That'll Fix Everything

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 7, 2010 2:54 PM PDT in Miscellaneous

Ichiro, RF
Bradley, DH
Gutierrez, CF
Lopez, 3B
Carp, 1B
Wilson, SS
Johnson, C
Saunders, LF
Figgins, 2B

The big changes: Mike Carp slides into the middle of the order, replacing Casey Kotchman, while Milton Bradley jumps up to #2 and Chone Figgins drops all the way down to #9.

Much has been and will continue to be made of how this order looks. Why punish Figgins for his .331 OBP and recent success, and then give more at bats to Bradley's .284 OBP and recent struggles? Why put Carp in the center? What's the method, here?

But, gun to my head, I'd wager this isn't about optimizing the lineup as much as it is about seeing whether some changes get different players going. Wak isn't saying Carp is better than Kotchman. He's giving Carp a chance to show what he can do. And Wak isn't saying Bradley deserves to bat higher than Figgins. He's seeing whether batting at the top behind Ichiro (and, most of the time, Figgins) gets Bradley to see different pitches and maybe put less pressure on himself. Bradley's struggles have been no secret, and even though we can say that he'll eventually regress to his career averages, sometimes a player needs a little push. Wak, I'm guessing, is trying to see whether this could be that push.

Ultimately, this probably won't change very much. This may not even last more than one day. It's just an experiment, and we're at the point now where a little experimentation really couldn't hurt.

To a point.

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Comments

Unless they are experimenting with meth.

That shit is addictive

by ColeFitz88 on Jun 7, 2010 2:48 PM PDT reply actions

Huh... if someone told me they were bumping Figgins out of the two spot

I would have guessed Wilson would be moving in there, especially knowing the way these M’s seem to love to adjust the lineup to accommodate hot streaks

What's the deal with corn nuts?

by BaronVonBullshit on Jun 7, 2010 2:55 PM PDT reply actions

Wakamatsu has been a moron this season

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 2:56 PM PDT reply actions

Just to follow up, I fail to see how batting Figgins below Rob Johnson and Mike Carp makes any type of sense

Your best players should be the ones getting the most at-bats.

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Want to have more people on base for Ichiro?

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 7, 2010 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Make Figgins feel like he's back to leading off?

by msb on Jun 7, 2010 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Not have the bottom of the lineup be death when Rob Johnson and Tui are playing?

by Mariner John on Jun 7, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

This may have a direct relation

To the 3 soul-crushing double plays that Figgy hit into this weekend. I’ll bet even cool-headed Wak wanted to take a bat to the water cooler (or Figgy’s head?) after seeing Ichiro doubled up for the 3rd time.

by HititHere on Jun 7, 2010 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions

There is something to be said for stoking the competitive fires of some players.

Some guys play better mad.

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.

by Gekko Mojo on Jun 7, 2010 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions

How is batting 9th make him feel like he's leading off?

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, the bases will always be empty...

by Lucas Cervi on Jun 7, 2010 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions

In the course of a game there is ussually multiple instances that the number 9 hitter leads off an inning.

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying.

by the other side on Jun 7, 2010 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions

What's the percentage on that compared to the other spots?

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I have no idea.

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying.

by the other side on Jun 7, 2010 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Then just put Figgins back at leadoff

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm pretty sure Felix's body would reject a partial graft of Mike Carp's face

by lemonverbena on Jun 7, 2010 2:59 PM PDT reply actions

I'm actually excited to see how this pans out.

At the very least it gives me a reason to watch the game tonight.

Milton Bradley apologist

by sanford_and_son on Jun 7, 2010 2:59 PM PDT reply actions

We are gonna win so hard today

by Punkhazard on Jun 7, 2010 3:01 PM PDT reply actions

Apparently it is possible to have a creation more horrifying than Bullpen Face

by Mariner John on Jun 7, 2010 3:01 PM PDT reply actions

This is what I wanted to see last month.

This isn’t an optimal lineup so much as it is a “let’s do something different” lineup. It would’ve been more interesting to watch last month when the team’s offense was on life support. Now we’re doing it after we’ve given up 7+ runs a game over the weekend (even though the team still isn’t bunching hits together).

by ThundaPC on Jun 7, 2010 3:03 PM PDT reply actions

Nothing wrong with any change when the old way wasn't working.

"Because 100 luftballoons would be far too many"

by Thingray on Jun 7, 2010 3:09 PM PDT reply actions

Carpie Carpie Carp.

by msb on Jun 7, 2010 3:16 PM PDT reply actions

He looks like a sad and fat WFB.

"Because 100 luftballoons would be far too many"

by Thingray on Jun 7, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions

With less chin.

by msb on Jun 7, 2010 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions

I was trying not to notice.

"Because 100 luftballoons would be far too many"

by Thingray on Jun 7, 2010 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions

He looks like the kind of guy that can hit a ball

With a big wooden stick.

by HititHere on Jun 7, 2010 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions

That is a weak chin

by killer_ewok18 on Jun 7, 2010 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Carp isn't pretty, but this gives him more incentive

to be a millionaire athlete so he can get girls (even if we’re talking about Elite International escorts in hotels).

Any change in the lineup looks good to me.

ignacio

by ignacio on Jun 7, 2010 4:02 PM PDT reply actions

So what is this, like the opposite of OCD? He can't have stuff the same twice?

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying.

by the other side on Jun 7, 2010 4:24 PM PDT reply actions

Carp! Carp! Carp! Carp!

by Wilder. on Jun 7, 2010 4:26 PM PDT reply actions

I like the lineup change

I think more of a shake-up like this may have a stronger effect than some of the previous changes just moving a player 1 or 2 spots here or there.

The changes make sense to stick to something like this because it can be successful, not only for the reason to just try anything new

by fortyniners on Jun 7, 2010 4:37 PM PDT reply actions

There is no way Chone Figgins is going to be our 9 hitter the rest of the season. That's just assinine.

I don’t blame him for being pissed off about it.

There is only one sensical move that could have been made in regards to lineup and that would be moving Ichiro into the heart of the order.

Going Figgins, Bradley, Ichiro, Gutz, Lopez, Saunders, Wilson, Carp, catcher is something that would seem to make more sense.

Batting Figgins ninth and Carp fifth, and Rob Johnson 7th is just moronic in my opinion.

by Rudy4three on Jun 7, 2010 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Getting an extra at-bat definitely helps batting near the top of the order

But when the offense is struggling and 4 or 5 at bats don’t matter, I would do something with that lineup to make them more effective for some of those at-bats, rather than add another useless at-bat.

I would have liked to see Figgins 6th and Johnson 9th, don’t mind Carp at 5th yet.

I think its fine either way for Ichiro, 1st or like 3rd/4th. We need people to drive in players but then we won’t have someone like Ichiro always getting on base

by fortyniners on Jun 7, 2010 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions