Would Dusty Be Dumb Enough...

[Outshined_One]

To have his 3-4-5 look something like...

 

Lee

Jones

Ramirez

 

Just to split up the two righties?

[B]

Yes.

[daske17]

"Dude, if it's one thing I know about pitching, it's how to hit it. And the world will swallow our entire lineup if I don't go r-l-r-l-r-l-r-l-stupid pitcher can't hit."

[Jon]

Add another yes.

[USSoccer]

Of course he would, and of course the convential wisdom of the majority of the beat writers would not call him out for it.

 

I fully expect a cleanup hitting Jones to cost Ramirez a ton of RBI opportunities.

[YearofDaCubs]

That's what it will be. Bank on it.

[sweetpeteman]

I fully expect him too.

[E.J.]

He put Burnitz in-between the two for most of last season. It's a no-brainer that he'd do it again this year.

[BigbadB]

I have my money on him hitting 2nd on the rare occasion Neifi gets a day off. When Neifi plays, then sure, pencil in Jones smack dab in between Lee and Ramirez.

 

This is still one of my favorite stats this offseason: Neifi and Jacque combined to hit into 39 double plays last year. :cheers:

[coolpoppa]

I wouldn't be shocked at all to see the middle of the lineup look just like that. To some extent, I can understand it....and with Lee in front of him, I could see Jones push 100 RBIs this year. But, the pessimist in me knows that it isn't going to happen. Lee's numbers will be severly hurt this year by having no protection behind him in the four spot. Dont get me wrong, Burnitz didn't offer much protection either, which further speaks of Lee's spectacular season.... Lee was an absolute stud. I will be watching eagerly to see if he can repeat what he did last year or if it was one and done. I worry that he'll have a lineup around him that won't help his bid to repeat it.

 

If the lineup doesn't produce, it's Hendry's fault, not Dusty's.

[SouthSideRyan]

He learned his lesson from Burnitz around midseason last year. I'm hopeful it doesn't take another 81 games from Jones.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Different ways to end that question and still get a yes...

 

- To have his 3-4-5 look something like Lee Jones Ramirez

- To start Neifi at SS ahead of Ronny and bat him 1st or 2nd

- To have Corey platoon with Murton because "the dude's fast"

- To stick his hand in his snow blower's auger because his toothpick fell in it

- To start urinating on his toothpicks because Moises says they'll be tougher

[UK1679666180]

Having Jones as your #5 hitter, shows that this team needs another middle of the order hitter.

[coolpoppa]

Having Jones as your #5 hitter, shows that this team needs another middle of the order hitter.

 

Couldn't agree more.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There is no way. Jones is fast, he'll hit 2nd.

[BigbadB]

If the lineup doesn't produce, it's Hendry's fault, not Dusty's.

 

Hmm. I'm in agreement that Hendry deserves partial blame, but I can't blame him entirely. If Dusty runs Neifi or Jacque Jones out there in the #2 spot instead of Walker or Murton, then Dusty deserves just as much blame. Of all the other players in the history of the major leagues to have 99 XBH's in a season, Derrek Lee's 2005 was far and away the lowest RBI output of that group. Why? Because Dusty put Patterson, Neifi, Macias, Enrique Wilson, etc... in the top spots of the order in front of Lee instead of using guys who can actually get on base.

 

If you blame Hendry entirely for not Dusty-proofing the line up so Dusty couldn't mess it up, that's something entirely different. Hendry would then deserve all the blame for not just firing Dusty so he wouldn't put himself in the position of having to Dusty-proof the line up.

[Jon]

There is no way. Jones is fast, he'll hit 2nd.

Jones didn't earn that spot like Neifi did.

 

Plus, Jones isn't as talented when it comes to fouling off breaking balls outside of the strike zone while a runner is trying to steal second.

