With Ozzie Guillen talking about moving Juan Uribe up to #2 in the order, and Iguchi down, a lineup shakeup is in order.

 

Who bats #3 next season, and why not Iguchi ?

 

Last season, the White Sox did not have a #3 type hitter. This year, they may not again, but what they do have, if healthy, are 2 #4 type hitters (Thome and Konerko).

 

Iguchi would like to bat lower in the order, but I think if that happens, he's probably going to be 6 or 7 (after Dye most days, and flip flopping with A.J).

 

With the way he handles the bat, his ability as a clutch hitter, and the Sox lacking a true #3 hitter, why not give him a shot there ?

 

Konerko can still bat #4, and Thome can protect him at #5.

 

Thoughts ?

Ozzie has said Thome is batting 3rd. It still wouldn't surprise me if Paul or Dye do, but it won't be Tad.

Ozzie has said Thome is batting 3rd.  It still wouldn't surprise me if Paul or Dye do, but it won't be Tad.

Konerko is not a 3 hitter, he won't be all year. It will either be Thome or Dye. I think it will almost certainly be Thome. However, if we were able to acquire Pierre and bat Pods and Pierre 1-2 would we really want a 1-2-3 LH batters with Pods-Pierre-Thome? If that were to happen than something different might happen. Who knows though, I like Thome batting before Konerko, especially with Thome's lifetime OBP of over .400

Ozzie stated that this is what the lineup will look like if we don't acquire another #2 hitter:

 

Podsednik

Uribe

Thome

Konerko

Dye

 

Iguchi will bat either sixth or seventh. I assume Anderson would bat ninth but who knows.

Jim Thome should bat 3rd if he's healthy and putting up normal Thome numbers. Why? Mainly OBP. He's almost certainly going to have the highest number on the team. That means that even if there's no one on base, he'll have the best shot of extending any inning for Konerko, and he'll give PK the opportunity to drive in a metric f*ckton of runs.

You put your best hitter third. Iguchi is not our best hitter, even if he does put up numbers like he did in Japan.

You put your best hitter third. 

Ozzie must not have got the memo last year. I'm fine with Thome batting 3rd but you don't necessarily need to have your best hitter bat 3rd.

You put your best hitter third.  Iguchi is not our best hitter, even if he does put up numbers like he did in Japan.

 

If he puts up numbers like he did in Japan after his shoulder surgery in 2002, yes he is our best hitter, and yes you do hit him #3. He won't because this isn't the Japanese league with Japanese parks and pitchers, so it's a moot point. But just for clarification, his best season, 2003, looks something like this:

.340/.438/.573 with 27 hr, 109 rbi, 112 runs, 42 sb, 81 k's/81 bb, .361 avg w/ risp all in only 135 games.

We don't know how Iguchi looks when swinging the bat freely. He's basically an uncertainty if you put him in the 3 hole. You can't risk experimenting with such an important spot in the lineup.

 

And I'd say Thome is a nice true #3 hitter. Dye is too with the proper protection.

2004's Uribe was very successful offensively. However, he was very streaky had a hot April and May, bad June-August and got hot again in September. He is too inconsistent to hold that #2 spot in the order. The #2 spot is probably the most important spot in the order and Iguchi is the most consistant batter we have. I say if we CANT aqcuire a new #2 hitter- than just keep Gooch there. If its not broke why fix it? I understand that Ozzie wants Gooch to use his power more, but is it really neccessary with Paulee, Thome, and Dye in the middle of the order??!?

Things change.....

 

I dont think you can trust any manager about a lineup in December.

 

 

The thought of Uribe batting second makes me nauseous.

We don't know how Iguchi looks when swinging the bat freely. He's basically an uncertainty if you put him in the 3 hole. You can't risk experimenting with such an important spot in the lineup.

 

And I'd say Thome is a nice true #3 hitter. Dye is too with the proper protection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dye doesn't walk enough these days to be a true #3 hitter. I agree with you on Thome though.

2004's Uribe was very successful offensively. However, he was very streaky had a hot April and May, bad June-August and got hot again in September. He is too inconsistent to hold that #2 spot in the order. The #2 spot is probably the most important spot in the order and Iguchi is the most consistant batter we have. I say if we CANT aqcuire a new #2 hitter- than just keep Gooch there. If its not broke why fix it? I understand that Ozzie wants Gooch to use his power more, but is it really neccessary with Paulee, Thome, and Dye in the middle of the order??!?

 

I agree with your assessment. I thought Iguchi was one of the best number 2 hitters the Sox have had in a long time. Maybe Ozzie saw something in the 'new' September/October leg lifting Uribe. It's still early in his career. He could still develop consistency. It seems that the impetus for considering change is to keep Gooch happy. That is partly what Managers must do. In a best case scenario, talents will be maximized and players will be happy.

We don't know how Iguchi looks when swinging the bat freely. He's basically an uncertainty if you put him in the 3 hole. You can't risk experimenting with such an important spot in the lineup.

 

And I'd say Thome is a nice true #3 hitter. Dye is too with the proper protection.

 

The entire 2005 White Sox was an experiment gone wonderfully right. You will never know an answer to anything unless you try. Iguchi could be a good #3 hitter in the right circumstances. Those circumstances are not being met with the 2006 White Sox.