On First Try, J Lopez Excels At 1B

[ThomasTomasz]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The throw from infielder Chris Gomez pulled the first baseman off the bag, enabling Hanley Ramirez to reach safely. Without hesitation, the first baseman turned and threw to the plate, nailing Matt Cepicky trying to score from second.

If that's an example of how Javy Lopez is going to play first base for the Baltimore Orioles, then the experiment to convert him from a catcher could turn out to be a smashing success.

Lopez received his initial start at first base Thursday in the Orioles' exhibition opener against the Florida Marlins and fared remarkably well in a 6-4 loss.

In addition to his alert play in the fourth inning, he hauled in a foul pop, fielded successive hard grounders in the third and scooped up a roller while the top half of a broken bat was heading in his direction. He finished with 10 putouts, two assists and no errors.

"That breaks the ice. Now, next game I should feel a little more comfortable," Lopez said. "It's a hard position to play. You have to pay attention on every single play. But it's fun, I enjoyed it, and thank God I wasn't bad."

Far from it. After taking thousands of grounders during the first two weeks of spring training, Lopez suited up and played the position for real against the Marlins and looked as though he'd been at first base for years.

"Javy played great," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. "Besides the couple of balls he made good plays on, the one I was most impressed with was the awareness on one play to come off the bag and get the guy at home plate. That's one of the things I was worried about. Situations happen and you have to react to them and he did very well on that."

The 35-year-old Lopez has made a career out of crouching behind the plate. But after the Orioles signed free-agent catcher Ramon Hernandez during the offseason, Lopez was asked to move to first base.

Because Lopez hates being a designated hitter, he made the switch.

"If I have to DH, I'll DH. But mainly I'd like to play first base," Lopez said. "For example, I struck out but then I made a good play at first base and that pumped me up. I forgot about the strikeout."

So did Perlozzo.

"Everything that he was supposed to do today he did. I thought he did it well and I'm glad he got those plays," the manager said. "It was a good start for him."

Hernandez, who was on the receiving end of Lopez's fourth-inning throw, said, "It doesn't surprise me. He's a good athlete, so he knows what to do when he plays another position. I knew he would figure out a way to do his best."

When behind the plate, Lopez can react instinctively. At first base, he's not yet comfortable.

"I made all the plays, but I felt pressure inside of me," he said. "I tried to be focused on every single pitch and forget about what's going on around me and anticipate the play before it happens. On top of that, I was nervous."

Of course, the last thing Lopez needs is to struggle at the plate and at first base.

"Even when I was catching, I got nervous," he said. "There's a little concern that I'll make a mistake and look bad out there. You've got that in the back of your head. Having that fear, you can concentrate more because you don't want that to happen."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

[ThomasTomasz]

I remember hearing the statistical breakdown from Buck Martinez at the end of the 2005 season, where he said Lopez did much better when he played the field than when he DH'd. It makes sense, as he is already warmed up from playing the field, and doesn't hit cold. I'd definately like to see Lopez playing first a lot this year, and catching a game or two a week, instead of DHing all the time. Lopez, as an NL-only player before catching on with the O's never DH'd before. The first signs are always encouraging, but I want to withhold judgement until later in ST.

[General]

Funny you say that, because everyone I've talked to says Lopez bombed at 1B.

[ThomasTomasz]

Funny you say that, because everyone I've talked to says Lopez bombed at 1B.

Besides this ST game, he's only played 1B once before, and that was the last few innings in a blowout game in the middle of last season. There is certainly little to no evidence of his playing skill yet, unless you have a source inside the Orioles organization.

[General]

From the Washington Post:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. March 1 -- There were curses. There were more curses. As each ball thudded off his mitt and bounced past him or next to him or anywhere but into his mitt, Javy Lopez muttered to himself. Out came a groundskeeper to rake the field, making it smooth, and yet that made no difference, either. Nor did it help when Lopez looked at his black mitt and shook his head.
"It's a new glove," Lopez said to no one in particular. "That's the excuse."
It has been slightly more than two weeks into Lopez's conversion from catcher to first base, a switch that has yielded decidedly mixed results. Perhaps all that will change when he makes his major league debut at the position Thursday in the Baltimore Orioles' opening spring training game against the Florida Marlins.
"Tomorrow is when I realize how nervous I am going to be or how relaxed I am going to be," Lopez said Wednesday. "I should be totally relaxed and comfortable. The only thing I have to keep in mind is nothing should change. I am going to keep doing what I've been doing. It's no different."
There have been anxious moments as Lopez has struggled. He seems out of place during relay throws and often forgets to cover a specific base. He will throw wildly while practicing a double play and his feet can become entangled when he tries to reach and tag a base. Though Lopez is athletic, he certainly hasn't shown much grace on the field. He still is no more than an out-of-position catcher.
"It's the first time he's played the position and we're trying to take some baby steps and see if we can get him to be an adequate first baseman," said first base and infield coach Dave Cash. "It's really hard to tell until you start playing because practice is one thing and game speed is another. I think once we get into it a little more, we'll get a better handle on it. It's hard to speculate on it now."
Perhaps most encouraging is that Lopez at least seems eager to learn. He will ask coaches to hit him ground balls after infield practice. He persuades shortstop Miguel Tejada to stay at second base and accept more throws during batting practice rather than lounge in the outfield. He runs into the clubhouse wearing his catcher's gear after catching drills, then comes out with his first baseman's mitt, eager for more practice.
"I realize how hard it is to play first base," Lopez said. "I thought it was a lot easier position to play. But like I said before, you need to be involved in so many different plays that you need to remember constantly. It's a challenge for me and I like challenges."
There have been largely unsuccessful conversions from catcher to first base. Mike Piazza, for instance, never took well to the position. But at least Lopez seems ahead of Piazza's pace. Piazza would often flop after ground balls as if he were trying to block the plate. He would lunge after balls thrown in the dirt from third base as if he were trying to pick at a foul tip. Lopez hasn't seemed lost that way.
"I've seen guys that weren't as athletic as he is play first base," Cash said. "I don't want to mention any names, but there's a few guys that are much bigger than him and much slower than him and they get the job done. In my mind here's a guy who is a pretty good athlete and I think he can get the job done as well."
During Wednesday's late-afternoon simulated game, Lopez may have had his best moments at first base. He picked off a low throw and then snagged a hard-hit ground ball. Afterward he smiled toward the dugout and said, "It's easy."

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

[Dry1313]

yeah i had heard he was terrible but this performance against florida is encouraging to say the least.