Reds Insider: Tonight's lineup

Friday, April 18, 2008

Tonight's lineup

Norris Hopper CF
Jeff Keppinger SS
Ken Griffey Jr. RF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Adam Dunn LF
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
Joey Votto 1B
Paul Bako C
Bronson Arroyo P

vs. RHP Ben Sheets

50 Comments:

at 3:08 PM

IndyCat said...

Any roster moves for tonight's game?

at 3:11 PM

Bearcat Ben said...

This should probably be the everyday lineup.

at 3:12 PM

Red Faced said...

I would certainly like to see Votto split Dunn and EE like he did last night.

at 3:16 PM

Mr. Redlegs said...

I hear from Luhlvul that all is quiet on roster changes for today. Interesting.

at 3:17 PM

Brendan T said...

It's good to see him give Hopper a start against a righty.

at 3:20 PM

Ankur Varma said...

Why no CP against Righty Sheets? Has Norris had success off him?

at 3:21 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Has Dusty finally decided to give Hopper a legit shot at playing CF and batting lead-off (I hope so) or is he just trying to set him up to fail against a tough RH pitcher like Ben Sheets to take some heat off of Patterson?

This is the lineup that should be out there everyday. Finally!
St CSA

at 3:23 PM

Swan Lewis said...

REDLEGS!!!!

at 3:24 PM

bp4..mvp said...

i was surprised to see hopper starting. is there any particular reasoning behind that??

at 3:26 PM

BATSFAN said...

Hey John I could be just seeing things, im watching the cubs pirates game on WGN, i could have sworn when Fukedome hit a double or triple in the bottom of the 4th, i think i saw some kind of beverage fly at the center fielder trying to get the ball. nobody said nothing about it but i thought i was something is there anyway you can check?

at 3:26 PM

omnired said...

Hopper leading off against a righty. I agree. Patterson should not be batting leadoff. I think Griffey would get to 600 faster if Dunn was batting cleanup instead of Phillips.

Hopefully, Encarnacion and Votto keep their streaks going, and Dunn finally starts getting some pitches to hit.

at 3:28 PM

Unknown said...

Hmm. Looks like Corey Patterson might have exposed himself as a bad leadoff option. OK yeah, we all knew that except for Dusty. I'd still bat him 7th in CF instead of Hopper. With the homers tossed in, he'd be more productive overall.

Let's break it down.

Bad Player: Bad OBP *AND* Bad Slugging
Good player: Good OBP *OR* Good Slugging
Great player: Good OBP *AND* Good Slugging

Patterson might still fall under good player down in the order.

at 3:31 PM

Unknown said...

I have a good feeling about this lineup. Let's see what Hopper can do against a righty.

at 3:32 PM

Anonymous said...

Interesting Hopper starting over Patterson. John, did Dusty give a reason why? Can't say I disagree, especially at the leadoff position.

at 3:39 PM

Anonymous said...

GO REDS!!!!!!

No Paterson!!!!!!!!

What,if any,roster moves?

at 3:48 PM

JackBlueAsh said...

Hopper and Keppinger together again..I am psyched

at 3:49 PM

Rob Dicken said...

This lineup was posted in another thread by another poster...

1.BP
2.Patterson/Freel/Hopper
3.EE
4.Griff
5.Dunn
6.Kepp
7.Votto
8.Valentine/Bako/Ross
9.Pitcher

Here's the problems that I see with this sort of lineup:

I like Phillips' speed, but he is the best hitter on the team. Your best hitter needs to hit in the 3rd spot in the batting order. If you don't give your best hitter on the team runners on base to drive in, how are runs going to be scored?

Keppinger should stay in the #2 spot in the batting order. He's your prototypical #2 hitter. He hits for average, and can also drive in runs. He's a "get 'em on, ge 'em over type of guy."

EE should be in the #5 hole ahead of Adam Dunn. Dunn needs moved down to #6, OR up to the #2 position in the lineup because he will see better pitching. Dunn has hit better statistically from the #2 spot in the lineup than he has in any other slot.

