We can be happy with 6-5 for now, but a few guys in this lineup are struggling...

[Brian002100]

I know it's only 11 games into the season, but this roll (after starting 0-3) will not continue with these guys in the lineup...

 

Gomez - OPS of .537 for a #2 hitter is horrendous. That could be an all-time low for a #2 hitter.

McGehee - OPS of .578 for a #5 hitter is a joke. Also could be an all-time low for that position.

 

The point I am trying to make is that w/o great starts by the big three (Weeks, Braun, Fielder) and some pretty decent pitching, we could have had an awful start.

 

The question is...do the stats revert to the mean or does the W-L record drop due to these incredibly weak links in the lineup.

[brewtank34]

McGehee has no protection. Once Hart comes back, McGehee's stats will skyrocket. Gomez is Gomez...not sure why he's still starting. It's Plush Time in Miltown.

[jjfanec]

We will really only have two guys hitting well right now. Weeks is doing pretty good. Hart will help a lot. Lucroy should help as well. Morgan in for Gomez will too. Those guys along with ineptitude of the guys they are replacing (Kotsay, Nieves much more than Kotteras who is solid, and Gomez) will be a nice boost. Now if we could just have a SS on the DL that lineup could be really solid. 6-5 with no Greinke, Hart, or Lucroy while playing Cincy, Atlanta, Chicago and one Pitt game is pretty good.

[BrewCrewForever]

Yeah I think once Hart is back and Morgan becomes the regular CF at some point, things will look much better for the lineup.

[MVP2110]

I agree. 6-5 at this point with a pretty rough schedule and some major injuries is a good thing. not a bad thing.

[paul253]

Gomez should be hitting 8th. Now that Lucroy is back he should be hitting #2 IMO.

[TexasAggieBrewer]

Man, that late Morgan trade by Melvin just might of saved our season..

[Brian002100]

Please tell me that is a joke about Lucroy hitting #2. A catcher does not hit #2 - too much else on his mind. The problem is that the lineup is not structured properly for the way the team plays...if you are going to have a lot of big hitters in the lineup you need a guy who draws walks in the #2 spot. I actually wouldn't mind Hart in the #2 spot...we go with...

 

Weeks

Hart

Braun

Fielder

Lucroy

Betancourt - or find a new SS, as everyone knew, he would not contribute

Morgan/Gomez

McGehee

Pitcher

[bork]

I think it's a testament to how crazy good the pitching could be this year. An ERA of just over 3, and 3 shutouts in 11 games, without Greinke. Once Greinke comes back, this team won't need to score a ton of runs. It's strange to watch a Brewers team with such good pitching so far.

[Funketown]

McGehee has no protection.

Oh no, not this again!

 

McGehee will be fine most likely. The rest of the guys who are sucking were expected to suck. I'm not overly worried about things so far; once Hart gets back Kotsay will find himself on the bench, where he can't hurt the club anymore.

[And That]

Going into the game tonight, the Brewers had the 4th best OPS in the National League, about 40 points above average and almost exactly where they finished last season. I don't know if they'll be able to stay at a 765 OPS all year, but I don't see any way they have a below-average offense this year short of a few catastrophic injuries.

 

If anyone wants to give me odds on the Brewers finishing the year with an NL average OPS, I'll gladly take the over.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Please tell me that is a joke about Lucroy hitting #2. A catcher does not hit #2 - too much else on his mind.

Well I can't argue with sound logic this this.

[Brian002100]

Going into the game tonight, the Brewers had the 4th best OPS in the National League, about 40 points above average and almost exactly where they finished last season. I don't know if they'll be able to stay at a 765 OPS all year, but I don't see any way they have a below-average offense this year short of a few catastrophic injuries.

 

If anyone wants to give me odds on the Brewers finishing the year with an NL average OPS, I'll gladly take the over.

The problem is that it had been only Weeks, Braun, and Fielder who have contributed. A lineup with three above average players does not work...you need at least a few role players with average OPS. I love the Brewers and I am not trying to be negative, but this team will not hold up with the current lineup if he run into pitching problems.

[davemakovec]

I like to put it this way: with more contribution from three

big players (Hart, McGehee, Greinke) and some better pitching, we could have

had a terrific start.

 

There are All-Star caliber players who haven't done anything yet. Hart and Greinke haven't seen the field, Lucroy has one game under his belt (and there was one game that Nieves could have won if he'd been able to ground out either of two separate instances in which he did not), and Randy Wolf soiled himself on the mound twice (figuratively, of course), costing games in the process. McGehee also has done nothing outside of crushing the dreams of poor, sad Kerry Wood for a day.

 

As for Gomez, well, he's junk at the plate. It can only be so long until he's moved out of the 2 slot for good.

[PKBadger]

Please tell me that is a joke about Lucroy hitting #2. A catcher does not hit #2 - too much else on his mind.

Well I can't argue with sound logic this this.

Especially when the proposed solution is to bat McGehee, a guy who drove in 100 runs last year, in the 8th spot.

[And That]

The problem is that it had been only Weeks, Braun, and Fielder who have contributed. A lineup with three above average players does not work...you need at least a few role players with average OPS.

Morgan has also contributed in a big way. The Brewers' RFers are collectively well above the MLB average in OPS. The CFers are slightly below the MLB OPS average, but by my eye, play superior defense to most teams' CFers. The catchers are below average in OPS, but above average in OBP, and that's without Lucroy.

 

LF, 1B and 2B are all obviously significantly above average. Pitchers have a chance to be, too.

 

Third base and shortstop are lagging quite a bit, and although I expect that to continue at SS as long as Betancourt receives the lion's share of the playing time, McGehee will probably pick it up and probably end up somewhere around average.

 

In other words, the Brewers offense is just fine. Dominant at LF, 1B and 2B, average-ish at RF, CF, 3B, C & P, and suckitude at SS. All teams have holes. The Brewers really don't have too many.

[RobertR]

Is it time to call out the small sample size police? You take any 11 game stretch and there will be guys hitting and guys not hitting.

 

McGehee will be fine. And Gomez shouldn't be hitting #2 in the first place. It was always obvious that the Brewers lineup had some blackholes in it, so no real reason to be surprised. Nor is there reason to be surprised that the Brewers are dependent on two MVP caliber hitters having to hit like MVP caliber hitters.

 

Robert

[logan82]

brewtank34[/b]]McGehee has no protection. Once Hart comes back, McGehee's stats will skyrocket. Gomez is Gomez...not sure why he's still starting. It's Plush Time in Miltown.

McGehee won't improve because Hart returns. He will improve because he is a better hitter than his current .578 OPS.

 

To the OP, look around the league. Not many lineups have 3 players as good as Weeks, Braun and Fielder. Things will also get better once Kotsay and Gomez start receiving less playing time. Not that our offense is bad right now.

[Gobias Industries]

Please tell me that is a joke about Lucroy hitting #2. A catcher does not hit #2 - too much else on his mind.

 

Weeks

Hart

Braun

Fielder

Lucroy

Betancourt - or find a new SS, as everyone knew, he would not contribute

Morgan/Gomez

McGehee

Pitcher

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp309/npascare2/datalaughing.gif

 

I agree with you that the lineup's so far have been less than ideal, but yours is very bizarre. Once Hart is healthy, our lineup basically writes itself. Whether or not Roenicke will get it right is def up for debate.

[zzzmanwitz]

John Jaso lead off for the Rays for many games last year and didn't seem to have much of a problem with that. After the first inning, batting order really means nothing.

Also, every lineup has weak spots and we as fans need to accept that. As long as Gomez can contribute in the field, he is as asset to the team. We need our stars to carry us offensively and anything we get from our "weak spots" is bonus.

[And That]

It was always obvious that the Brewers lineup had some blackholes in it, so no real reason to be surprised.

I really think the only true black hole in the lineup is Betancourt. I'm not sold that Lucroy is going to have a great year, but by catcher's standards he should be decent. Gomez isn't good offensively, but it seems both his defense and his potential platoon with Morgan should mitigate his black hole-esque qualities as well.

 

The lineup could sure use some optimization, but beyond Betancourt, I'm not worried about production.

[1992casey]

Per the Major League Forum FAQ, please keep posts containing full lineups in the current designated lineup thread.

 

Thanks! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Brian002100]

Please tell me that is a joke about Lucroy hitting #2. A catcher does not hit #2 - too much else on his mind.

Well I can't argue with sound logic this this.

Especially when the proposed solution is to bat McGehee, a guy who drove in 100 runs last year, in the 8th spot.

Anyone who quotes RBIs is a joke in my book. RBIs is the most worthless stat in baseball. Have guys on ahead of you and you are bound to get RBIs.

[COBrewerfan]

This is the perfect example of small sample size being brought out. When you have good pitching you only need a few guys to be hitting and the other guys at least doing the little things correct. Like Gomez did tonight with just a simple sac fly. The key to the season is pitching and different guys will get hot at different times. I agree that Morgan will probably play more than Gomez at some point once Hart comes back but he serves a purpose on this team. This team has all the components and I cannot wait until Hart and Greinke get back somewhere in the next couple weeks.

[Brian002100]

This is the perfect example of small sample size being brought out. When you have good pitching you only need a few guys to be hitting and the other guys at least doing the little things correct. Like Gomez did tonight with just a simple sac fly. The key to the season is pitching and different guys will get hot at different times. I agree that Morgan will probably play more than Gomez at some point once Hart comes back but he serves a purpose on this team. This team has all the components and I cannot wait until Hart and Greinke get back somewhere in the next couple weeks.

This is a true "homer" post. Look at the stats man...if this pitching holds up...World Champs for the Crew!, but I am trying to be realistic. How does Gomez serve a purpose...as a 9th inning defensive replacement?