This from the East Valley Tribune via Yahoo sports.

Melvin could rest Byrnes, Hudson more in 2008

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Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson have had a slightly lighter workload than other Arizona Diamondbacks‘ regulars this spring - a concession to Byrnes’ career high playing time last season and to Hudson’s season-ending September wrist surgery.

Manager Bob Melvin said he would like to give both a few more off days this season, although it is not hard to guess how that is going over.

“Not interested,” Byrnes said. “I understand” the idea of occasional rest, “and we definitely have capable backups. That’s not the issue. I show up at the park every day wanting to play. It entertains my day. It’s not nearly as entertaining watching.”

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BoMel, going easy on Hudson in spring training makes sense given the injury. You want to make sure he’s fully rehabbed for Opening Day. But that doesn’t translate into playing the durable Byrnesie less in 2008. He needs 630 AB, not 580. Look at the way he has hit this spring. On your “every other day” schedule, he was batting .214. Once he started playing everyday, his bat warmed up. He’s hitting .344 and the extra base hits have started to come in. I can tell you, having followed Eric since his Oakland days, he needs to play every day to establish and maintain his rhythm. Don’t wreck that.

You might be thinking that the decline in his performance in August and September is due to fatigue. Except for mechanical problems that might creep in during the year, and which can be corrected if they are noticed and brought to his attention, Byrnesie’s late season problems are in his mind, not his body. But it is not mental fatigue. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have been able to have the hot first 11 days of September that he had after batting .225 in August last year. He goes through a crisis of confidence in the last two months. And he’s had that problem throughout his career, even when he’s played far less than he did last year. Consider abysmal, aberrant 2005. He was batting .266 when Oakland traded him at the All-Star break. And he ended up hitting .226. He played only 126 games, not all of which were starts.

Giving Eric Byrnes (and Orlando Hudson) a rest in the last couple of innings of a blowout, as you did last year, is OK. But Eric’s worked hard to become an everyday player. Don’t take it from him. Challenge him to get 200 hits and 100+ RBI. Then give him the AB’s in which to do it.

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