Player Profiles: 1st Base - Mark Sweeney

Mark Sweeney played two games at 1st base this year, and an inning in left field once. I think that makes him a 1st baseman...

Player: Mark Sweeney

2008 Stats: .130, 12-92, 5 RBIs

2008 Analysis: Mark Sweeney had 12 hits this year. That's it. For comparison, in the seven games from August 6th to August 12th, Matt Kemp had 13 hits. Matt Kemp matched Mark Sweeney's entire 2008 offensive output in one week, and he did it in 60 less at-bats. Better yet, Manny Ramírez collected 14 hits in five games from August 26th to August 30th. He did that in 70 less at-bats than Sweeney.

How bad was Mark Sweeney? Had not one, not two, but three instances during the season when he went over 20 days without a base hit (and I'm not counting his time on the DL). And all these people who said he supposed improved by the end of the season? From August 26th till the end of the season, he collected one base hit. Just one.

2009 Outlook: Mark Sweeney filed for free agency at the beginning of the offseason. I can't imagine he'll find a manager on any other team that would treat him as well as Joe Torre did. Mark Sweeney should have been cut before June started, and Torre kept him around for the entire season, even sacrificing better, younger players to keep a spot on the bench for good old Sweeney.

My hopes for 2009? I hope I don't see Mark Sweeney anywhere near a Dodger uniform unless it's as Coach Sweeney. Ok, let me rephrase. I don't ever want to see Mark Sweeney reaching for a bat in the Dodger dugout again. Ever.