 |  |
| Johnson | Carpenter |
| 7-5, 4.68 | 5-2, 1.78 |
Who knows what unknown defensive proclivities lurk in the heart of men? La Russa knows. I haven't done the research, but I can't imagine there have been many other seasons in which players with the collective experience in the infield of DeRosa and Thurston have been configured in this way.
Speaking of which: Schumaker UZR update: the stat has got to admit he's getting better, and now not just because he can't get no worse. His UZR/150, which was -19.9 when last we checked, is now -15.8, bringing him within three runs of Dan Uggla in his quest to be second-worst. More impressively, his actual UZR is down from -8.2 to -7.6.
I've come to the conclusion that it would probably be for the best if I stopped watching UZR in-season—that it is, as even its creator cautioned, not fit to judge such small sample sizes. But I can't stop.