Cubs opening day batting order

[Dave19642006]

Seems Pinella is leaning towards this order

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/ar...t_id=3850236&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

Soriano
Aaron Miles,
Derrek Lee,
Milton Bradley
Aramis Ramirez
Kosuke Fukudome
Geovany Soto and
Ryan Theriot.

 

[tyrelrobert]

Why theriot 8th??? Maybe that is for when Z is pitching so there is someone on to drive in!! I would bet after ST that fontenot will be starting at second instead of miles

 

[TarHeelHawk]

Why theriot 8th??? Maybe that is for when Z is pitching so there is someone on to drive in!! I would bet after ST that fontenot will be starting at second instead of miles

I don't have a problem with this batting order, but I can see Lou moving Derrek out of 3-hole if his production continues to decline.
Having Theriot in the 8th spot gives him more of a chance to drive guys in, assuming the people in front of him get on base. Also, it gives the team a better chance of turning the lineup over for the next AB should he come to bat with 2 outs.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I'd prefer that Lee be moved down in the order due to his diminished power and his propensity to hit into double plays. Assuming Lou is going to leave Soriano in the lead-off spot (which is a topic that deserves a thread of its own), I'd like to see the following batting order:

1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Bradley
4. Ramirez
5. Fontenot
6. Lee
7. Soto
8. Fukudome

Putting Fontenot in the fifth spot may be a little optimistic, but I'm hoping for a break-out year from him.

 

[Clonegrad07]

Geovanty Soto should NOT be in the 7 hole... he's above FUK - U - DO - ME!

 

[cyfan964]

Theriot should be the lead off hitter... there I said it.

 

[Swanson10]

i would rather see this.
1. Theriot
2. Fontenot
3. A-ram
4. Bradley
5. Soriano
6. Lee
7. Soto
8. Johnson

 

[cyfan964]

i would rather see this.
1. Theriot
2. Fontenot
3. A-ram
4. Bradley
5. Soriano
6. Lee
7. Soto
8. Johnson

Boom city! That's what I was thinking as well.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

I'd prefer that Lee be moved down in the order due to his diminished power and his propensity to hit into double plays. Assuming Lou is going to leave Soriano in the lead-off spot (which is a topic that deserves a thread of its own), I'd like to see the following batting order:

1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Bradley
4. Ramirez
5. Fontenot
6. Lee
7. Soto
8. Fukudome

Putting Fontenot in the fifth spot may be a little optimistic, but I'm hoping for a break-out year from him.

Swap Soto and Fontenot and you have the lineup I had been thinking of.

Whatever the lineup is, I'm hoping it does NOT include Lee in the 3 hole. I've seen enough of him rolling into double plays to last a lifetime.

 

[Dave19642006]

Soriano, bats right he gets on then with speed and base stealing capabilities

Aaron Miles, A switch hitter and he can bat left a .317/ .392 in the day with speed and base stealing capabilities

Derrek Lee, he bats right homerun capability and or extra bases

Milton Bradley, Switch hitter comes up and he bats left at a .341/ .314 day with homerun capabilites and or extra bases capabilities

Aramis Ramirez bats right homerun hitter with extra bases capabilities

Kosuke Fukudome Left hitter .276/ .258 day He has speed and extra bases capabilities

Geovany Soto and bats right just a plain ol hitter that gets the job done/ plays fundimental baseball

Ryan Theriot bats right "Lil Babe Ruth" enough said

this might clear some of the controversy up

 

[Swanson10]

Soriano, bats right he gets on then with speed and base stealing capabilities

Aaron Miles, A switch hitter and he can bat left a .317/ .392 in the day with speed and base stealing capabilities

Derrek Lee, he bats right homerun capability and or extra bases

Milton Bradley, Switch hitter comes up and he bats left at a .341/ .314 day with homerun capabilites and or extra bases capabilities

Aramis Ramirez bats right homerun hitter with extra bases capabilities

Kosuke Fukudome Switch hitter .276/ .258 day He has speed and extra bases capabilities

Geovany Soto and bats right just a plain ol hitter that gets the job done/ plays fundimental baseball

Ryan Theriot bats right "Lil Babe Ruth" enough said

this might clear some of the controversy up

That lineup does nothing for me. While you try and prove your point i just dont see why it should be this way.

 

[tyrelrobert]

Soriano, bats right he gets on then with speed and base stealing capabilities

Aaron Miles, A switch hitter and he can bat left a .317/ .392 in the day with speed and base stealing capabilities

Derrek Lee, he bats right homerun capability and or extra bases

Milton Bradley, Switch hitter comes up and he bats left at a .341/ .314 day with homerun capabilites and or extra bases capabilities

Aramis Ramirez bats right homerun hitter with extra bases capabilities

Kosuke Fukudome Switch hitter .276/ .258 day He has speed and extra bases capabilities

Geovany Soto and bats right just a plain ol hitter that gets the job done/ plays fundimental baseball

Ryan Theriot bats right "Lil Babe Ruth" enough said

this might clear some of the controversy up

Is Kosuke a switch hitter?? I only saw him bat left last season

 

[Dave19642006]

Is Kosuke a switch hitter?? I only saw him bat left last season

Will fix that I let my typing overrun my brain

 

[Clone_12]

Sure is nice having a guy with a .315 obp that strikes out all the time at the leadoff spot...also keep in mind that if Soriano does what he does best (hit the ball out of the ballpark) it's 1-0 instead of 2 or 3-0.

