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St Louis Die Hards > Group Message Board > Second Base

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February 20, 2012, 10:17 PM

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It appears the Cardinals are going to give Tyler Greene every opportunity to win the second base job during Spring Training. They call it an open competition, but they seem to want Greene to win the job. He's out of options, I believe, so that may be a big part of their desire to see him succeed this year.

I have always been very high on Greene and last year on this site I advocated him being the regular shortstop because of his defense. Another year of below par offense though, has me a little skeptical of whether or not he'll ever be able to hit enough to play every day at the major league level.

Daniel Descalso is the one I'd like to see there most of the time. I think he can be a plus offensive player, and his defense is superb.

Of course there is always Skip Schumaker. Probably the most reliable bat of the three, but I hate his defensive play at second. I'd prefer to see him be a sometimes second baseman while primarily being the fourth outfielder.

Let me know what everyone else thinks about the only position that is really up for grabs as Spring Training begins.

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February 22, 2012 05:55 PM ET

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Greene is the most physically talented of the trio but the weakest in terms of big league confidence. He's hit at every level in the minors but shrinks under the bright lights. Maybe Matheny's more patient approach will help (I'd have him see a sports shrink too). I see Descalso as the primary utility IF for this season. I agree with Schumaker as the 4th OF but I suspect with his experience he probably wins the starting jop out of Spring Training.

CardinalPride25

Chicago , IL

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February 25, 2012 10:39 AM ET

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Greene has shown flashes that he can play at this level. I think with regular at bats, he can develop into the player they drafted him to be. That being said, I think Descalso proved himself last year that he could play in an every day type role. However, his flexibility makes him more valuable as the primary utility IF off the bench with 1-2 starts a week. Skip is a fan favorite, and he's shown a willingness to play wherever they need him. I like his role off the bench as well, being the 4th/5th OF (when Craig is healthy), as well as a spot start/pinch hitting role off the bench late in games. In my opinion, this is Greene's job to lose, but I wouldn't mind seeing Double D (Daniel Descalso) get his shot either.

Cards Fan 78

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February 26, 2012 01:21 PM ET

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It'll be interesting to see what they do with Descalso. I'm wondering if Matheny will pull Freese late in games for Descalso the same way TLR did last year.

I'm very much in favor of Greene getting every shot at the job, especially with Matheny indicating he would like to run more. Greene is by far the best base stealing option of the three.

ElevenRingsSTL

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March 27, 2012 10:55 PM ET

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I know they want Greene to win the second base job, but I'm not sure how Matheny can ignore the spring that Descalso has had. He's hitting .326 and has a .466 On base percentage, drawing 11 walks this spring. Not sure what else he would need to do to win a job.

I think he and Greene are similar in terms of defensive ability, but if Furcal doesn't start hitting, DD may be the best option we have to lead off.

ElevenRingsSTL

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March 28, 2012 10:49 AM ET

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Matheny wants SBs so Greene will get most of the playing time at 2B to start the season. There is also a good change Greene might lead off if Furcal's production continues at its mediocre trend. Plus, given Furcal's injury history of late we could very well see a situation where Greene would slide over to SS and Descalso would inherit 2B if his bat stays hot.