SARASOTA, FLA. — Manager Buck Showalter has been hinting at the possibility of batting Nolan Reimold in the leadoff spot if Brian Roberts isn't ready to start the season on time, so it was no surprise when Reimold's name showed up at the top of the lineup card for Monday night's exhibition home opener at Ed Smith Stadium.
"I just saw my name at the top of the lineup there, so I'll be ready to go first at-bat,'' Reimold said.
Reimold doesn't look the part. He's a big rangy guy with good power, qualities that usually lend themselves to a place in the middle of the lineup. But he also is one of the fastest players on the team and has impressed Showalter with his plate discipline.
So, in a perfect world, would he choose to be the leadoff hitter?
"In a perfect world, I'd be in the lineup,'' he said, "so, wherever I'm at is good with me. I'll be ready to go."