My friend Matt sent me this e-mail yesterday, and it reveals why Buck Showalter shouldn't be making roster or lineup decisions: "I agree with your assessment of the DeRosa situation however the scuttlebutt here [in Dallas] is that since DeRosa is one of Buck's "guys" in addition to the hot start that Ian Kinsler will ride the bench when he arrives back next week and will spot start like a Bill Hall. It's unbelievable how immature Buck is, he loves to play guys that work hard and do everything he tells them but lack talent over guys that deserve to play based purely on talent, see Gerald Laird." The e-mail brings up a valid point if Buck is serious about not reinserting Kinsler into the starting lineup upon his return from the disabled list. A recent Buck quote indicates that this is the case: "Everybody is adamant about making sure we bring [Kinsler] back to where he was, mentally and physically," Buck said. "He was doing well, so is Mark [DeRosa]. We're not going to not play him and not play Mark, either. I'll try to keep Mark in the flow." And Star-Telegram writer Jan Hubbard had this to say: "But with Mark DeRosa batting .381, it is doubtful that Kinsler will be a full-time starter at second base." Sometimes, I want to break things when I watch the Rangers blow a late lead. That doesn't even compare to the way I feel when I watch the "manager" completely bungle the lineup. In a recent blog post, I gave Buck the perfect solution to his problem: use DeRosa as a utiltiy man to give the other regulars a day of rest each week. DeRosa can float around the lineup, starting in every position except centerfield and catcher. This method allows Kinsler to remain the everyday second-baseman, which would fuel his development. On the other hand, if DeRosa remains the starter, Kinsler will languish on the bench, as Buck has recently declared that Kinsler's going to be on the 25-man roster as soon as he returns from the DL. If I were Jon Daniels, I'd have a quick conversation with Buck about this topic. It would go something like this: Daniels: "Hey, Buck, wanna keep your job?" Buck: "Yeah." Daniels: "Then, when I bring Kinsler off the DL, he's going into the lineup as the starting second baseman. Otherwise, I'll find another manager who will make that happen." It's absurd to think that a young prospect like Kinsler, who needs at bats to continue his development, would ride the pine instead of playing everyday. He'd be better off in the minors than sitting on the Rangers' bench. But this isn't surprising considering Buck's track record. Buck loves the underdog. After all, he was a career minor leaguer who managed to convince some bigwig that he knows enough about baseball to manage a team. That's questionable considering many of Buck's in-game decisions, but I could live with the mistakes if he at least managed his roster correctly. DeRosa is a career utiltiyman, and Buck could utilize his strengths by using him the way the Brewers use Bill Hall. This would allow Kinsler to continue his development, and the Rangers' regulars would get regular rest. Instead, we hear Buck praise DeRosa's hard work, and since DeRosa's already over 30-years-old, Buck's going to use his managerial position to give the guy one last chance at being a starter. Buck sees himself as being more similar to a hard-worker like DeRosa than a talented future star like Kinsler. In a way, Buck seems to be living vicariously through these hardworking players that no one else wanted. It's a strange way to manage a team. And the Rod Barajas-Gerald Laird situation is almost exactly the same. Even though Laird is younger, hits better, and has the potential to be the Rangers' catcher of the future, Buck sticks with Barajas, the hardworker who no one else wanted. Barajas has been serviceable and apparently handles pitchers well, but handling pitchers is overrated. There's no statistic to determine a catcher's handling of pitchers except for the pitchers' ERA while a certain catcher is playing. But isn't that taking credit away from the guy who's actually pitching? And the difference between the pitchers' ERAs while Barajas and Laird are catching is a negligible 0.40 earned runs per game (with Barajas having the slightly better numbers). Of more importance, Barajas is batting a mere .207 in 92 at bats, while Laird has been hitting .325 in 40 at bats. Barajas' slight edge in pitchers' ERA does not nearly compensate for the drastic hole that he creates in the bottom of the lineup, especially when Laird could easily make this lineup spot productive. Speaking of the lineup, why is Phil Nevin batting cleanup? The guy's hitting .235 with an OPS of less than .800. For those not versed in the significance of OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), a good cleanup hitter has an OPS over .900. Also, Nevin's so slow that every time he hits a ground ball with a man on first, the Rangers become double-play victims. Nevin had two great years in 2000 and 2001, and he was serviceable in 2004. So, with Nevin now 35-years-old and coming off one of his worst seasons, has Buck really deluded himself into thinking that the Rangers will catch lightning in a bottle? Daniels is just as at fault on this one for letting Buck convince him that Nevin can be a productive cleanup hitter. There is an alternative, and his name is Jason Botts. Botts is hitting .298 with 6 HRs in AAA Oklahoma City, and his OPS is close to .900. Last year at the AAA level, he belted 25 HRs and 31 doubles. His .286 average was serviceable, but I like his ability to take walks, as he had a .375 on-base percentage. Plus, he's nine years younger than Nevin and actually has the potential to improve with experience. That's something that can't be said about Nevin. Now that I've ranted enough, here's the revised everyday batting order that the Rangers should use (note: I don't have Michael Young in the two-hole because line-drive hitters get induced into far too many inning-killing double plays from this spot; rather than setting the table, Young should be in position to drive in runners): 1. Gary Matthews, Jr, CF 2. Ian Kinsler, 2B (2 K's in 21 ABs show that he can make the necessary contact to move runners) 3. Michael Young, SS (the best overall hitter in the three spot -- a novel idea) 4. Mark Teixeira, 1B (the best power hitter in the cleanup spot -- another novel idea) 5. Hank Blalock, 3B 6. Kevin Mench, RF 7. Brad Wilkerson, LF 8. Jason Botts, DH 9. Gerald Laird, C Roving Utility Man: Mark DeRosa