Goldeyes manager Rick Forney isn’t quite sure what he’ll do with Aharon Eggleston. He’s just happy Eggleston will be somewhere in his line-up in 2010.
Earlier this week, Forney sent pitcher Andrew Cruse to the Kansas City T-Bones in exchange for Eggleston, a gifted outfielder who can play centre, left or right field.
He can also lead off, steal bases and drive in runs and with so many ways to go, Forney still isn’t sure how Eggleston’s talents will fit into what should be a powerful Goldeyes line-up.
“He’s a good player in our league,” Forney said of Eggleston, who hit .318 in 2009, led the league in hits for the second-straight year and was named to the Northern League All-Star Team. “He brings a lot to a team. He hits for average and has a high on-base percentage and he drove in a lot of runs hitting out of the lead-off spot in Kansas City last year. It’s his ability to hit with men on base that I like, but he can also run the bases really well and steal when he has to.
“But I’m not sure if he’ll be a lead-off man with us. Assuming Wes (shortstop Long) comes back, I would think he’ll lead off, and then I’d likely use Aharon in the No. 2 spot. I like having a left-handed hitter bat No. 2 because it makes it more difficult for the catcher to get a good look at Wes when he’s on first.”
Forney says he doesn’t want to get “too far ahead of himself,” but will admit that if all goes well in the off-season, he would be excited to see a batting order that goes Long, Eggleston, Diaz, Harrison, Patton, Brown, Asanovich...
“It’s a tough spot to be in but I’d like a lot of these tough spots,” Forney said. “Remember, Cory (Patton) did a great job leading off after Wes was hurt last year, so we have three guys who would be comfortable in that spot. Now, at this stage, I wouldn’t think Cory would be a lead-off man next year, but that’s why I don’t like to get too far ahead of myself. You never know what’s going to happen between now and the day the season starts.”
Eggleston, who is splaying in Colombia this winter, has put up outstanding numbers in five seasons of independent baseball. He’s a .317 career hitter who had a 1.000 fielding percentage in 2009. He’s a tremendous hitter at the top of the order because he strikes out only once in every 12.9 plate appearances.
“He’s a good player and he’ll really help us, but I have to admit he isn’t a guy I’ve been chasing after for a long time,” Forney said. “As part of my off-season phone calls, I talked to Tim Doherty (the new manager in K.C.), and he said he would talk about moving Aharon. I had to give up a lot to get him. When he throws strikes, like he did in that playoff game with Fargo in September, Andrew Cruse has a lot of talent and he really has a chance to get back to organized baseball.
“But Aharon’s a good player. He’s a guy who hits with men on base and I like that.”
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