I don't know how many times I need to repeat this.  Cooper agrees with me. 

My hope is that Cooper can persuade Ozzie to rest EL-D more often than the rest.

 

So did you guys have a conversation about this, and he agreed?? Did you show him all the stats???

 

 

I went to Iguchi's website earlier.

 

I saved it into my favs.

 

Then I looked over to where I had it.

 

Heh.. look! Iguchi's looking at me!

 

Row can't/refuses to handle the 2-hole the proper way. Yeah that D-Rays team is really fast, and hte list didn't even include Upton is a quick guy too. Lastly, I know we can run the bases now but I can't pick a team to be the fastest that has Konerko and Crede in it. We are much quicker though.

there is no reason aaron rowand should be batting 6th. he is more proven than iguchi and is still pretty fast. i would even put him over dye.

 

I would much rather giving rowand the rib oppurtunities anyway. That is where he is much better suited in my opinion.

The Sox already said they'll be limiting his starts this season by using offdays as a way of skipping El Duque in the rotation, thus protecting his arm, so technicaly he is the 5th starter.

 

Ah - gotcha. Wasn't thinking about it that way. I assumed you had your starting rotation set up based on talent of pitcher. That would make sense, though.

Okay, let me get something strait. Why does it seem like everybody is putting Juan Uribe in the #9 spot? I much rather see Crede there.

 

Here we have Uribe who hit .283 had 23 HR’s and 74 RBI. Then we have Crede who went .239 21 HR's and 69 RBI.

 

The only reason why I see them adding Uribe to the #9 hole is if Ozzie wants speed both in the top of the lineup and in the bottom. Otherwise I much rather see Uribe batting before Crede.

Okay, let me get something strait. Why does it seem like everybody is putting Juan Uribe in the #9 spot? I much rather see Crede there.

 

Here we have Uribe who hit .283 had 23 HR’s and 74 RBI. Then we have Crede who went .239 21 HR's and 69 RBI.

 

The only reason why I see them adding Uribe to the #9 hole is if Ozzie wants speed both in the top of the lineup and in the bottom. Otherwise I much rather see Uribe batting before Crede.

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Crede's and Uribe's career OBPs are almost identical...

 

Joe Crede - .304 career OBP

Juan Uribe - .307 career OBP

 

I would rather see Uribe in the #9 spot instead of having Crede there. Crede would clog the bases for Podsednik when the lineup turns over.

Okay, let me get something strait. Why does it seem like everybody is putting Juan Uribe in the #9 spot? I much rather see Crede there.

 

Here we have Uribe who hit .283 had 23 HR’s and 74 RBI. Then we have Crede who went .239 21 HR's and 69 RBI.

 

The only reason why I see them adding Uribe to the #9 hole is if Ozzie wants speed both in the top of the lineup and in the bottom. Otherwise I much rather see Uribe batting before Crede.

 

I agree with ya, Yoda.

 

There's a reason a guy is placed in the nine spot in the lineup -- most times, it's because he's the team's worst hitter. Statistically speaking, too, though very slight, he (the nine hitter) has the best chance of seeing the least PA's in a game. Shouldn't your worst hitter be the one who's hitting ninth?

 

In my mind, the lineup should look like (when fully healthy):

 

Pods

Iguchi/Rowand

Thomas

Konerko/Dye

Dye/Konerko

Pierzynski

Rowand/Iguchi

Uribe

Crede

 

I know a lot of you don't like Rowand hitting second, but he kills the ball in that spot, IIRC. I don't care if he doesn't hit behind the runner well, or bunt well (which, most likely, has been worked on this offseason) -- he kills the ball hitting second, so keep him there.

I don't know how many times I need to repeat this.  Cooper agrees with me.  Use the off-days to extend EL-D's rest periods & skip some of his starts. This can be done while still for the most part keeping him #3 in the rotation following Garcia. 

 

Ozzie doesn't agree with us.  He takes the position that 1-5 is so strong individually there is no need to skip starts.  So he has a straight 1-5 every 5th day schedule in mind.  Off days would just extend rest to the pitcher who happened to be next in line to pitch after that off day.

 

Ozzie's plan will most likely give EL-D 5 more starts than Cooper's throughout the season.  Pushing him into the 30+ start range.  It will also drop Marky B & Freddy G down to the 210-220 ip range.  So I guess you could say they are protecting their longest & most expensive pitching investments at the expense of their cheapest.

 

My hope is that Cooper can persuade Ozzie to rest EL-D more often than the rest.

 

What a great post.

 

My sentiments exactly. Well said.

 

As for the lineup, Rowand isn't the typical #2 hitter. Uribe isn't the typical #2 hitter. I don't think either of those guys are best suited to bat in the two hole. Let Iguchi battle for it in ST and if he proves to do the right things and move Podsednik over on the bunt, or hit behind the runner, or anything else, he gets it.

 

My projected opening day lineup (for better or worse).

-Podsednik

-Iguchi

-Dye

-Konerko

-Everett

-Rowand

-Pierzynski

-Uribe

-Crede

Crede's and Uribe's career OBPs are almost identical...

 

Joe Crede - .304 career OBP

Juan Uribe - .307 career OBP

 

I would rather see Uribe in the #9 spot instead of having Crede there.  Crede would clog the bases for Podsednik when the lineup turns over.

 

Using OBP as a tool to judge Uribe is stupid, IMHO -- especially when you use his career OBP. OPS should be used to judge both players, because neither are excellent with their OBP -- both are there to provide power and drive in some runs.

 

Uribe is never going to be a guy who gets on base at a .350 clip. What he will do, though, is hit the ball well, drive in some runs, hit some homers (which leads to his excellent OPS).

Using OBP as a tool to judge Uribe is stupid, IMHO -- especially when you use his career OBP.  OPS should be used to judge both players, because neither are excellent with their OBP -- both are there to provide power and drive in some runs, as well as their plus defense.

 

Uribe is never going to be a guy who gets on base at a .350 clip.  What he will do, though, is hit the ball well, drive in some runs, hit some homers (which leads to his excellent OPS).

Using OBP as a tool to judge Uribe is stupid, IMHO -- especially when you use his career OBP.  OPS should be used to judge both players, because neither are excellent with their OBP -- both are there to provide power and drive in some runs.

 

Uribe is never going to be a guy who gets on base at a .350 clip.  What he will do, though, is hit the ball well, drive in some runs, hit some homers (which leads to his excellent OPS).

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It's the perfect stat to use when deciding who to put in the #9 spot when you don't want to clog the bases for Podsednik.

Uribe should be 9th. I like the line-up they have except I'd put Carl 3rd, PK 4th, and Dye 5th.

IMO, the perfect lineup without frank would be:

 

Spod

Iguchi

aaron

pauly

everett

dye

aj

crede

uribe

 

However you're going to get that lineup with aaron and jermaine switched most likely.

I am a big fan of having a guy with speed batting #9. It is like having another leadoff hitter in a way. If we have slow Crede 9th, we will be clogging the basebaths at times.