Joe Crede: Better than a poke in the eye.(tm)

Maybe it’s just an elbow in the ribs. Or maybe it’s a kiss on the cheek. I dunno.

I don’t know what to think about Joe Crede, so I thought I would take a post to examine my feelings. In fact, I’m gonna do it bullet-point style, yust to calm me.

Things I know:

• Crede was good on defense (I say was, because we won’t know until tomorrow how he really is). Very good on defense.
• Crede can hit for power.
• Crede doesn’t hit for average. This is not to say he can’t… just that he doesn’t.
• Crede has a bad back.
• Bad backs and FieldTurf go together like, well, a log and a chipper-shredder.
• Crede killed the Twins last two years.
• Crede DIDN”T kill the Twins every year.
• Adding Crede adds power to (most likely) the seven spot in the batting order.
• Crede has a bad reputation for his clubhouse behavior and failure to play nicely with others.
• Crede hit well for power in the Cell, a very hitter-friendly ballpark.
• The Dome is not a hitter-friendly ballpark (especially for righties).
• Crede’s career numbers are not that much better than the platoon of Buscher and Harris.
• Buscher and Harris have fewer than four years at the big-league level put together.
• Buscher and Harris are really impressing in Spring Training so far.
• We got a really good deal on Crede, but it could be expensive if it comes to opportunity costs on Danny Valencia, Brian Buscher, or Brendan Harris.
• We have a better deal on Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher.
• Many (maybe most) bloggers will be criticizing for being exactly the player we know he is by midseason.

Thins I don’t know:

• Whether Crede’s back can stand up to the FieldTurf.
• Whether Crede will hit for the same power he did in the Cell now that he is in the Dome.
• How often Gardy will sit Crede at home to protect his back.
• If Crede will be as good on the field as he was prior to surgery.
• If Crede is fully recovered from his surgery.
• If Buscher is going to be as strong at the plate as he seems to be now.
• When I will know the answers to the things I don’t know.

Whew; that’s better. There are, of course, many more specific things I don’t know, but I decided to keep it general.

We get our first look at Joe Crede today. I’m excited to see what he does (or doesn’t do). What does Joe Crede have to do today to make me happy? Get a hit. He’s not playing defense, so he can’t really do much to please me there.

…I’m waiting.