Soriano has become the new Sammy Sosa...play sub-par defense and feast off of poor pitching...he's not going to give the Cubs quality at-bats and work the count like you would want out of a leadoff hitter, or get on base at a high percentage for Lee and Ramirez to drive in for that matter.

It just disgusts me that they refuse to plug him in lower in the order, and put someone up at leadoff that will take a few pitches, work the count, and get on base for the big boppers to drive in.

I think we all saw just how important a real leadoff hitter is back when Kenny Lofton hit leadoff down the stretch for the 2003 Cubs...the guy was CONSTANTLY on base to lead off the game, for the big sticks to drive in.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Swap Soto and Fontenot and you have the lineup I had been thinking of.

Whatever the lineup is, I'm hoping it does NOT include Lee in the 3 hole. I've seen enough of him rolling into double plays to last a lifetime.

I considered the possibility of switching Fontenot and Soto, but I don't think Lou is likely to bat two lefties in a row at the bottom of the order (Fontenot and Fukodome) (three lefties, if Marshall or Lilly are pitching).

 

[Dave19642006]

Sure is nice having a guy with a .315 obp that strikes out all the time at the leadoff spot...also keep in mind that if Soriano does what he does best (hit the ball out of the ballpark) it's 1-0 instead of 2 or 3-0.

Soriano has become the new Sammy Sosa...play sub-par defense and feast off of poor pitching...he's not going to give the Cubs quality at-bats and work the count like you would want out of a leadoff hitter, or get on base at a high percentage for Lee and Ramirez to drive in for that matter.

It just disgusts me that they refuse to plug him in lower in the order, and put someone up at leadoff that will take a few pitches, work the count, and get on base for the big boppers to drive in.

Any Idea what his batting performance is when lowering him in the batting order? worse I believe.

 

[Clone_12]

Any Idea what his batting performance is when lowering him in the batting order? worse I believe.

That's because he has FAR fewer at-bats...last year he hit around .180-.200 for the first full month of the season at leadoff and they refused to move him down, because he was "comfortable at the leadoff spot"....evidently he couldn't have hit .180-.200 anywhere else in the order?

 

[CycloneErik]

Sure is nice having a guy with a .315 obp that strikes out all the time at the leadoff spot...also keep in mind that if Soriano does what he does best (hit the ball out of the ballpark) it's 1-0 instead of 2 or 3-0.

Soriano has become the new Sammy Sosa...play sub-par defense and feast off of poor pitching...he's not going to give the Cubs quality at-bats and work the count like you would want out of a leadoff hitter, or get on base at a high percentage for Lee and Ramirez to drive in for that matter.

It just disgusts me that they refuse to plug him in lower in the order, and put someone up at leadoff that will take a few pitches, work the count, and get on base for the big boppers to drive in.

I think we all saw just how important a real leadoff hitter is back when Kenny Lofton hit leadoff down the stretch for the 2003 Cubs...the guy was CONSTANTLY on base to lead off the game, but the big sticks to drive in.

I think we saw how important a real leadoff hitter is back when every team Kenny Lofton hit leadoff for seemed to go to the playoffs. After a while, and different teams, and all that, it's not a coincidence that a good leadoff hitter makes a huge difference for a team.

 

[TarHeelHawk]

Sure is nice having a guy with a .315 obp that strikes out all the time at the leadoff spot...also keep in mind that if Soriano does what he does best (hit the ball out of the ballpark) it's 1-0 instead of 2 or 3-0.

Soriano has become the new Sammy Sosa...play sub-par defense and feast off of poor pitching...he's not going to give the Cubs quality at-bats and work the count like you would want out of a leadoff hitter, or get on base at a high percentage for Lee and Ramirez to drive in for that matter.

It just disgusts me that they refuse to plug him in lower in the order, and put someone up at leadoff that will take a few pitches, work the count, and get on base for the big boppers to drive in.

I think we all saw just how important a real leadoff hitter is back when Kenny Lofton hit leadoff down the stretch for the 2003 Cubs...the guy was CONSTANTLY on base to lead off the game, but the big sticks to drive in.

Alfonso Soriano is not a typical lead-off hitter - this is something that I think every Cub fan can agree on. However, as has all ready been pointed out, he has put up his best #'s batting from that position, not lower in the order.

Despite missing 2 months of the season last year, he still had 29 homers, and drove in 75. In 2007, he had 33 homers, and 70 RBI. I can't think of many teams in the majors that wouldn't love to have that kind of production from their lead-off hitter.

 

[GriffClones]

Soriano, bats right he gets on then with speed and base stealing capabilities

Aaron Miles, A switch hitter and he can bat left a .317/ .392 in the day with speed and base stealing capabilities

Derrek Lee, he bats right homerun capability and or extra bases

Milton Bradley, Switch hitter comes up and he bats left at a .341/ .314 day with homerun capabilites and or extra bases capabilities

Aramis Ramirez bats right homerun hitter with extra bases capabilities

Kosuke Fukudome Left hitter .276/ .258 day He has speed and extra bases capabilities

Geovany Soto and bats right just a plain ol hitter that gets the job done/ plays fundimental baseball

Ryan Theriot bats right "Lil Babe Ruth" enough said

this might clear some of the controversy up

Actually Mike Fontenot is "Lil Babe Ruth" per Ron Santo.