Opening Day Lineup - Strange

[magnumo]

The Pirates Opening Day lineup is shown on the Pirates' page at MLB.com.

With Jeff Samardzija (righty) starting for the Cubs, Garrett Jones is on the bench and Gaby Sanchez is starting at 1B. That makes no sense to me, whatsoever.

I also don't care for Russell Martin batting 2nd (although Hurdle has signaled that he might do that). I'd rather see Walker hitting there.

I HOPE Pedro is comfortable at cleanup.

Pirates' projected Opening Day lineup | pirates.com: News

 

[sychmd]

i had thought smardxadfdfsdf was a hard throwing righty. that seemed odd to start sanchez against him.
did jones get some minor injury or something.
sanchez has been hotter in ST.
hurdle is as hurdle does.

 

[thecrow124]

Neither one has many ab's or succes against Samardgzia so Hurdle probably went with the better defender expecting a low scoring game. On the same note, this list isn't a line-up card it is a projection from a reporter that probably looked at spring training stats and saw Sanchez had a higher BA and more HR's.

 

[sychmd]

good point crow.
the writer didnt even put his name to it.
i dont like singer. never any real information and his frequency is quite low and sporadic. thought he would write 1-2 times per day, other than reporting details of the games.

 

[element1286]

Martin @ #2 is disaster, I don't like Sanchez starting either.

Should be

Marte
Walker
Cutch
Jones
Pedro
Martin
Snider
Barmes
Pitcher

 

[thedddd]

I think that was poor reporting Jones probably will be starting.
But I did read somewhere (link to come when I find it again!) that Hurdle might start both Sanchez and Jones, with Jones in RF if Snider doesn't pan out. If that is the case they they truly don't have any belief that Tabata can be an every day player.

 

[thedddd]

element your lineup makes the most sense for this team to be even remotely successful.

 

[sychmd]

we have 4 people for 2 positions,
we know jones will hit.
to be respectable, we need one more of sanchez, tabata, and snider.
sanchez had the longest stint of success at MLB level.
tabata had a brief moment, but is the youngest and has great D skills.
snider, the least track record but was the brightest star when drafted.

spring showing:
sanchez had the best spring.
power tabata > snider
OBP snider > tabata
defense tabata > snider

to contend,
if sanchez now fully healthy can hit and he is good at D,
then we need a good D, average hit OF. just one or the other so we can platoon and give some rest

then our 1-7 will be pretty good and better than last year.
martin, now away from the bronx bombers and with a cavernous left center gap, will go back to being a spray and gap hitter and have better ave, situational hitting, and OBP. less homers

 

[element1286]

If all those guys combined average a 750 OPS (Sanchez, Tabata, and Snider), I think the lineup will be very good.

 

[magnumo]

Just for fun, I concocted a lineup of former Pirates, from the opening day lineups posted at MLB.com:

Projected Opening Day lineups for all 30 clubs | MLB.com: News

In my fictitious opening day lineup below, I have listed in parentheses the opening day lineup position, current team, and defensive position for each player:

1. Nate McLouth CF (7 Orioles LF)
2. Jeff Keppinger 2B (2 White Sox 3B)
3. Jose Bautista RF (3 Blue Jays RF)
4. Aramis Ramirez 3B (4 Brewers 3B)
5. Adam LaRoche 1B (5 Nationals 1B)
6. Ryan Doumit C (6 Twins DH)
7. Brandon Moss LF (5 Athletics 1B)
8. Luis Cruz SS (6 Dodgers SS)
9. Pitcher

Observations and Notes:

- That lineup looks pretty strong on offense. The middle duplicates actual opening day lineup positions in spots 2 through 6, and the lineup projects to have good power.

- The defense is not strong, but wouldn't be embarrassing (except possibly Doumit catching).

- I could have included Ronny Cedeno at SS instead of Cruz, and Eric Kratz at C in Doumit's place. (Cedeno is listed as the opening day SS for Houston, batting 9th, while Kratz is listed as the opening day catcher for the Phils, batting 8th.) If using Cedeno and Kratz in this fictional starting lineup, I would move Moss up to #6, and follow with Kratz and Cedeno (in either order) in the 7 and 8 holes. Seems that would improve the defense at the expense of offense.

- The lineup could be improved further by including could-have-been-should-have-been Pirate Matt Wieters at catcher. He's listed in the cleanup hole for the Orioles' on opening day. I'd be tempted to keep him in the #6 hole in my lineup above, replacing Doumit (and improving both the offense and the defense).

- Only other could-have-been-should-have-been guy I identified is Lonnie Chisenhall, listed as the opening day 3B for Cleveland (batting 8th). Chisenhall was drafted in the 11th round by the Pirates in 2006 but didn't sign..... then was drafted and signed by the Indians in 2008. I'd keep Ramirez at 3rd and Chisenhall on the bench.

- There were no former Pirates listed as opening day starting pitchers. (No surprise there.)

At the end of the day, I'd feel pretty good about my team's chances by opening the season with that lineup. It lacks speed, but it wreaks of veteranosity. :rollseyes:

 

[evolver115]

Here it is: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=330401123&teams=chicago-cubs-vs-pittsburgh-pirates

Marte
Jones
McCutchen
Alvarez
Sanchez
Walker
Martin
Barmes
A.J. Burnett

 

[element1286]

Here it is: Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates - Preview - April 01, 2013 - ESPN

Marte
Jones
McCutchen
Alvarez
Sanchez
Walker
Martin
Barmes
A.J. Burnett

Better, still could be improved.

 

[steelparrot]

I'd flip Walker and Jones, but that is just me maybe.

Sanchez having a good spring was bad news for Tabata/Snyder. Not a hard call though, if I was trying to win.. Sanchez >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Tabata/Snyder.


Lets get off to a good start, I want to put off getting the lawnmower ready till tomorrow evening

 

[steelparrot]

Dejesus looking 94mph fastball

Castro bloopy single off a curve

Rizzo 2 run bomb

 

[Darkstone42]

One wasted opportunity already. Pedro and Sanchez with back-to-back K's to end the inning.

 

[magnumo]

Not a good first inning by the Pirates..... as Pedro and Gaby both strike out with two runners on. (I would have preferred Jones starting at 1B, and Snider in the lineup in RF against Samardzija, but at least the lineup is..... understandable..... and better than the one Singer "projected," as linked in my original post.)

 

[raptorlife4]

what happened to Snider?

 

[element1286]

what happened to Snider?

Not one of the best 9.

 

[thecrow124]

Not one of the best 9.

Neither is Barmes.....but I digress.

 

[steelparrot]

Ya, one can make a good argument for Synder over Sanchez.

The good news is we can go either way, they can fight it out for abs. A former all star dueling with two high upside unestablished players isn't a bad thing.


6 outs left... at least Slasdkjfl;aksdj is out of the game it appears.