[BigbadB]

I'm going to list 15 different players that never should have had any business batting in the top two spots in the batting order that DID bat in those spots during Dusty Baker's tenure. I left out the one's who were deserving of being there, like Walker, Hairston, Grudz, Lawton and even a guy like Jody Gerut or Ramon Martinez. The guys I'm listing have always featured horrible OBP's, and in parentisis is their number of at bats in those top two spots under Dusty:

 

Alex Gonzalez (315) .303

Tony Womack (42) .316

Lenny Harris (17) .318

Corey Patterson (675) .293

Jose Hernandez (6) .312

Trenidad Hubbard (6) .333

Doug Glanville (32) .315

Tom Goodwin (146) .332

Augie Ojeda (1) .294

Jose Macias (146) .298

Damian Jackson (12) .325

Calvin Murray (3) .315

Neifi Perez (435) .301

Rey Ordonez (21) .289

Enrique Wilson (6) .288

 

Edited to add career OBP of each player.

 

All totaled, that's 1863 at bats (the equivilent of 3 full seasons) from .320 or worse (mostly worse) hitters at the top of the order.

 

Cool, huh?

[cjbucks]

Saw the thread title and thought rhetorical question........................right?

[Jon]

Cool, huh?

Depressing, too.

[Laura]

There is no way. Jones is fast, he'll hit 2nd.

 

Nah, corner outfielders don't hit 2nd.

 

Unless maybe a Macias or Neifi type is put out there. Which is a whole different problem to have.

[gus_dog]

Absolutely, unequivocably, yes. It's not about Dusty being dumb. It's more about his veteran loyalties to a fault. Dumb? Nah. Insane? Maybe.

[Hector Villanuevas Pants]

Against right-handed pitching, it wouldn't be a terrible move to hit Jones 4th since he hits quite well against rightys. Against left-handed pitching, I wouldn't hit him at all. This is where the problem will likely come unless Hendry picks up another out fielder who hits left-handed pitching, so Jones can sit.

[RynoRules]

I'm going to list 15 different players that never should have had any business batting in the top two spots in the batting order that DID bat in those spots during Dusty Baker's tenure. I left out the one's who were deserving of being there, like Walker, Hairston, Grudz, Lawton and even a guy like Jody Gerut or Ramon Martinez. The guys I'm listing have always featured horrible OBP's, and in parentisis is their number of at bats in those top two spots under Dusty:

 

Alex Gonzalez (315) .303

Tony Womack (42) .316

Lenny Harris (17) .318

Corey Patterson (675) .293

Jose Hernandez (6) .312

Trenidad Hubbard (6) .333

Doug Glanville (32) .315

Tom Goodwin (146) .332

Augie Ojeda (1) .294

Jose Macias (146) .298

Damian Jackson (12) .325

Calvin Murray (3) .315

Neifi Perez (435) .301

Rey Ordonez (21) .289

Enrique Wilson (6) .288

 

Edited to add career OBP of each player.

 

All totaled, that's 1863 at bats (the equivilent of 3 full seasons) from .320 or worse (mostly worse) hitters at the top of the order.

 

Cool, huh?

 

Wholly (*expletive*) thats one ugly list.

[Andy]

I'm going to list 15 different players that never should have had any business batting in the top two spots in the batting order that DID bat in those spots during Dusty Baker's tenure. I left out the one's who were deserving of being there, like Walker, Hairston, Grudz, Lawton and even a guy like Jody Gerut or Ramon Martinez. The guys I'm listing have always featured horrible OBP's, and in parentisis is their number of at bats in those top two spots under Dusty:

 

Alex Gonzalez (315) .303

Tony Womack (42) .316

Lenny Harris (17) .318

Corey Patterson (675) .293

Jose Hernandez (6) .312

Trenidad Hubbard (6) .333

Doug Glanville (32) .315

Tom Goodwin (146) .332

Augie Ojeda (1) .294

Jose Macias (146) .298

Damian Jackson (12) .325

Calvin Murray (3) .315

Neifi Perez (435) .301

Rey Ordonez (21) .289

Enrique Wilson (6) .288

 

Edited to add career OBP of each player.

 

All totaled, that's 1863 at bats (the equivilent of 3 full seasons) from .320 or worse (mostly worse) hitters at the top of the order.

 

Cool, huh?

 

Wholly (*expletive*) thats one ugly list.

That ought to tell you all you need to know about Johnnie B. Baker.