Here's what my lineup would consist of. Top-to-bottom it's solid, and statisically sound:

1. Hopper/Patterson/Freel
2. Jeff Keppinger
3. Brandon Phillips
4. Ken Griffey, Jr.
5. Edwin Encarnacion
6. Adam Dunn
7. Joey Votto
8. Bako/Valentin/Ross
9. Pitcher

In case of a right-handed pitcher, I would swap Votto and Encarnacion.

at 3:57 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

I hear that Dusty didn't even know that Fogg had made the team until after the roster was finalized. Sounds like The Amazing Krivsky doesn't even communicate well amongst his own people.
St CSA

at 4:00 PM

Joe said...

Hopper in CF - yes yes yes!

at 4:02 PM

omnired said...

If the roster change is that Fogg is going to the bullpen, then it makes sense that there wouldn't be a move until his rotation spot comes up again. This way the Reds can carry 8 relievers until they have to send someone down to make room for, presumably, Belisle.

at 4:03 PM

Brad said...

I'd also like to see Votto after Dunn. Dunn's got ZERO protection right now, and Joey would help. But the downside, then Joey has no protection from having Brandon Larson...I mean, EE following him.

at 4:06 PM

Anonymous said...

Nobody is asking the most important question up to this point in the season. What is up with that terrible JTM commercial with Bronson Arroyo & Chris Welsh? It is extremely cheesy & the sound is awful. I have to change the channel every time it comes on. Anyone else feeling this pain?

at 4:07 PM

JackBlueAsh said...

Way too much is made of the lefty -righty.....righty- lefty matchups

the problem with this team is simply they have not been very good hitters

you can always expect some drop off but not to the degree as experienced by this team

hopefully this changes as time progresses

I have a feeling that this team is a warm weather team and will do better

at 4:07 PM

Ankur Varma said...

I don't think Dusty knew Fogg was gonna be on the team until he actually signed and showed up to camp. I'm sure it wasn't that he didn't know Fogg was going to be on the roster at all.

Plus, though Fogg didn't have the best stuff in ST, there really wasn't anyone else that you could have thrown out there since Belisle was hurt. I think if they bring Belisle or Bailey up in the next week, the rotation will be strengthened.

at 4:25 PM

Anonymous said...

Neither Patterson or Hopper should be leading off. Hopper doesn't hit the ball past the outfielders. He's mainly got a push-bunt gimmick. Only win-starved fans like us would be satisfied with him as a lead off hitter.

It's time to bring Jay Bruce up to play centerfield, and for the Reds to play their best hitters even against LHP.

Keppinger SS
Votto 1B
Griffey RF
Phillips 2B
Dunn LF
Bruce CF
Encarnacion 3B
Bako/Ross C
Pitcher

OR

Keppinger
Phillips
Griffey
Dunn
Bruce
Votto
Encarnacion
Bako/Ross
Pitcher

at 4:30 PM

Scott said...

He knew he made the team. He didn't know about the signing.

at 4:31 PM

KevinFtMyers said...

I think the reason BP has been pressing is because he is in the 3hole. He needs to be hitting for average, not being the man to drive everybody in. Leave that to the big boys. In the 2 hole BP can be BP and the home runs will come with it.

Kepp (OBP)
BP (hit 4 avg, stolen bases)
Votto (prot by Griff and goes off)
Griff (prot by Dunn and goes off)
Dunn (Donkey bein Donkey)
Patt / Hopp (bunt, sac, squeeze)
Freel 3b (whtever, just less E5's)
Bako (just enough)
P (try not to strike out)

Questions about the current lineup:

Hows BP going to steal 30+ bases behind Griffey?

Hows Griffey going to hit 30+ HR "protected" by BP? (BP is NOT protection) A good hitter, but not "the hammer" that can get Griffey a couple driveable pitches.

Anybody see a problem with my wacky, outside the box lineup?

Remember, dont mention my name when you rip my lineup to shreds.

at 4:41 PM

Columbus Reds Fan said...

