Getting Benched

Jeff from Mt. Pleasant, SC complains that I regularly shortchange the bench when I appraise teams and their chances going forward.

This observation is undeniable -- I don't follow all 30 teams sufficiently to comment on their backup middle infielders.

In previous years, this would be a real demerit. But consider how irrelevant most benches are in 2008. Most teams now carry 12 pitchers on their 25-man roster. In the AL, there are nine position players starting, leaving just four bench jockeys. Nobody's backup catcher can hit a lick, so that's a wash. One or two of the remaining players either share a platoon or are part of a regular OF-1B-DH rotation. I tend to account for guys who play semi-regularly.

That leaves a utility infielder beyond my purview. I admit it: I can't assemble a credible comparison of utility infielders.

But wait, there's more. I'm similarly unschooled in the relative merits of the bottom of a team's mound staff. The Long Reliever, the Lefty Specialist, the Last Resort and the Triple-A Ping Pong Ball escape my attention. These guys either throw a third of an inning at a time or earn hump time when the deficit hits six. I can't construct a compelling case for the Reds' Gary Majewski versus the Astros' Tim Byrdak, or vice versa. To be honest, I had to look them up.

Sorry. But you're not missing much.