Platoon
It is a term in baseball circles that some would consider a swear word. The players involved hate it because they lose valuable at bats over the course of a season. The field manager hates it because he will have to eventually deal with the players whining. Fantasy pool players hate it because their draft pick won’t reach the production they have been expected to. Player agents hate it because their clients numbers are affected negatively by the limited opportunities. So who does it benefit and why is it still common?
Quite simply: It allows a team to maximize the strengths of a player while minimizing his deficiencies. When coupled with another player who’s skill set is completely different, in theory, it puts the team in the best position to win by fielding it’s strongest line up everyday. It should be noted that all parties involved must have the right attitude and “buy into the plan”. This proves to be the greatest challenge the majority of the time.
The Man with the Golden Arm