Here's my lineup:

CP/Freel
Keppinger
Griffey
Dunn
Phillips
Votto
EE
Bako

Speed at the top, better protection for Dunn and decent lefty/righty balance. Drop EE in the order until he shows some consistency. Send Hopper to AAA until Freel crashes into a wall. Hairston is better than Castro and Belisle is better than Fogg, call em up! Andy Phillips replaces Hopper for some much needed righty pop, I heard somewhere he hit 30 hrs one year in AAA, is that true?

at 4:55 PM

NVreds said...

1. Hopper/Patterson/Freel
2. Jeff Keppinger
3. Brandon Phillips
4. Ken Griffey, Jr.
5. Edwin Encarnacion
6. Adam Dunn
7. Joey Votto
8. Bako/Valentin/Ross
9. Pitcher

this is the first time I have ever read a lineup posted by a fan I actually agree with, that said I still lean towards the lineup dusty keeps writing on the card, only because dunng scores 100 runs as well as drives them in. his RISP may stink but with a runner on first i bet his numbers are pretty good, plus the walks are good for the guys near the bottom, i.e. EE and votto.

regardless, this is easily the best suggested lineup I've seen from a fan.

very interesting hopper is starting against a RH. personally i think patterson is an ok lead-off hitter, you can win with a leadoff guy having a low OBP and good other numbers (steals, rbis, etc). For example, how did chris young hit last yr, avg = .240, pretty sure they were successful he made up for it with his slugging% doubles/hrs kill.

That being said I am glad to see hopper get a start, Id like to see him and patterson split time 50-50.

at 4:59 PM

Unknown said...

"I like Phillips' speed, but he is the best hitter on the team."

Hmmm. I guess this all depends on what you think makes a great hitter. BP makes a lot more outs than some of the others when you consider OBP. That means plain and simple, others are extending the inning at a more frequent rate than he is, either by base hit or walk. Before you say walks isn't hitting, you've gotta know when to hit and when not to hit.

To me, best hitter is most productive hitter. Last year, Griffey, Dunn, Keppinger, Hamilton and Hatteberg were all more productive than BP. If you compare the at bats and the runs created, it's not even close. BP needed 650 at bats to put up his totals. The others had far less. If production isn't your thing, he didn't have the highest average either or anywhere near the highest OBP.

Phillips biggest problem is knowing when to swing and when not to swing. He chases a lot of junk. When he stops that, he certainly has an opportunity to be the best hitter, but I think that will end up being Votto or Bruce. He's slowly getting more patient, though.

at 5:04 PM

RickDinChicago said...

"I hear that Dusty didn't even know that Fogg had made the team until after the roster was finalized. Sounds like The Amazing Krivsky doesn't even communicate well amongst his own people."

John Fay mentioned in a previous post that Dusty didn't know the Reds had SIGNED Fogg until just after he was signed. John states in that same post the Dusty was not a big supporter of that move.

at 5:04 PM

Red Faced said...

I was looking back at the lineup we were using in Aug of last year when the team was playing pretty good ball and here's what it was:

1. Hopper
2. Keppinger
3. Phillips
4. Griffey, Jr.
5. Dunn
6. Hatteburg/Votto
7. Encarnacion
8. Valentin/Ross
9. Pitcher

I know it doesn't give you the lefty/righty/lefty that Dusty likes but it was pretty effective for us last year and Dunn had an excellent second half from this spot. I say give it a whirl.

at 5:21 PM

Mr. Doom and Gloom said...

interesting insights re: BP's struggles...anyone know where he was at in the order last year when he was most productive?

at 5:22 PM

Unknown said...

Where's the MIL Lineup? Is Bill Hall playing? He loves to hit 2 or three HRs per game at The Ol' Smallpark !

at 5:49 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

glad to hear that the Ayoyo and the Creep commercial is as annoying to others than it is to me.
St CSA

at 6:05 PM

Al in Ohio said...

The righty/lefty issue aside, I'm surprised that Patterson's not in the line-up because of the series he had up in Milwaukee. Also, having come up in the NL Central, I'd think he's familiar with Sheets. Oh well, there's probably some deeply intricate, old-school baseball reason for Hopper being in there that I just wouldn't understand.

at 6:09 PM

Al in Ohio said...

