2010 batting order

[logan82]

"Still his on-base is not where I'd like it to be," Macha said of

Gomez's .295 OBP this season. "And we saw yesterday what he can do when

he is on base."

Macha's reasoning was simple: Gomez doesn't get on base enough and

moving Hart up gives the Brewers their best bats stacked in the top five

spots. And that's how it likely will stay for the near future when

Gomez is in the lineup

Thank goodness. Finally some sanity in the lineup construction.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, alright. Not sure Hart would be my first choice to hit second, but he's definitely much better than the 'last choices' that Macha has been using in Gomez & Escobar. I'd prefer to see the 6-7-8 be Lucroy/Kottaras--Gomez--Esco, though. Actually I'd rather see Kottaras in the 2-hole on days he's playing instead of Hart, but for now I'll just be happy there's some positive change.

[logan82]

As long as Gomez and Escobar are at the bottom I really don't have a huge problem. They are both at least a step below the rest of our players hitters. A Hart Edmonds platoon would be better in the #2 hole but I don't see Hart getting platooned anytime soon. Kottaras #2 against RHP might be a good idea.

[rluzinski]

What bugs me about the Gomez situation is how predictable it was. Gomez has never had a good OBP in the majors and projected to have a poor one again this year. Despite all that, the Brewers bat him 2nd and hopes he has a good OBP. Play the percentages already.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, you know, the 2nd guy in the lineup needs to bunt...

[logan82]

So are you saying the manager should manage according to what is probable instead of what is possible?

[mletto157]

That's just crazy talk.

[Baldkin]

Well, you know, the 2nd guy in the lineup needs to bunt...

Yes, maybe I can understand that logic (and I know you're being sarcastic) but Gomez has proven in his 4,000 bunt attempts this year that he has no idea how to actually lay down a bunt. He simply needs to stop trying.

[joepepsi]

It's amazing how much better the team has performed lately when the best 5 hitters hold the top 5 spots in the lineup.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, you know, the 2nd guy in the lineup needs to bunt...

Yes, maybe I can understand that logic (and I know you're being sarcastic) but Gomez has proven in his 4,000 bunt attempts this year that he has no idea how to actually lay down a bunt. He simply needs to stop trying.

That's the mind-boggling thing about the "logic" Macha was employing.

[FVBrewerFan]

A new line-up I'm starting to warm up to:

 

Escobar

Lucroy

Braun

Fielder

Hart

McGehee

Weeks

Gomez

 

I believe Escobar will get more fastball strikes in the lead-off spot, and can equal Weeks OBP. It may be a bit too soon to put Lucroy in the #2 spot, but he's looking more and more like another high OBP guy. Weeks is better in the 6th/7th spot where he can drive in runs and strike out.

[logan82]

Escobar at the top of the order rears it's ugly head again. He must have had a decent few games.

[greeg35]

There is no way he out OBP's Weeks...maybe ever.

[logan82]

Just to put a little perspective on the Weeks vs Escobar thing. During the month of May, Weeks worst month so far and Escobar's best, Weeks still out hit Escobar. .252/.315/.420/.735 vs .250/.317/.359/.676 The only idea worse than Escobar leading off would be to bat Gomez #2. Although Gomez actually laid down a good bunt that one time.

[rluzinski]

We are going to hand 100 of Weeks' PAs (over a season) to Escobar, so that he can get an extra fastball every couple of ABs?

[TooLiveBrew]

The clear answer is to bat Escobar 2nd. It activates a hidden microchip that turns him into a useful hitter.

[derflotr]

I don't really think the lineup right now is all that bad, but I'm beginning to warm to the idea of Lucroy in the 2 hole.

Weeks

Lucroy

Hart

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

Escobar

Pitcher

Gomez

[mletto157]

No thanks to Hart before Braun or Fielder. The best thing about having Gomez #9 is it'll act as another lead-off hitter (if he gets on) for our best hitters. Then you put Hart at #3? I'd be up for maybe even Braun/Fielder at #2/3 with Hart/McGehee after them just to get the a few more AB in the season.

 

Actually what I'd really prefer is having Braun at #2, Weeks at #3, Fielder at #4... but we have no one to take Weeks spot atop the lineup who will get on base at a decent clip.

[Thundercat32]

Just purely from an On Base Percentage standpoint

Weeks

Fielder

Hart

Braun

McGehee

would make some sense. Fielder's OBP is the highest, but you don't want him leading off. He leads the majors in Walks so why not let him get on base for the other big bats in the lineup? Hart is less of a singles hitter than Ryan so you like that with Prince's speed (or lack thereof).

The rest of the lineup is pretty subpar so I'm not sure it matters a great deal what order they are in, but I might go something like

Edmonds/Lucroy

Lucroy/Escobar

Pitcher

Gomez/Escobar

*depending on who your CF'er is for the evening/afternoon. I'm guessing if Joe Inglett ever plays its at 2B to spell Rickie, but if he's in at OF he probably deserves the 2 hole and then you just push everyone down a spot.

[rluzinski]

Gomez batting 6th makes me sad.

[logan82]

Just purely from an On Base Percentage standpoint

Weeks

Fielder

Hart

Braun

McGehee

would make some sense. Fielder's OBP is the highest, but you don't want him leading off. He leads the majors in Walks so why not let him get on base for the other big bats in the lineup? Hart is less of a singles hitter than Ryan so you like that with Prince's speed (or lack thereof).

The rest of the lineup is pretty subpar so I'm not sure it matters a great deal what order they are in, but I might go something like

Edmonds/Lucroy

Lucroy/Escobar

Pitcher

Gomez/Escobar

*depending on who your CF'er is for the evening/afternoon. I'm guessing if Joe Inglett ever plays its at 2B to spell Rickie, but if he's in at OF he probably deserves the 2 hole and then you just push everyone down a spot.

Honestly I think our lineup is about as optimized as we can reasonably expect. No manager will hit Fielder 2nd or our 5th best hitter 3rd. Our top 5 hitters are in the top 5 spots and nobody is hitting more than 2 spots away from where they should be. Except for maybe Gomez that is. Gomez should probably be 9th.

 

Gomez batting 6th makes me sad.

I think Gomez hitting makes most Brewers fans sad, or I should say trying to hit.

[GB12]

Not sure where to put this, but if Fielder and/or Hart are traded do we move Rickie down in the batting order? I'd hate to move him out of the leadoff spot with the success he's had this year, but he'd be one of our best hitters.

[rcon14]

Not sure where to put this, but if Fielder and/or Hart are traded do we move Rickie down in the batting order? I'd hate to move him out of the leadoff spot with the success he's had this year, but he'd be one of our best hitters.

 

It's a possibility, especially since they'd be waving the white flag. Weeks to the 3-hole, Braun 4th. Probably promote Lorenzo Cain and have he and Escobar 1-2 in the order.

 

Escobar is hitting really well in the 2-hole btw.

[reillymcshane]

Weeks isn't leading off today. Here's the lineup:

 

RF Alcides Escobar

SS Craig Counsell

2B Rickie Weeks

1B Prince Fielder

3B Casey McGehee

CF Lorenzo Cain

LF Joe Inglett

C Jonathan Lucroy

LHP Chris Narveson

 

While the line up is makeshift due to injuries, it might be a vision of things to come, with Ricke Dropping in the line up.

[sveumrules]

I really hope they leave Rickie in the leadoff spot, even if Fielder is traded in the offseason. He's consistently our best OBP guy and there is also no harm in letting one of your best hitters get the most PAs over the course of the season. Maybe something like this for 2011...

 

2B Weeks

CF Cain

LF Braun

RF Hart

1B Gamel

3B McGehee

C Lucroy

SS Escobar