Use Murphy like Mitchell

There is so much speculation about how to use Dan Murphy. Some say to leave him in left, bring in a right handed batter to platoon ( Tatis, Rivera) with him and not because he needs it but so the line-up isn't so lefty dominant. Others say he has to be better then Luis Castillo at 2B, let him get his feet wet this winter and take over the position come spring. Finally there are those who want to see Delgado's option picked up and then traded with Murphy taking over at 1B.

But the Mets already have a very successful blue print for how to use a player with an extraordinary bat but no true position, all they need to do is look back to the 1986 World Championship Team. Most remember Kevin Mitchell as the 3B slugger who became an over weight disgruntled outfielder in his later years. But when Mitchell came up with the Mets he was considered as bright a star as Darryl Strawberry, in fact I remember arguing over who would be the better power hitter....

Back then Mitchell was an athletic young hitter who really didn't fit at any one specific position but his bat was just too good to be left out of the line-up. Davey Johnson decided to use Mitchell as a super utility player, where he played almost every position on the field and unlike most bench players he was in the line-up regularly. In 1986 his rookie year ( 1984 - 7games) Mitchell played in 106 games, batted .277 with a .466 Slg. pct., 12 HRs and 46 RBIs. He was third in the rookie of the year voting....

Here's the break down of the games he played per position that year......

40 gms. - LF

29 gms.- RF

6 gms. - CF

24 gms. - SS

7 gms. - 3B

2 gms. - 1B

The two memories most fans have of game six of that years World Series, is Mookie's ball getting past Buckner and Ray Knight rounding third with his hands flailing in the air. What most forget is how big a part Mitchell had in that rally. A rookie who's been on the bench all night comes to the plate as a pinch hitter, in the 10th inning, trailing by two as a visitor to Fenway Park with two outs facing elimination in the World Series. Mitchell proceeds to single in a run and then come around to score the tying run on Mookie's famous dribbler.

Mitchell ended up a two time All-Star, NL MVP, silver slugger with a lifetime BA of .284, Slg .520, 234HRs and 760 RBIs. I still believe that if it had not been for his personal demons he could have been a hall of famer.....

Murphy has that same type of mature beyond his years approach at the plate, to handle rotating positions and coming in as a pinch hitter in clutch situations. Instead of trying to cement him into one position maybe Jerry should take a page from Davey's old play book....