Here's tonight's Brewers' line-up, courtesy of the Journal Sentinel:

2B Craig Counsell
SS JJ Hardy
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
RF Corey Hart
3B Bill Hall
CF Gabe Gross
P Ben Sheets
C Jason Kendall

Notice that the Brewers have actually dropped Hall in the line-up. He's struggling badly. Let's hope (well, "I" hope) seeing the Reds again can break him out of it.

at 6:17 PM

Kurt said...

My line up would be:

Bruce CF
Kep SS
JR LF
Dunn RF
Phillips 2B
Votto 1B
EE Waring
Bako/Ross
P

Paterson should not lead off and if they don't bring bruce up, then patterson should hit 6th or 7th and then I would move Votto to lead off, he has speed and a good OBP, maybe swith with Kepp in the 2 hole. Waring might be a reach, but he has pop to his bat which he proved in college. I can live with EE for now.

Bring Homer up for Fogg and McBeth for Coffey. Bray is looking good, could be another option.

at 6:28 PM

John Fay said...

Patterson has 19 strikeouts in the 41 at-bats against Sheets and he struggled in the series in Chicago.

at 7:41 PM

Al in Ohio said...

Does anyone else on here remember earlier in the spring when someone on this board posted a comment that if the Reds were to acquire Erik Bedard, they would have three legitimate Cy Young candidates, Harang, Bedard......and Bronson Arroyo? Would anyone own up to that now?

at 7:55 PM

Al in Ohio said...

I'm not as critical of announcers as some are, but Chris Welsh just said that Prince Fielder was impatient with the bases loaded in his first at-bat. Now mind you, he hit a fairly deep flyball which scored a run. Wouldn't the Reds have more success if Adam Dunn and others could do that more consistently?

at 8:01 PM

Al in Ohio said...

Well, Scott, there's one from Hall for you. That looked like a batting practice HR.

at 8:15 PM

redsfanwoody said...

It's too bad the Brewers couldn't close the deal and win the Central last year. When they do,I will listen more intently to you Al.(This is not meant to be mean). Just feeling bitter.

at 8:31 PM

Al in Ohio said...

I don't think any of my posts tonight have been necessarily pro-Brewers or anti-Reds. In fact, I'm looking both teams' blogs, and just said on the other one that BP is single-handedly keeping the Reds in the game.

at 8:42 PM

Al in Ohio said...

This from a the Brewers blog on JS, from another Brewers fan:

"Phillips is playing amazing today. WOW. clap clap"

at 8:57 PM

CincyFanDrew said...

I'm sick of Bronson, on the mound and on those horribly made commericals. Really I don't know which is worse watching him pitch or watching him sing. At least with the singing I can mute it. He isn't a No. 2 starter, he just can't pitch that well, he'd be good as a 3rd or 4th, maybe.

at 9:39 PM

Frank Robinson's Ghost said...

I certainly would not criticize another poster, but it is good to be aware of facts underlying our posts.

I have been informed that Dunn adn Fielder each hit 4 Sac. Flies last year. I have also been informed that Fielder has 2 Sac flies this year, while Dunn has 1.

That doesn't seem to me to be a significant difference.

at 9:48 PM

Red Faced said...

HEY DO YOU GUYS HEAR THAT!!!???

Yeah, neither do I, it must be our bats.

Tomorrow's game all left-handed batters must bat right-handed and all right-handers will bat left. Can't be much worse can it?

I don't know if you all felt it but around 5:30 am this morning I actually felt our run production hit rock bottom. It shook the entire house and woke me and the wife.

at 10:38 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Why would he be any good as a 3RD or a 4th? They get just as many starts as a 1 or 2. If you can't pitch you can't pitch. How many more years are we stuck with him? Another great contract by The Amazing Krivsky.
St CSA

at 6:07 AM

Al in Ohio said...

I wonder if it's recorded somewhere how many times Adam Dunn failed to get a runner home from third base last year (and this one), since that was the gist of my post last night.

Although now that I see that Adam Dunn's sac fly numbers match Prince Fielder's, heckfire, I wish the Brewers would trade Prince for Dunn, straight up!

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Friday, April 18, 2008

Tonight's lineup

50 Comments: