Miami Palms Blog

Billy Dupont for the past two seasons has been a spare outfielder. Last season, after both Aaron Rogers and Ray Berger departed, Scott Hatteberg was brought in. Dupont, without a suitable backup, learned the position and filled in at first at times and kept his fourth outfielder role. In his brief appearances, his defense was adequate, but his bat gained some attention as well. In his limited appearances, he posted strong stats and had the best home run/at bat ratio in what was, admittedly, a small sample size. Whatever the case, it was enough for the Palms management to name him the opening day starter at first base this season, without trying to hunt down a replacement.

One of four rookies on this team, all on the offensive side of the ball, Drysdale is simply an average hitter. He likely won't be plugged in as a deft alternative in the field, as all three outfielders are strong (to the point that Randy Winn was relegated to a designated hitter role). Instead, he falls into the awkward role of a fourth outfielder, though he is capable of taking over at first on days Billy Dupont needs off. It's unlikely that Drysdale will be a dissapointment, as the bar hasn't been set very high.

Coco Crisp is going into his second season with the Palms. Last season's offseason acquisition from the Boston Red Sox was a pleasant surprise, settling in nicely in the 3 spot in the batting order, taking over in center for Frank Sohn who was relegated to the bench. Crisp was thought to be an improved version of Sohn, and in Palms uniform, that assesment proved accurate, as he hit for a .284 average, knocking out 15 homers, one off his career high, which he attained in Cleveland in 2005. Additionally, he provides a reliable fielding option with good speed in center. The Palms, obviously, are hoping that Crisp can replicate his surprising '08 campaign, or, at the very least, something close.