher strikeout totals

It comes down to on base

Except that neither of those has ever happened.

So pretty much an out is an out unless its a Carrie Woods game.

_________________

No, I look at batters outs made and pitchers outs recorded differently. Always have and its in those threads.

A guy who misses 60 bats is more dominating than a guy that misses like 20. That is my belief.

Now I might be out of line with this thinking, that $3.5M isn't absurd for a utility guy.

If Robin feels the alignment that gives him the best chance to win is Bacon at 2B and Gillaspie at 3B, i don't see why there would be any issue with that.

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

If I'm RV, that's what I would do once Beckham is activated. Angel Sanchez, still on the DL with back issues and on a rehab assignment of his own, or Tyler Greene, who doubled and scored last night...That's the next question.