Pinella names starting line-up...

[brewtank34]

This is an excerpt from Northsidebaseball.com.

 

According to Cubs.com, Piniella has named his batting order if the season started tomorrow. As expected, it sucks.

 

Soriano

Theriot

Lee

Ramirez

Kosuke

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

 

Many of the Cubs fans are not happy with this line-up. I wouldn't be either. I'm thinking the Crew has a much better line-up than the Cubs.

 

Soriano > Weeks

Theriot < Cameron

Lee = Fielder (I'm biased but I'd rather have Fielder)

Rameriez > Braun (not by much though. Once Braun gets accustomed to the 4th spot, he is obviously better.)

Kosuke < Hart

DeRosa < Hall

Soto = Kendell

Pie < Hardy.

(I matched up Kendell with Soto just to make it more relevant. I see Hardy in the 7 and Kendell in the 8 on opening day.

 

Nonetheless....I really don't see how people can say that the Cubs line-up is stonger than ours. They have more contact hitters and we have more power hitters. ? What do y'all think?

[homer]

Soriano may be better than Weeks but he is severely mis-cast as a lead off hitter.

[trwi7]

Seeing Theriot bat second makes me smile.

[brewtank34]

Seeing Theriot hit anywhere in the line-up makes me smile. Would you rather have Pie leading off instead of Soriano? Who would you have lead off if your were Pinella?

[Brian the Automator]

I'm guessing Soto will probably hit better than Kendall, but I would say Fielder > Lee.

[patrickgpe]

Kosuke is a huge question mark so it's probably too early to compare him to hart since nobody knows what they are going to get out of him. From past experience's its likely he will struggle out of the game with the improved and unknown pitching he will face as compared to what he saw in Japan. I agree with Brian i'd but soto ahead of Kendall but Fielder is higher than Lee. Braun may very well be on par with Rameriez.

 

I still am not a fan of Ned's idea of moving Braun to cleanup to allow him steal bases. He struggled last season when Ned did that to him. The protecting that Fielder brings really seemed to help him.

[Oldcity]

Fukudome 5 and Theriot 2 makes me happy. I'm even glad to see Soriano still leading off.

[RyDogg66]

Pinella has set his starting lineup 2.5 months before opening day and before spring training? Anyone ask him his rotation for the playoffs yet?

[brewtank34]

THE CUBS AIN'T MAKING THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR!

GO BREWERS!!!

[TooLiveBrew]

Soriano > Weeks

 

Not so fast, cowboy. As homer mentioned, as leadoff hitters, Weeks >>> Soriano. Heck, overall this season I fully expect Rickie to make it a coin-flip (or better!)

 

Seeing Theriot bat second makes me smile.

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif - Seconded! On second thought (of seconding)... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

 

Pinella has set his starting lineup 2.5 months before opening day and before spring training? Anyone ask him his rotation for the playoffs yet?

 

Exactly my thought(s) when I first saw this thread. This is a totally meaningless announcement imho.

 

Fukudome

DeRosa

Lee

Ramirez

Soriano

Soto

Pie

Theriot

 

Let's just hope Sweet, sweet Lou doesn't see this thread! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[logan82]

I like seeing the Cubs having a leadoff hitter with a career .327 OBP. Basically just slightly better than if we had Hall leading off.

[brewtank34]

I agree that this thread is basically hearsay, but I was hoping that it would get us thinking about other team's line-ups vs. ours.

I'd go with this line-up...

 

1. Theriot

2. Soriano

3. Lee

4. Ramirez

5. DeRosa

6.Fukodome

7.Soto

8.Pie

 

You let Soriano see some nice pitches due to Lee backing you up. Theriot has a .326 OBP which obviously, is not prototypical, but who else??? Pie had a .271 OBP. I would say DeRosa (.371OBP) but he doesn't have the speed to be a #1. I like the Soriano, Lee and Ramirez combo. Lots of run possibilities with that 3some.

I truely think that will be the biggest downfall to the Cubs this year.....inconsistency from the # 1, 5,6,7, and 8 hitters. The Crew's role players (those other than Fielder, Braun) outmatch those role players of the Cubs. Hart and Cameron could wind up being a part of the 3some for the Crew, but not yet. I think Hardy, Hall, Hart, Cameron, and Weeks (as a group) are far superior to Pie, Theriot, Soto, DeRosa, Fukodome. Just thinking about it makes me laugh at how badly the Crew is going to wolllup on the sCrUBS this year....

 

Go Brewers! This is OUR year!!!!

