What's your preferred 2012 lineup? (of players who will actually be on our team)

[Baldkin]

Why? So a worse hitter can lead off?

 

Casey McGehee OPS'd about .600 last year in the 5-spot and the team functioned just fine.

[TooLiveBrew]

First lineup card of the year (sort of), and I'm guessing the left side is the current RHP starters.

 

http://mlb.socialhub.awarenessnetworks.com/main/content/?id=8655300367381813218&partnerId=aw-8655300367381813218-1052

 

(also, nice touch with Aoki).

Wow, I've heard all about the impeccable perfection that is a Jerry Narron lineup card, but now I get it.

 

And totally agree on writing out Aoki's name properly, that's just delicious icing on a lineup cake made of awesome.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yep, that will be the opening day lineup barring injuries. The only thing that wasn't set was Weeks and Hart, but when Weeks said he didn't like hitting 5th that pretty much locked up the lineup.

 

No one on this team likes batting 5th. I like the lineup although I would flip Lucroy and Gonzalez and I might put someone else in the two hole. Morgan batting second will mean a ton of bunts

 

With Hart out of the lineup Weeks may have to bat 5th whether he likes it or not.

 

Roenicke said the only way Weeks hits 5th is if Hart is out for an extended period of time. Longer than he is expected to be out for.

[3and2Fastball]

Vs Right-Handed Pitching:

 

1. Hart RF

2. Morgan CF

3. MVP! LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Weeks 2B

6. Gamel 1B

7. Lucroy C

8. Gonzalez SS

 

Vs Left-Handed Pitching

 

1. Hart RF

2. Lucroy C

3. MVP! LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Weeks 2B

6. Gamel 1B

7. Gomez CF

8. Gonzalez SS

 

If Hart is injured/can't start season, I replace Hart with Caleb Gindl and start him vs RHP, then my lineup would look like this:

 

1. Morgan CF

2. Lucroy C

3. MVP! LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Weeks 2B

6. Gamel 1B

7. Gindl RF

8. Gonzalez SS

[3and2Fastball]

I like the idea of Gamel in the #2 spot to see fastballs ahead of Braun. I don't know if Roenicke would consider this but it would be interesting to see a lineup of:

 

1. Morgan CF

2. Gamel 1B

3. Braun LF

4. Weeks 2B

5. Ramirez 3B

6. Hart RF

7. Lucroy C

8. Gonzalez SS

 

That really lengthens the lineup to me. I know we bat the 2 lefties back to back but man that lineup looks good.

 

I must say that I like that lineup a lot too

[RobDeer 45]

I'm starting to like the idea of Gamel hitting 5th. I think Gamel is going to hit well this year and having him 5th would be awesome. Might have to only be against RHP but could be a really nice bat to follow Ramirez.

[JohnBriggs12]

Against RHP, I'd have Gamel in the 5th spot and Hart 6th. It gives the opposing pitcher a different look and seperates the RH bats.

[logan82]

I would like the idea of Gamel #2 much much better. His gap/HR power with Weeks OBP and speed would be awesome at the top of the lineup. Morgan is wasted at the top.

[Warning Track Power]

Just throwing it out there:

 

1. Weeks 2B

2. Gamel 1B

3. Braun LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Hart RF

6. Lucroy C

7. Gonzalez SS

8. Morgan CF

 

I like the idea of Nyjer batting 8th. I think he has the skill and talent to hit 8th and take his walks. Additionally, by hitting 8th he may be able to take advantage of his speed and steal some bases, something Roenicke limited him on in 2011 by batting him in front of Braun and Fielder.

[Baldkin]

Just throwing it out there:

 

1. Weeks 2B

2. Gamel 1B

3. Braun LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Hart RF

6. Lucroy C

7. Gonzalez SS

8. Morgan CF

 

I like the idea of Nyjer batting 8th. I think he has the skill and talent to hit 8th and take his walks. Additionally, by hitting 8th he may be able to take advantage of his speed and steal some bases, something Roenicke limited him on in 2011 by batting him in front of Braun and Fielder.

 

Well, if he gets on in the 8 spot, he won't be stealing with the pitcher up. He'll either be bunted over, or staying put to keep the pitcher from leading off.

[Warning Track Power]

Good point.

 

In my opinion though he would be more likely to steal in the 8 hole than in the 2 hole with Braun, Ramirez and Hart coming up. Having Morgan at the 8 hole would also give Rickie some more opportunities to drive in runs from the leadoff spot. Additionally, its not like we have a pitching staff full of Sheets-ian hitters so he might be given the green light a little more than we think. Just a thought.

[logan82]

Just throwing it out there:

 

1. Weeks 2B

2. Gamel 1B

3. Braun LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Hart RF

6. Lucroy C

7. Gonzalez SS

8. Morgan CF

 

I like the idea of Nyjer batting 8th. I think he has the skill and talent to hit 8th and take his walks. Additionally, by hitting 8th he may be able to take advantage of his speed and steal some bases, something Roenicke limited him on in 2011 by batting him in front of Braun and Fielder.

