Don Wakamatsu said batting Ichiro third is an
option in some situations.
Don Wakamatsu took his Spring Training batting order experiment one step further Monday by moving Ichiro from leadoff to the three-hole.
Ichiro, who had to leave the game because he felt light-headed, was 1-for-2 in a 9-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ichiro has hit third in only a handful of games in his eight seasons with the Mariners and Monday marked the first time this spring he has done so.
But could we see him hit third this season?
To Continue...
Here's what Wakamatsu told MLB.com:
"Yeah, [batting Ichiro third during the regular season] is a possibility, but in general, he's our leadoff hitter...Do I foresee him as the third-place hitter? No. But it gives me another viable option if I go with more of a run-and-gun offense."If Ichiro were to ever bat third it would likely be for one game at a time and only in specific situations, such as interleague road games against left-handed pitchers.
It was no coincidence that Wakamatsu had Ichiro hitting third Monday in what was essentially a road game against a National League team. The Brewers had a lefty on the mound, which was probably why Ken Griffey Jr., the normal third hitter, wasn't in the lineup (this type of situation seems like a perfect time to give Griffey the day off).
In that scenario, without the power of Griffey or a designated hitter, the Mariners will play smallball. Unless they're counting on more Felix Hernandez grand slams, they will have to score runs with their speed and their ability to move runners along.
That's the benefit of moving Ichiro to third, batting Jose Lopez second and Endy Chavez at leadoff; they have good speed and some good contact hitters at the top of the order. That's the "run-and-gun offense" Wakamatsu was referring to.
Here's what the lineup might look like against a left-handed pitcher in an NL park:
LF Endy Chavez
2B Jose Lopez
RF Ichiro
3B Adrian Beltre
1B Mike Sweeney (assuming he makes the team)
C Kenji Johjima
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
CF Franklin Gutierrez
P Felix Hernandez
Of course, this could be a moot point. The Mariners only play nine games in NL parks this season, so the afforementioned situation may only present itself a few times. When it does, they could always start Wladimir Balentien in left and keep Ichiro at leadoff.
Given how effective he is as a leadoff hitter, it might make more sense to just have Ichiro stay put.
But as Wakamatsu says, it is always an option.
Reach Brady Henderson at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
