Purely a tactical player, his value lies in two things — his speed and his ability to put the ball in play. Doesn’t walk, has no power (.087 isolated slugging percentage, and that boosted by speed doubles). Made lots of plays on defense (just as his predecessor Nick Green did) but also made lots of mistakes. Since he doesn’t have much of an arm, you can’t really use him at short or third, and with short benches it’s hard to carry a backup who’s mostly a second baseman. But if he can hit .300 — or more realistically, range between .280 and .310 — and runs like he did, he has value. He has no chance of being a quality regular, but you can never tell when a manager will get a wild hair and decide to play a guy with a .700 OPS because he can run. He’s as good of a player as Tony Womack. I feel much better about him now that I know his full name is “Peterson T. Orr”. With a name like that, law school awaits when this baseball thing is over.
He’s not only fast, he’s one of the best baserunners in the National League. Baserunning statistics are starting to make some inroads, and the ones I see all agree that he left Furcal and Giles — both excellent baserunners — in the dust last year. 7-8 as a basestealer, didn’t get thrown out, grounded into just two double plays in 150 AB, a great percentage. I would guess that like Green, he has more value in trade than in the real world.
He played a few games at third last year and I remember last season the big deal about him was he could play the outfield too.
I think he’s also our emergency catcher, although that probably has more to do with willingness than actuall skill or experience. I like him a lot.
Diaz should take both those jobs… He played a little third, but mostly when Betemit was at short and Chipper and Furcal were both hurt.
Orr is a solid bench guy, but it would be pretty sweet if we could get another Jorge Sosa for him. 🙂
I have this dream that I win a contest and get to play an inning in left field and get one at bat. In my at bat I get a walk and then somehow Pete Orr, Brian Pena, or Mike Piaza is in at catcher. I take off for second and get in safley. MY baseball referecne page would look like this.
BA H SB CS SB% BA OBP
0 0 1 0 1.00 .000 1.000
I would be the all time leader for stolen base % and OBP!
Here are some stats for another Billy Smith
http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/smithbi05.shtml
Plays hard and is enthusiastic. Need more people like him in the game.
Mac, do you think Pete Orr could be a good pinch runner/base stealer type, like Dave Roberts was for the BoSox, in addition to being a nice defensive backup and occasional pinch hitter?
Like, can he actually steal bases as well as someone like Womack? Or even as well as Giles and Furcal? If so, could we see him getting 15-20 SBs in limited play?
#4, Pete Orr – just like #4, Bobby Orr.
Just like Orr, from Ontario, Canada.
The NYC TV/radio announcers fall all over themselves about that, especially Mets announcer Howie Rose, current Islander/former Rangers mic man.
They announce Pete & then offer 2 minutes of Bobby Orr stories, which are as mythic as those about Gale Sayers.
i think Pete Orr might have set the single season record for failed sacrifice bunts last year – no one pops up a bunt like Pete
Peterson Thomas Gordon Orr
I saw pete play against the Cards in St. Louis this past summer and I sat right next to the Braves dugout. Pete Orr was standing up in the front of the dugout rooting and screaming intensly the entire game. I’ve never seen a player so into the moment even when the game was at a slow point. I instantly became a huge fan of pete’s. He was saying the things and jumping around the way I only wish I could.
I like Pete as a PR/PH off of the bench. He is a MAJOR defensive liability anywhere but 2B. He needed to wear his catchers gear in the games I saw him in LF to keep from getting seriously injured. I like the fact that the Braves have kept Betemit as sort of the super sub and would like for him to get some time at 2B during ST.
I feel this was a little bit of a harsh summary for Pete. I think he’s one of the most valuable guys we have on our bench due to his versatility and speed. He’d be a great #2 or #9 hitter in any lineup, and would hold his own as a starter at second. In fact, I honestly might take him in the leadoff spot over Marcus. Yes, call me crazy.
You’re crazy.
Orr’s OBP last season was .331. His SLG was .387, and that’s because of his legs. He’s a useful reserve for tactical reasons, like I said, but he’d be a very poor regular. He wouldn’t be the worst second baseman in the league — I mean, he’s not Kaz Matsui — but he wouldn’t be any good either.
I’m in total agreement with mac. Orr is a really good tactical player.
I view the bench like one of the more expensive Swiss Army (do I need that trademark sign?) knives. It’s nice to have a little of everything on the bench and you get a two-fer or three-fer with Orr (LH, good baserunning, multiple positions).
I sure hope he logs more OF innings in ST. The time I saw him out there last season, he looked a little shaky. Shaky, as in taking his position about two steps in front of the warning track.