Move Morgan up to 6th if you want to take advantage of his speed. He is a better hitter than either Lucroy or Gonzalez.

[3and2Fastball]

vs RHP

 

Morgan

Lucroy

Braun

Weeks

Ramirez

Hart

Gamel

Gonzalez

Pitcher

[Funketown]

Well, here's what Roenicke is planning on going with for opening day vs. LHP Jaime Garcia

 

Weeks

Gomez

Braun

Ramirez

Hart

Gonzalez

Gamel

Lucroy

 

I don't mind seeing Gamel down in the lineup if for some reason Roenicke thinks it will help him break in. I'd like to see Lucroy up in the lineup though. I'm not quite sure why he thinks Gomez is a good #2 hitter.

[TooLiveBrew]

To Roenicke, one of the most important things the #2 hitter can do is waste his plate appearance by sac bunting. That's why Gomez at #2. That is so frustrating.

[logan82]

Well, here's what Roenicke is planning on going with for opening day vs. LHP Jaime Garcia

 

Weeks

Gomez

Braun

Ramirez

Hart

Gonzalez

Gamel

Lucroy

My forehead hurts. I think my desk is broken.

 

I am not seeing where Gonzalez(.298/.409/.707 vs LHP) will be a better hitter than Gamel. Gomez is even worse though he had a decent year last year vs LHP. Hopefully we get some explanation about not wanting to put to much pressure on Gamel.

[Baldkin]

There is zero reason to not hit Corey Hart second vs LHP.

 

Zero. Zilch. None. Nada.

[logan82]

Gamel/Hart 2/5 depending on the handedness of the opposing starting pitcher makes way to much sense for the manager.

[rluzinski]

Gomez had an awesome 2011 spring training. Kind of hard not to bat him second as a result.

[1992casey]

I stared at the batting order tonight and wondered where the hole was that caused Gomez to hit 2nd. I concluded that there wasn't one. Without going to an optimized lineup, either Gamel or Hart would work for me. The one who doesn't hit 2nd could hit fifth.

 

This was tonight's batting order.

 

1. Weeks
   
2. Gomez
   
3. Braun
   
4. Ramirez
   
5. Hart
   
6. Gonzalez
   
7. Gamel
   
8. Lucroy
   
9. Pitcher

 

How about something like this?

 

1. Weeks
   
2. Gamel
   
3. Braun
   
4. Ramirez
   
5. Hart
   
6. Lucroy
   
7. Gonzalez
   
8. Pitcher
   
9. Morgan-Gomez

[Bombers]

How about this for 1 game

Aoki

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Ramirez

Gamel

Gonzalez

Lucroy

[brewtank34]

How about this for 1 game

Aoki

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Ramirez

Gamel

Gonzalez

Lucroy

 

Makes too much sense for RRR to consider. Unfortunate how Weeks remains in the lead off spot.

[Ennder]

How about this for 1 game

Aoki

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Ramirez

Gamel

Gonzalez

Lucroy

 

Lineup is fine but it has no significant upgrade over what we are already using so hard to commend it.

[tstads20]

How about this for 1 game

Aoki

Weeks

Braun

Hart

Ramirez

Gamel

Gonzalez

Lucroy

 

 

You win the "closest thing to today's lineup" game.

 

Well, at least the Aoki then Weeks part. Makes more sense to me.

[The stache]

I like some of these lineup suggestions, especially since I'm not one that thinks of a lineup in a strictly 1-9 sense. Many people believe the #8 spot is where your worst hitter belongs. While we do have to contend with our pitcher in the 9th spot, to have a poor hitter in the 8th spot kills too many potential rallies. Do you want to wait until your best hitters come up to start a rally, or are you hoping the rally is started before your best hitters come up?

 

The idea of having Morgan lower in the lineup (even in the 8 spot) means you have a "leadoff" batter that can get rallies started in advance of your 1-3 hitters. It intrigues me. If he's leading off batting 8th, and the pitcher gets an out (hopefully moving the runner up), you've got two outs to work with, and your best pure hitters coming up.

 

Putting together a lineup right now is difficult because of the injuries we've sustained, but here's what I would like to see right now.

 

1. Morgan/Aoki

2. Lucroy C

3. Braun LF

4. Ramirez 3B

5. Hart RF

6. Weeks 2B

7. Green 1B

8. Izturis

9. pitcher

 

Basically, I'd like to see Weeks and Lucroy swapped. Weeks is struggling right now, and moving him down in the lineup might take some pressure off. Lucroy is one of our best pure hitters. He makes contact, and he gets on. He's at .313 currently with a .364 OBP. As I've stated previously, 7 of Braun's 9 home runs thus far have been solo shots. We need more base runners on ahead of Brauny, and Aoki and Lucroy should be able to do this.