Here's a tough one for you. Which player would you rather have starting for your team:
A: .393 BA, .412 OBP, .758 SLG, 1.169 OPS
B: .292 BA, .357 OBP, .431 SLG, .788 OPS
This is pretty easy, right? Player A is clearly the better player. And that goes triply if Player A can occupy three spots in your lineup over Player B occupying three spots in your lineup.
Well, Player A is the combined rate stats of the Phillies' catchers, second basemen, and third basemen since Tuesday night, the first night the Phillies were without the three lost infielders -- Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, and Placido Polanco. Player B is the combined rate stats for the year for the trio of Ruiz, Utley, and Polanco.
Still prefer Player A over Player B now?
I'll give you that over the longterm the answer's clearly "no." But, at least for the last three days, we can't really complain about the production the Phillies have received by the motley crew of replacements they've thrown out there.
Long live Cerberus!
