My Proprosed Yankees Lineup for Game 4:
Ichiro LF
Martin C
Jeter DH
Cano 2B
Teixeira 1b
Ibanez RF
Rodriguez 3B
Granderson CF
Nunez SS
Explanation:
What? Am I insane? Why would Jeter be DHing? Did you pay attention last night dummies? He could barely walk after fouling the ball off his leg. If he's going to be hobbled he's a defensive liability at short tonight. However, he is one of the only one's swinging the bat well and you need him hitting and you need him in the 3 hole. And here is why.
The Yankees problem is they don't have your prototypical 3 hitter. But Jeter gets on base a shitload. Add that to him being hot and Russel Martin is going to see a lot of fastballs hitting in front of him, which is what you want. Martin has been hot and he crushes fastballs. Why can't Cano hit third? Because he's not a 3 hitter. He looks to drive the baseball, not just get on base. That means you need the guys in front of him to get on so he can do what he does best and drive the baseball and drive in runs.
Moving on, Ibanez has obviously been hot, you put him behind Teixeira to protect Tex. Will Tex hit? Maybe, who knows. But he has protection behind him with Ibanez there. Also, you put A-Rod behind Ibanez instead of in front of him so Showalter can't make a pitching change for a lefty specialist late in the game and leave him in for two hitters with Ibanez and Granderson. There is also a lefty on the mound and the way the lineup I have proposed is set up it's a headache for a left handed pitcher.
Nobody's hitting but they got away with it last night. Swisher is abysmal and should be riding some pine right now. If you really think A-Rod should be the one sitting, you're an asshole especially with his numbers off of Saunders. He crushes this guy. But moving him down in the lineup to possibly get his confidence back against a guy he's owned might just get him going. They're going to need more than a few guys to hit in order to make a serious run at the World Series. A lineup shake up might possibly be a good thing. But I don't know anything about baseball, so let's hear what you genius fans have to say.
All valid arguments but grab a seat because im about to drop some knowledge. Here is the line up I think we will see tonight and should see tonight
ReplyDelete1. Jeter Dh
2. Ichiro LF
3. AROD 3b
4. Cano 2b
5. Martin C
6. Tex 1b
7. Swish RF
8. Nix SS
9. Granderson CF
Ok first things first...if it ain't broke don't fix it. Jeter is a table setter and has been for the last 17 years. I understand your argument about wanting him in the 3 hole however, he is more comfortable getting on base and scoring runs then he is hitting with men on. He has 3 straight multi hit games leave him where he is.
Ichiro must be batting first or second and being that Jeter is leading off Ichiro is batting second.
OHHHH NOOO NOT AROD!!!! I know...i can't stand the thought of him batting third most nights. Tonight is different. Over the last 5 years AROD is a 455 hitter of Saunders. Hes also a competitive professional athlete who got embarrassed on the largest stage last night. If he is going to EVER have another big game its tonight. Also, in the event of a late inning match up against righty Jim Johnson, the break in case of emergency glass in front of Ibanez can be used.
Cano is a clean up hitter. enough said.
Martin is a .333 hitter over the last 5 years against Saunders and hes hitting the ball well. Hes my 5 hitter.
Texiera and Swisher have sucked in the playoffs. No questions there. Tex is hitting better this series so he gets the nod over swisher to bat 6th. Swish goes 7.
Here is where you being a Mets fan shows. Playing Nunez at short is fucking crazy. The guy couldn't field a ground ball to save his life. He is too much of a liability. Nix is a better fielding SS and oh....hes 3 for 10 with 3 homeruns off Saunders. Hes tonights starting SS if Jeter can't go and he bats 8th.
Granderson granderson granderson...You bat 9th. If it wasn't for his glove id leave him out all together.
I left Ibanez out of the lineup for 3 reasons. #1 Saunders is a lefty. (I know he hit one of a lefty to win it last night) #2 If Jeter needs to DH then there is no place for him to play. His glove is not as good as Ichiro or Swish and pitching and defense are important in the playoffs. #3 Hes the only one I trust off the bench. Yankees will not win with pinch hit Home Runs every night. It is nice to know that we have someone on the bench capable of doing it.
Thats my opinion and I think it makes a hell of a lot of sense.
-Krebs
(Part of the 2%)
krebs you can't bat swisher behind teixeira you said yourself that tex is swinging the bat better, why would you just give them the complete free pass to pitch around tex to pitch to swisher by putting swisher behind him? Yes, Martin is hitting the ball well if he keeps hitting the ball well in front of Jeter, then they're both on and Cano can drive them in. Plus he's going to see way more fastballs hitting in front of Jeter in the 2 hole than he is hitting in front of Tex in the 5 hole. It's a completely different spot in the lineup. Plus if Ichiro is on he's going to see ALL fastballs and we know he's been killing the fastball. And lastly it's the playoffs, you can't have this whole god forbid Ibanez hits against a lefty attitude. With Jeter DHing you're probably not going to use a bat off the bench anyway, so he needs to be in the lineup. You use Swisher late in the game for a defensive replacement. Nix is better defensively so I agree with you on that one. As for A-Rod, he does crush Saunders but who says he can't have a monster game from the 7 hole? He'll see better pitches to hit down lower in the order, it's the way baseball works my son. You made good points, but I had to take you to school on this one
ReplyDeleteKrebs, very good argument. I don't know what 2% you're referring to, but using the rationale that you a)read this blog and b) have time to comment on it I'm going to infer it's not the top 2% of the economic spectrum. Maybe the 2% of the population who is transgender, or like me, 2% of the population who actually liked "The Master of Disguise" That being said here is my proposed lineup.
ReplyDelete1)Jeter DH/SS
2)Ichiro LF
3)A-Rod 3B
4)Cano 2B
5)Tex 1B
6)Martin C
7)Ibanez RF
8)Granderson CF
9)Nix or Nunez DH/SS (If Jeter is Dh'ing, Play Nix, if not DH Nunez
I really shouldn't have to explain myself. I'll explain the "controversial picks."
3) Arod. Like Krebs said. Numbers. He mashes Joe Saunders and he can still get hot at any point and go on a fucking tear. I don't care that he's sucked in the postseason so far, if you want to completely eliminate him mentally move him down in the order. After last nights heroics he has something to prove to himself. He's going to have a big day.
5 and 6) Tex and Martin. I don't care how bad Tex has been hitting. I don't care how good Martin has been hitting. Martin hits fastballs. Joe Saunders ain't throwing him a fastball. Tex is just a flat out better hitter than Martin despite hitting like shit this postseason.
7) Ibanez not Swish. YOU DON'T NEED A GOLD GLOVE TO PLAY RF AT YANKEE STADIUM! I don't care about defense today. Ibanez earned his spot in the lineup after last night. Plain and simple. I don't care about matchups. Also, Swish has been flat out horrendous this post season.
9)As I stated in the lineup card. This spot is contingent on where Jeter is playing tonight.