Shaking up the Batting Order

by Johnny Angel on Apr 17, 2007 9:32 AM PDT

I usually prefer to let hitters work themselves out of a slump by hitting in there customary spot in the order. However, in light of the extended funk our hitters are in I think a shake up is a good idea. Has anyone heard anything regarding Sciossa shaking up the lineup? I especially would like to see Izturis and Kendrick bat higher in the order. Any other ideas? Thanks.

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scioscia lineup martini

stirred not shaken

We've made up for the 1980s, now let's avenge 1995!!

by NOTjonsamo on Apr 17, 2007 9:35 AM PDT reply actions

line up

id kind of like to see batters dropped down, meaning opening a spot for a hitter like kendrick in the top 3.

just a quick thought but id like this...

gmj
oc
hk
vlad
garrett
kotchman
hillenbrand (but prefer kendry)
napoli (but he's making me wonder about mathis now)
izzy

izzy should higher in the order but theres only so many spots available up there and he provides a nice book end to come back to the top of the order. howie won't hit with a lot of power out of the 3 hole but he will get on base a ton and rack up the extra base hits to bring some runners in and set the table. also izzy needs to stay there because he will sit when chone comes back, although gmj or hillenbrand should be the ones to sit.

final thought on shea...... i miss juan rivera a lot right now.

retire number fifteen.

by rowast on Apr 17, 2007 9:37 AM PDT reply actions

Hillenbrand & Napoli

More than any other player these two might benefit from a day or two off. I wonder if Hillenbrand's injury is worse than we are led to believe? Napoli looks lost and opposing teams are running at will on him. I thought his RBI triple in Milwaukee might have sparked his bat but no such luck.

by Johnny Angel on Apr 17, 2007 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions

I like your lineup...one correction though

Instead of Hillenbrand, go with Juan Rivera, crutches and all. Have him come to the plate and stand on a single leg while hitting. After the ball is hit into play, set down the bat, pick up the crutches and gimpily skip on to first base. Then, Figgins can run for Rivera, as long as he has a big cast or protection over his fingers.

'86 never happened!

by Downing Rules on Apr 17, 2007 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions

Game 1, 1988...

Pretty much worked for Kirk Gibson, back in the day!

jeff

Help me out, and help raise money for the MS Society of OC http://www.ms150baytobay.com/sipperphoto

by sipperphoto on Apr 17, 2007 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions

Quick Try

GMJ
HK
Vlad
GA
OC
Kotchman
Hillenbrand
Izturis
Napoli

I don't like Cabrera so far down in the lineup but I also think that he would benefit from having more runners on when he comes up to bat.

by Rhapsode on Apr 17, 2007 11:10 AM PDT reply actions

Scioscia ball

Unfortunately OC has to hit in the 2 hole. Angels style baseball calls for patient contact hitter in that spot (move runners and get on base). Plus OC's our best base runner.

Howie is no doubt a future #3 guy, and the future may be now.

by Wytelitning on Apr 17, 2007 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Howie seems more like a #2 hitter to me....

but I think OC will hit a lot better in the number 2 spot then further down. Howie really isn't a #3 hitter in that he doesn't have a ton of homerun power, but he will hit some homeruns and a ton of doubles.

Hitting third with Vlad cleanup? Actually I really like that idea. I think Howie will get on more often than Cabrera, but if they both get on in front of Vlad it would be like Christmas!

Thus with the Angel lineup revised dI would like to see this:

GMJ
Cabrera
Howie
Vlad
Kotchman
GA
DH--Hillenbrand; Gorneault/ Morales?
Napoli
Izturis

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Apr 17, 2007 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions

HK47 = 2

Howie should bat second. OC can bat 9th to get on for GMJ, HK and Vlad.

by anaheimisnotla on Apr 17, 2007 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting suggestions

Some interesting suggestions here. Here's my unconventional lineup:

Kotchman
Matthews, Jr.
Vlad
Anderson
Cabrera
Kendrick
Hillenbrand
Napoli
Izturis

Kotchman has one of the highest OBPs on the team but languishes near the bottom of the batting order. He doesn't have the speed to steal a lot of bases, but at this point, the Angels aren't getting guys on for them to steal in the first place. Matthews, Jr. looks increasingly like a number two hitter, who can either knock in a run or at least prevent a double play on the back end.

In any other lineup, Vlad would be hitting cleanup, but the Angels really don't have a good cleanup hitter, and so I resort to the idea of putting Anderson fourth; flip-flopping them might make sense. Likewise, there's an argument for switching Kendrick and Hillenbrand, or if you're even more aggressive, releasing Hillenbrand and calling up Nick Gorneault or Terry Evans.

The real problem with making a lineup is that so many of the Angels' hitters are currently punchless. Another possibility:

Kotchman
Matthews, Jr.
Guerrero
Kendrick
Anderson
Cabrera
Hillenbrand
Napoli
Izturis

Wha-wha-wha-what? Believe it or not, Howie Kendrick actually has the second-highest slugging percentage on the club right now. Based on his minor league stats, that might not be an anomaly.

