I always thought that James got that platoon thing dead wrong, even when I read it3 decades ago. Some guys jus't don'thit lefties or righties very well. I should say, they don't hit the guy who throws from their side of the plate very well. Why should that not be the case?
Some guys hit curveballs or fastball significantly worse than the league average. Should that be wrong, too?
Heck, Aoki hits LHP better than he hits RHP: Is that an illusion?
If there is a league average split differential, and if there is a bell curve, then some guys will be the outliers........at the far left bottom of the curve. Adam Lind lives there vs LHP. He's had 1000 PA's to establish some vL credentials. He has failed to do so. Last year, after a fairly long career (and a chance to learne to hit LFP), his career .586 vL OPS morphed into a .575.
He either doesn't hit lefties worth a hoot.....or he's a glacially slow learner.
Might Edgar be the Teacher of the Century? 'Tis possible.
I'm keeping my money off the table on that one. We're platooning. Lee or Romero.
Will know soon.