Unfortunately, Bobby’s been on the DL for quite some time now (wrist contusion, 1 day healthy, followed by hamstring strain).

Boy, you know how to put a gal on the spot! Did Stephen send you? Sounds like you’re actually asking two questions? 1) Will Mathis ever become a hitter, and if not then, 2) Would Scioscia consider replacing him with Bobby?

A credible answer for either of those questions would require a h*ll of a lot more baseball savvy than possessed by yours truly. I’m not being modest when I tell you (and the whole world) I’m lousy at stats. (Ask me what the score of last night’s game was. I won’t remember, but you can ask just for laughs! ) Most of my “player picks” contain very little number-crunching, except when I think they help make a particular point. I leave that sort of thing up to FutureAngels.com. Stephen does a much better job of grinding up the raw numbers and spitting out meaningful stats than me.

To further confess my failings as an armchair scout (at least I’m honest!), I’ve got a soft spot for defensive catchers—so I’m more likely to pick a Jim Sundberg (lifetime BA=.248, 6 Gold Gloves) over a Mike Piazza (lifetime BA=.308). What makes Bobbie special (to me) is his superior batting average is the pretty bow on an already outstanding defensive package. What can I say? I’d probably stick with Mathis for the same reason Sosh does, he’s got Mike Napoli!

FWIW, I do believe Bobby will end up in MLB—barring injury or sudden attack of Macky Sasseritis—for all of the reasons given above.