By Rob Biertempfel
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
CHICAGO - Look at the boxscores, and you'll notice some unusual batters in the No. 2 spot around the majors this season.
The Cincinnati Reds occasionally put slugger Adam Dunn behind leadoff hitter Ryan Freel. Toronto has used Lyle Overbay in the two-spot. Cleveland has tried outfielder Trot Nixon. The Los Angeles Dodgers experimented with catcher Russell Martin in the two-hole, and lately have found success with Juan Pierre batting after Rafael Furcal.
Whatever happened to the conventional No. 2 guy -- a smallish middle infielder without much power whose specialty is bunting rather than bashing and who won't strike out a lot?
"There's nothing wrong with having a power hitter, especially a left-hander, hitting second," former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner said. "It just depends upon the makeup of your ballclub."
When Tanner was managing the Chicago White Sox in the early 1970s, Dick Allen and Bill Melton usually batted fourth and fifth. One day, for a road game against the Boston Red Sox, Tanner put Allen in the leadoff spot and Melton No. 2.
"That way, I got them both an extra at-bat," Tanner said. "I figured that at Fenway Park, the more at-bats I can get those guys, hitting to that short wall, it gives us a little edge."
With two outs in the ninth, Allen whacked a game-tying home run. Melton followed with a solo shot to win it. Anyone who scratched his head when the lineups were announced thought Tanner was a genius.
"Chuck would do some tricky stuff," former Pirates outfielder Dave Parker said, with a chuckle. "He would even hit Willie up in the two-hole."
Willie Stargell?
"I did whatever I thought would generate runs," Tanner said. "Especially if things weren't going good and we needed to get some runs, I'd throw Stargell up there or another left-handed power hitter. I wasn't afraid to do anything."
Last season, Pirates manager Jim Tracy filled out 123 versions of his lineup. However, shortstop Jack Wilson batted second in all but 35 games.
This year, Wilson, a right-handed batter, has hit No. 2 in all 29 games. He has a .288 batting average, a .323 on-base percentage and is the fourth-toughest player to strike out in the National League.
"Jack is able to bunt the ball, hit the ball in the (second base) hole or pull the ball in the (shortstop) hole, he can hit with two strikes so (Chris) Duffy gets a chance to steal," Pirates hitting coach Jeff Manto said. "It's a very unselfish spot. When you find a good No. 2 guy like we have, it a tremendous asset."
Wilson is an old-school two-hole hitter. In seven-plus seasons, he has hit 45 homers and 76 sacrifice hits/bunts.
"He's done a terrific job," Tracy said.
Even with the Pirates struggling to score runs this year, Tracy has been steadfast about keeping Wilson in the two-hole.
"To me, that's a misconception of numbers," Tracy said. "What part does the player play in the success of the club? What is his role, and is he fulfilling it?"
After all, Tracy noted, nobody complained much about non-power threat Jay Bell batting -- and mostly bunting -- second while the Pirates were winning division titles in the early 1990s.
Tracy could put lefty slugger Adam LaRoche, switch-hitter Ryan Doumit or right-hander Jose Bautista into the two-hole. But simply sticking a power guy into that spot is not the right fit for everyone.
"It's different for every team," Wilson said. "I don't consider Juan Pierre a perfect two-hole hitter, but for (the Dodgers), it works. I might not be a two-hole hitter on someone else's team, but for this team it might be the best situation.
"It depends upon the manager. It depends on what the team's in need of. It just depends on the team."
Rob Biertempfel can be reached at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7811.
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