Fire Mickey Hatcher. An entire generation of Angels offense depends upon it.

by scareduck on Apr 17, 2007 11:26 AM PDT reply actions

I like this line up

Izturis
Cabrera
Kendrick
Vlad
Kotchman
Anderson
Napoli
Hillenbrand
GMJ

We have a solid bench and Scioscia should use it if Napoli and Hillenbrand continue to struggle. I think putting our top five hitters up first will create some healthy competition with the bottom five like in basketball; the way to play off the B squad and onto the A squad is produce when it's your turn. Otherwise you remain on the B squad. Moreover, we want our best OBP and SLG guys in the optimum position to produce runs.

by Johnny Angel on Apr 17, 2007 11:33 AM PDT reply actions

Inevitable

I guess this qualifies as the obligatory weekly Halos Heaven here's-what-I-would-do-to-the-lineup thread

by Higz on Apr 17, 2007 11:37 AM PDT reply actions

The lineup is irrelevant.

It's like mixing up a bag of crap.

At the end of the day, it's still crap.

by bc56274 on Apr 17, 2007 12:21 PM PDT reply actions

Exactly

I love how everyone's response is to move Vlad LOWER in the lineup, to ensure that he gets FEWER ab's throughout the course of the season. Because THAT'S what this team needs.

by iLoveLamp on Apr 17, 2007 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions

True, the hitting is pretty poor at the moment

But I think there's sense in shaking it up so as to have people who are likely to get on base, HK, OC, Kotch batting in front of our main threat, at least it might make the other team think about having to beat us rather than just doing it in their sleep!

by Matt UK on Apr 17, 2007 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions

that's very true.

you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

SPORTS UNFILTERED

by pedro guerrero on Apr 17, 2007 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions

HK

will be in the 2 spot if Ocab has a slump or once he is no longer with the team.

by thebigA on Apr 17, 2007 12:59 PM PDT reply actions

Is it just me

or should Kotchman hit #4, at least against righties?

by iLoveLamp on Apr 17, 2007 1:07 PM PDT reply actions

Kotch

should bat 4th win he is hitting 30hrs with 100 RBIs

by thebigA on Apr 17, 2007 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh, ok.

Because on this team, the requirement seems to be grounding the ball to the right side 75% of the time and hitting a lot less than 30 HR and 100 RBI.

by iLoveLamp on Apr 17, 2007 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I know

thats the problem we need someone in that spot that will put up numbers right now kotch in the right position in the line-up. Until he proves he can be a 100 RBI he shouldn't be in the 4th spot.

We all know that we don't have a proper clean-up man.

by thebigA on Apr 17, 2007 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Clearly

But I'm saying there are players on this team better suited to hit fourth than GA. Do you seriously believe that even with this roster, Anderson should be a cleanup hitter?

by iLoveLamp on Apr 17, 2007 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

options are limited...

but GA's 1-for-20 with RISP, is BRUTAL.

SPORTS UNFILTERED

by pedro guerrero on Apr 17, 2007 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions

give it time

no one has emergered as a dominate force to take the position from anderson yet either. Its too early in the season to make a decision like this.

by thebigA on Apr 17, 2007 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Protection for Vladdy

...should be the #1 motivation for any lineup shake up at this point. With HK hitting the way he is, maybe him at #3 is the answer. How many great pitches would he see with Vladdy behind him? Wow.

by swiss mcgee on Apr 17, 2007 1:47 PM PDT reply actions

If I was manager ...

Matthews
Kotchman
Kendrick
Vlad
Anderson
Cabrera
Hillenbrand
Napoli
Izturis

Mathews and Kotchman are our two best hitters as far as making a pitcher work and OBP.

Kendrick is our second best hitter and needs to be in top of the order. Also, hitting in front of Vlad pitchers are more likely to throw him fastballs. He seems to struggle at times with the breaking balls.

by Anges 86ed on Apr 17, 2007 6:42 PM PDT reply actions

meh

i like kendrick in front of vlad, but batting second behind figgins, mathews batting fifth or so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo

by ANewFoundThrice on Apr 17, 2007 7:46 PM PDT up reply actions

New Idea

Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad
Vlad

by 101halo on Apr 17, 2007 10:01 PM PDT reply actions

PANTHER!!!!!!

'86 never happened!

by Downing Rules on Apr 18, 2007 1:23 AM PDT up reply actions

any chance we can get selig to allow this?

i'll even volunteer the first-born sons of all angel mothers on this site.

(angel mothers, it's for the good of the team. really, it is.)

by 101halo on Apr 19, 2007 12:18 AM PDT up reply actions

2000 Darin Erstad - CF
Howie Kendrick - 2B
Vlad - DH
1995 Tim Salmon - RF
2002 G.A. - LF
1987 Wally Joyner - 1B
1982 Doug DeCinces - 3B
Brian Downing - C
Jim Fregosi - SS

Problem solved

Anybody got an 85 DeLorean with a Flux capacitor?

DarkAngel hath spoken....

by darkangel01 on Apr 18, 2007 5:12 PM PDT reply actions

See my lineup above

Vlad, Vlad, Vlad and my other 6 Vlads will kick your team's ass.

by 101halo on Apr 19, 2007 12:17 AM PDT up reply actions

You will have 7 of 9 "Vlads"....

...playing out of position (assuming he can play LF as well as RF). My team will kick yours ass because your All Vlad team will commit 6 errors a game minimum.

DarkAngel hath spoken....

by darkangel01 on Apr 19, 2007 10:09 AM PDT reply actions