Matt Eureste, a junior transfer from San Jacinto College in Texas, started at third and hit lead-off in Oregon’s first 40 games. He has made just one start since.
With 10 errors and the lowest fielding percentage on the team, Eureste was a liability in the infield. Manager George Horton’s solution was to substitute freshman outfielder Jakob Goldfarb for Eureste and slide Mitchell Tolman from second to third base, where he has played throughout most of his college career. Since then, the Ducks have gone 13-6 and inserted themselves back into the NCAA tournament conversation.
But did Horton make the right move?
Horton has altered the Ducks’ batting order from that of the previous game in 51 of 57 games this season. The fact he didn’t replace Goldfarb after his first seven games at lead-off was surprising. A lead-off hitter’s job is to get on base, but in 34 plate appearances, Goldfarb amassed just three hits and six walks.
Nevertheless, the coaching staff rode him out and the decision appears to have paid off. Goldfarb erupted for four hits the next game against Oregon State and has a .317/.349/.419 line since. The curious aspect of the move, however, is that Matt Eureste was still producing offensively when he was pulled. He went 2-4 with a double and walk the night before and hit .263 the eight previous games before he was benched. Despite not appearing in six games, Eureste’s seven steals are third-most on the team.
Eureste may not be the lead-off hitter Oregon was hoping for, but he still has value on the field. Pinch-hitting doesn’t seem to be his bread and butter. He has hit .143 since his role became situational. Going from everyday contributor to nothing could have temporarily shattered his confidence. Still, his .257/.337/.345 line this season is a large improvement over that of incumbent starter Daniel Patzlaff.
Moving Tolman to third base left a void at second base. Horton has since settled on Patzlaff to fill it. He has Patzlaff hitting seventh, where he’s propped a meager .194 average.
Why not try out Kyle Kasser?
“Kasser’s a kid that’s worked awfully hard,” Horton said. “Hasn’t had a lot of chances, but he definitely has the respect of all the coaches and players because of his work ethic.”
Horton called pinch-hitter Kasser, who had just 10 plate appearances to his name, with the bases loaded and a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the ninth against Oregon State. Kasser drew a full-count, two-out walk-off walk and the Ducks won 4-3.
Kasser has made the most of his chances. He’s pinch-hit in two more two-out bases loaded situations with the game on the line since. He delivered the go-ahead single in the 10th inning against Washington State, then drove a two-run double in Oregon’s comeback win over Utah. With a .526 on base percentage in 19 plate appearances, Kasser could be the spark plug Oregon’s offense needs.
So was Horton’s move to bench Eureste a good one?
It was good because it got Goldfarb contributing, but it also opened up a hole at second base. Either way, the Ducks are (finally) winning and, in baseball, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Whichever way he configures the lineup for the postseason, the players could benefit from some consistency moving forward.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @KennyJacoby