[naivin]

Lou puts this out there to point out how obviously ridiculous it is to have Soriano lead off again this year. His motive...Point out again, what a mistake the Soriano signing was. His contract is a definiite albatross since he doesn't hit when he bats lower in the line-up. Lou is trying to force Jim Hendry's hand to get him an actual lead-off hitter.

[Gopher74]

Lou puts this out there to point out how obviously ridiculous it is to have Soriano lead off again this year. His motive...Point out again, what a mistake the Soriano signing was. His contract is a definiite albatross since he doesn't hit when he bats lower in the line-up. Lou is trying to force Jim Hendry's hand to get him an actual lead-off hitter.

I really doubt that had anything to do with it. I think it was simply meant to show the team and fans that unlike last season when there was so many question marks surrounding the team and that they will not get off to a slow start this year.

 

I don't think it was to point out how much he wishes Soriano wasn't on the team or whatever. I think if he wanted a better leadoff hitter, he'd tell Hendry that. To do it this way would be ridiculous, and frankly, I think it'd be beneath Pinella.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

[soriano's] contract is a definiite albatross since he doesn't hit when he bats lower in the line-up.

 

He's put up a .268/.312/.513/.825 line over 626 PA as a #5 hitter, so I can't agree with this. Imho Soriano's a prototypical #5 or #6 hitter, but his ego thinks he's a leadoff man. Fortunately for us, even Piniella isn't hard-headed enough to get Soriano to drop the primadonna act.

[Gopher74]

He's put up a .268/.312/.513/.825 line over 626 PA as a #5 hitter, so I can't agree with this. Imho Soriano's a prototypical #5 or #6 hitter, but his ego thinks he's a leadoff man. Fortunately for us, even Piniella isn't hard-headed enough to get Soriano to drop the primadonna act.

Well, that's certainly not a 136 million dollar player. A .268 BA and a .312 OBP does kinda prove his point, and that's far better than what he does in the 3rd and 4th holes.

 

I agreed with his take on Soriano, I just don't agree that Lou has any other motive behind naming his starting lineup already.

 

[bullox]

I think some people are missing the key point of "IF the season started tomorrow". This is not set in stone.

[logan82]

I believe Soriano has stated he likes hitting in the leadoff spot because he says he sees more fastballs. Somewhere there was evidence to back that up.

[Oldcity]

You let Soriano see some nice pitches due to Lee backing you up. Theriot has a .326 OBP which obviously, is not prototypical, but who else???

They should use Fukudome.

 

[Gopher74]

You let Soriano see some nice pitches due to Lee backing you up. Theriot has a .326 OBP which obviously, is not prototypical, but who else???

They should use Fukudome.

 

Or at the very least bat him second. It'd seem to me that DeRossa could handle the 5th spot just fine, and Fukudome would have a chance for a real big time breakout year with Lee hitting behind him and Soriano hitting in front of him.

 

As I see, it, this would be their best lineup with Soriano hitting 1st, since that's not gonna chance.

 

1-Soriano

2-Fukudome

3-D. Lee

4-Aram

5-DeRossa

6-Sota

7-Pie

8-Theriot

But hey, to each their own. I hope they find a way to to work Fontenot back into that lineup.

 

[pete]

I believe Soriano has stated he likes hitting in the leadoff spot because he says he sees more fastballs. Somewhere there was evidence to back that up.

 

The cubs TV guys had the numbers and it was higher at the number one spot, but just slightly. Once upon a time, he refused to play outfield so maybe Lou is working toward a change. The team is definitely a crazy mix of guys. Now they have a Japanese outfielder to join in. Dedication to team and all that combined with a guy who bunny hops when he catches a ball. Fiery ARam versus the reserved Asian demeanor. I just hope Fontenot is still with the team so they can occassionally have the all-French middle infield.

 

Oh, and the big Z breaking bats over his leg, taking giant swings and wearing a batting helmet that looks like the kind you get the cheese fries in.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, that's certainly not a 136 million dollar player.

 

Very, very true. But it has only to do with ego. The point made was that he "doesn't hit..." outside of #1, but an OPS north of .800 is hardly 'not hitting'. Soriano thinks being a leadoff man is his life's calling, when in fact he'd be much more effective if he would welcome a move elsewhere in the lineup.

[logan82]

AKA Pete wrote:

The cubs TV guys had the numbers and it was higher at the number one spot, but just slightly.

Yeah I want to say it was something like one pitch per plate appearance.

[slideinheadfirst1]

MMMM Miller Park Cheese Fries!!

[rluzinski]

In the NL in 2006, on average, a leadoff hitter saw one more fastball per 5 PA than a batter batting 5th:

 

http://actasports.com/sow.php?id=139