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Every Philly fan knows that Jimmy Rollins is not an effective leadoff hitter. He strikes out too much and loves to swing at the first pitch. Right now Rollins is hitting .261 with an on-base percentage of around .300. Over much of the season the Phillies have overcome that since they have been able to score bunches of runs when they win. However, September is the month of pitchers and low scoring games. Of the 5 teams competing for two playoff positions (Houston, Florida, NY Mets, Atlanta) and the Phillies, the Phillies team ERA is at least half a run per game higher. That means the phillies need to score more to stay competitive. Further the Phillies have struggled all year trying to score runs in close games. The fact remains they have a tough time "manufacturing" runs.
What needs to be done is for Bobby Abreu to leadoff for the last month of the season. Abreu's on-base percentage is over .400 and about 110 points higher than Rollins. In addition, this move will allow two of the teams only clutch hitters, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, to bat higher in the line-up. Utley could hit third, Burrel stays fourth and Ryan Howard can hit fifth.
We all now Abreu doesn't like to lead off but we are only asking him to do this for one month. You have your eye on the MVP, MVPs are not awarded based on only statistics. Things like character and the overall impact on the team matter just as much. C'mon Bobby, helps us get to the playoffs.
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