ALERT: Adam Dunn in left field, ADAM DUNN IN LEFT FIELD – White Sox Lineups 4/10
By James Fegan
Going on the road to take down the high-powered Washington Nationals is an already difficult task in and of itself, but life under National League rules forces the Sox to hop around on one leg to fit their bevy of players with DH-range. On Tuesday night, Dayan Viciedo manned his usual left field position while Adam Dunn sat in order to take advantage of Viciedo’s typically Ruthian percentages against southpaws. In turn, Viciedo blew the biggest RBI opportunity of the game.
Now, Dunn will get his opportunity against right-handed starters for the rest of the series. More consistency can probably be expected from Dunn’s approach these days, but his work in the field lacks some qualities that even Viciedo’s maligned fielding maintains. Qualities such as–youth, recent game experience, elite throwing arm, not being so enormous, etc.
- Alejandro De Aza, CF
- Jeff Keppinger, 2B
- Alex Rios, RF
- Adam Dunn, LF
- Paul Konerko, 1B
- Alexei Ramirez, SS
- Conor Gillaspie, 3B
- Tyler Flowers, C
- Gavin Floyd, P
Obviously what we have here is a calculated risk, and one the Sox have navigated before. There were some highly iffy and lumbering moments in Wrigley Field last season, but there was also that glorious game in Arizona on June 19, 2011 where Dunn sat in right field and had one ball hit to him all day. Beautifully, with the grace of zeppelin careening through a field of telephone wires, Dunn snared it mid-stride. The Sox tasted sweet victory that day, in spite of Dunn’s 0-3, 2 K performance.
The defensive onus is really on third basemen Conor Gillaspie–occupying the hot corner while Jeff Keppinger covers second base for the injured Gordon Beckham–to knock down anything that looks like it is ticketed for left field. And I mean everything.
- Denard Span, CF
- Jayson Werth, RF
- Bryce Harper, LF
- Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
- Adam LaRoche, 1B
- Ian Desmond, SS
- Danny Espinosa, 2B
- Kurt Suzuki, C
- Jordan Zimmerman, P
Imagine, for a moment, a world where Gavin Floyd is Jordan Zimmerman. Mmm, what a happy place that would be. Results that actually outstrip his peripherals and talent–just think of the hours we could spend arguing with out-of-town fans and overstating his worth.
In his only start this season, Zimmerman took the peripheral-defying to a new height–he allowed eight hits and two walks over six innings, only striking out a single batter, yet only allowing a single run. It’s a bold new strategy and I’m betting Zimmerman doesn’t even have the cojones to see it through another outing.
In any case, the beauty of baseball, especially White Sox baseball, is that we’re all just a few dingers away from wild, ecstasy-doused partyin’. Alex Rios, the owner of four home runs in as many games, knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan