General Lineup Discussion: 2011

[brewtank34]

So it looks as if there's no designated thread to the 2011 line-up discussion and it was recommended that one be started. Please remember that in most cases there's other threads available to discuss the relevance of whether or not a certain player is going to be a Brewer, so post those comments in those threads. So, let's have it...

 

I for one am a huge fan of Rickie Weeks not being in the leadoff role. With Roenicke's aggressive philosophy, I think we can have some fun with our current line-up.

 

Option 1: Speed at the top with our power hitters well protected by each other.

Escobar, Cain, Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Hart, McGehee, Lucroy, Pitcher

 

Option 2: Having Weeks getting more AB's and being protected by Braun and Fielder. Bottom of the line-up not as potent.

Cain, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Hart, McGehee, Lucroy, Escobar, Pitcher

 

Option 3: I love this line-up, however the only problem with it is Fielder would be losing AB's. I absolutely love Weeks in the 3 hole though.

Escobar, Cain, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Hart, McGehee, Lucroy, Pitcher

 

Option 4: Probably my favorite option. Well balanced throughout.

Escobar, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Hart, McGehee, Cain, Lucroy, Pitcher

 

I'll be happy as long as Weeks is NOT the leadoff. We have too many "prototypical" leadoff hitters on our team to waste Weeks' natural talent to hit the ball. I can see Roenicke telling Sveum to teach Escobar and Cain how to slap hit the ball more to get on base. If they can be better situational hitters, this line-up is going to score A LOT of runs.

 

Let the discussion begin.

[sveumrules]

I for one love Rickie leading off. The leadoff hitter gets the most PAs over the course of the year so putting Escobar there just leaves too many empty bases for Braun, Fielder and the rest. Plus Weeks has the best on base skills (aside from Fielder) and is fast so he seems to make the most sense to me. If Cain can maintain an OBP around .350 or so (which I have my doubts about) I wouldn't mind putting him in the top spot and dropping Rickie to second.

 

The thing that concerns me the most about our lineup is that two hole. Most lineup tools seem to suggest it is most beneficial to have your best hitter second as the third spot comes up most often with bases empty and two outs. I'd probably write this down on opening day...

 

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Fielder

McGehee

Cain

Gallardo

Lucroy

Escobar

[greeg35]

Weeks

Fielder

Braun

Hart

Gamel

Cain

Lucroy

Pitcher

Escobar

[chadomac]

I understand the speed at the top thing, but you can't bat Escobar lead-off after the year he had. He needs to stay at the bottom of the order for now, I think. I realize Weeks would be great in the 2 or 3 spot, but I can't think of anyone else to lead off.

[yoyomayoma]

Weeks

Cain

Braun

Fielder

Hart

McGehee

Lucroy

Escobar

P

 

Loving Weeks and Cain's speed at the top. Can't see Escobar going up

there with his bat last season and in the AFL.

[logan82]

sveumrules wrote:

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Fielder

McGehee

Cain

Gallardo

Lucroy

Escobar

That is the lineup I would go with except insert the pitcher ahead of Escobar. That isn't going to happen though so I prefer to talk about what is likely. There is almost no way we see a lineup with Braun and Fielder anywhere except 3 and 4. That is just how MLB managers work. The most likely lineup will be

 

Weeks

Hart

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

and some combination of Lucroy, Cain and Escobar in the 6-8 spots. My guess is Lucroy 8 since he actually takes walks.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Cain

Weeks

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

Lucroy

Hart

Escobar

P

[Ennder]

As long as Escobar and Cain start the year in the bottom of the order I'm ok with whatever we do. If they can get their OBPs up in the .350 range then you can start talking about them hitting in the 1 or 2 spot. If one of them has to hit leadoff I'd pick Cain because he has a better approach at the plate. I don't know that Escobar will ever hit well enough to be in the top of the order, he really only has value there if he is hitting .300 or better consistently or he completely changes his approach at the plate.

[1992casey]

So it looks as if there's no designated thread to the 2011 line-up discussion and it was recommended that one be started.

 

I'll designate this one now. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[brewtank34]

Cain

Weeks

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

Lucroy

Hart

Escobar

P

I like this line-up but I'd switch Hart and Lucroy. Hart would end up with horrendous numbers if he were protected by Escobar.

Cain, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Hart, McGehee, Lucroy, Escobar, Pitcher.

 

Another interesting option would be to have McGehee in the two slot. With his approach, he has the ability to hit the ball in the opposite field and complete the hit and run.

 

Cain, McGehee, Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Hart, Lucroy, Escobar, Pitcher. This line-up would be better with Weeks at the top of the line-up to get more ABs

Weeks, McGehee, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Cain, Lucroy, Escobar, Pitcher. Very top heavy.

 

Weeks, Braun, Hart, Fielder, McGehee, Cain, Lucroy, Pitcher, Escobar. Now we're talkin'!! This one's my favorite so far.

 

 

Edit: I know I said I'd be happy with Weeks not in the Leadoff, but with that last line-up, he's protected better by Braun versus a guy like Cain, Escobar, or even Hart. With Braun protecting Weeks, Weeks should still see a bunch of fastballs.

[RockCoCougars]

I'm not sure, but hopefully there are not three automatic outs at the end of the lineup as seemed to be the case for most of last season (counting the pitcher). I'd probably do something like:

 

Weeks

Cain

Fielder

Braun

McGehee

Hart

LuCroy

Escobar

[Mass Haas]

This ties in with the Gamel thread, but the lineup is again all right-handed save for Prince.

 

I love Casey, but you sell high on McGehee for pitching (hello, Oakland? Yeah, Kouzmanoff was tendered) and take a chance with Mat for one year at third base and move Gamel next year to first base if need be.

[Funketown]

So,

 

Weeks

McGehee

Braun

Fielder

Hart

Lucroy

Gomez

Betancourt

Gallardo

 

Well, that top 5 looks very good. 6-8 might be the worst in the NL.

[Blindcheck]

1 Weeks

2 Gomez

3 Braun

4 Fielder

5 Hart

6 Mcgehee

7 Lucroy

8 Betancourt

9 Pitcher

 

I like Gomez at the top of the order...Get him or Weeks on Base and there threat to run, might give Braun more fastballs throughout the year..

[TooLiveBrew]

I refuse to believe that Betancourt is Melvin's plan at SS. Doug definitely knows bats; I refuse to believe that he won't find someone else to man SS. As of right now, I'll go with

 

Weeks

Hart

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

Dickerson

Lucroy

SS Not named Yuniesky

P

 

For lefties, Gomez in CF, flip-flopping spots with Lucroy. But yeah, that 6-8 could be brutal.

[logan82]

Blindcheck wrote:

I like Gomez at the top of the order...Get him or Weeks on Base and there threat to run, might give Braun more fastballs throughout the year..

See there is the problem. Gomez can't get on base.

[joepepsi]

Well, at least Betancourt can hit lefties all right: .283/.319/.436. Can Counsell hold up the big end of a platoon?

[brewtank34]

Well, the Greinke trade solidifies Weeks in the leadoff.
Weeks
Gamel (RF)
Braun
Fielder
Hart (CF)
McGehee
Renteria
Lucroy
Greinke

[tdeggie]

Well, the Greinke trade solidifies Weeks in the leadoff.

Weeks

Gamel (RF)

Braun

Fielder

Hart (CF)

McGehee

Renteria

Lucroy

Greinke

I cringe when I think about this outfield defensively. I think you need the Gomez/Dickerson platoon for just that reason.

[JohnBriggs12]

The $64,000 question is who bats 2nd?

 

There's really no ideal guy except on days Counsell plays. Maybe Dickerson, but I can't see him winning the CF job either.

 

By default, I'd stick Gomez there. He won't get walks but should get good pitches to hit between Weeks and Braun.

 

So my lineup would read:

 

Weeks

Gomez

Braun

Fielder

McGehee

Hart

Betancourt

Lucroy

Pitcher

[Schlitz001]

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Fielder

McGehee

Dickerson/Gomez

Betancourt/Counsell

Lucroy

Pitcher

 

I'd love to stick Gamel in the lineup somewhere, but I don't know how to do it without making the defense a lot worse. I'd still like to see Melvin upgrade either SS or CF before March.

[logan82]

The $64,000 question is who bats 2nd?

 

There's really no ideal guy except on days Counsell plays. Maybe Dickerson, but I can't see him winning the CF job either.

 

By default, I'd stick Gomez there. He won't get walks but should get good pitches to hit between Weeks and Braun.

Nobody is going to throw Gomez good pitches no matter where he hits because he will swing at bad pitches. Then again, he really hit a lot better last year in the 2 hole.

[clancyphile]

Well, the Greinke trade solidifies Weeks in the leadoff.

Weeks

Gamel (RF)

Braun

Fielder

Hart (CF)

McGehee

Renteria

Lucroy

Greinke

I cringe when I think about this outfield defensively. I think you need the Gomez/Dickerson platoon for just that reason.

I like the offense in that lineup. It works for me. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[greeg35]

Weeks

Fielder

Braun

Hart

McGehee

Lucroy

Betancourt

Pitcher

Gomez/Dickerson

Those last four really stink.

[tratfan]

weeks
braun
fielder
hart
mcgehee
lucroy
betancourt
Pitcher
gomez

I like this lineup because it would give braun and fielder xtra at bats throughout the year. Plus a few of our pitchers might actually be better batters than gomez, maybe even betancourt. When the pitcher makes the last out, then braun and fielder will be 3-4 the next inning. Gomez just needs to stop swinging for the fences and just get on base. the dumbest thing sveum has done in his career is tell gomez its ok for him to give it a good hack up there. Im also in favor of getting gamel in the lineup in right and moving hart to center.