Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Bucky Showalter Must Choose Leadoff Hitter
Manager Bucky Showalter's choice of leadoff hitter for the Texas Rangers has come down to David Dellucci, 32, who brings an approximate .350 on-base percentage, power and a handful of steals to the table, or Brad "The Sword" Wilkerson, 28, a fellow lefthanded batter with the potential to match or exceed Dellucci in each category, but whose promising career hit a snag when his season was spoiled last year by injuries and the limitations of playing in RFK Stadium in Washington. Loser of the competition will drop to the No. 7 or No. 8 hole in the batting order, which could translate to a loss of 50-100 AB on the season and considerably less value.