Today's lineup, via @TheRealMariners:
Ichiro, RF
Bradley, DH
Gutierrez, CF
Lopez, 3B
Carp, 1B
Wilson, SS
Johnson, C
Saunders, LF
Figgins, 2B
The big changes: Mike Carp slides into the middle of the order, replacing Casey Kotchman, while Milton Bradley jumps up to #2 and Chone Figgins drops all the way down to #9.
Much has been and will continue to be made of how this order looks. Why punish Figgins for his .331 OBP and recent success, and then give more at bats to Bradley's .284 OBP and recent struggles? Why put Carp in the center? What's the method, here?
But, gun to my head, I'd wager this isn't about optimizing the lineup as much as it is about seeing whether some changes get different players going. Wak isn't saying Carp is better than Kotchman. He's giving Carp a chance to show what he can do. And Wak isn't saying Bradley deserves to bat higher than Figgins. He's seeing whether batting at the top behind Ichiro (and, most of the time, Figgins) gets Bradley to see different pitches and maybe put less pressure on himself. Bradley's struggles have been no secret, and even though we can say that he'll eventually regress to his career averages, sometimes a player needs a little push. Wak, I'm guessing, is trying to see whether this could be that push.
Ultimately, this probably won't change very much. This may not even last more than one day. It's just an experiment, and we're at the point now where a little experimentation really couldn't hurt.
To a point.
1 recs | 40 comments
Unless they are experimenting with meth.
That shit is addictive
ColeFitz88 - June 7, 2010
Huh... if someone told me they were bumping Figgins out of the two spot
I would have guessed Wilson would be moving in there, especially knowing the way these M’s seem to love to adjust the lineup to accommodate hot streaks
BaronVonBullshit - June 7, 2010
Wakamatsu has been a moron this season
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
Just to follow up, I fail to see how batting Figgins below Rob Johnson and Mike Carp makes any type of sense
Your best players should be the ones getting the most at-bats.
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
Want to have more people on base for Ichiro?
Jeff Sullivan - June 7, 2010
Make Figgins feel like he's back to leading off?
msb - June 7, 2010
Not have the bottom of the lineup be death when Rob Johnson and Tui are playing?
Mariner John - June 7, 2010
This may have a direct relation
To the 3 soul-crushing double plays that Figgy hit into this weekend. I’ll bet even cool-headed Wak wanted to take a bat to the water cooler (or Figgy’s head?) after seeing Ichiro doubled up for the 3rd time.
HititHere - June 7, 2010
There is something to be said for stoking the competitive fires of some players.
Some guys play better mad.
Gekko Mojo - June 7, 2010
How is batting 9th make him feel like he's leading off?
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
Well, the bases will always be empty...
Lucas Cervi - June 7, 2010
In the course of a game there is ussually multiple instances that the number 9 hitter leads off an inning.
the other side - June 7, 2010
What's the percentage on that compared to the other spots?
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
I have no idea.
the other side - June 7, 2010
Then just put Figgins back at leadoff
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
I'm pretty sure Felix's body would reject a partial graft of Mike Carp's face
lemonverbena - June 7, 2010
I'm actually excited to see how this pans out.
At the very least it gives me a reason to watch the game tonight.
sanford_and_son - June 7, 2010
We are gonna win so hard today
Punkhazard - June 7, 2010
Apparently it is possible to have a creation more horrifying than Bullpen Face
Mariner John - June 7, 2010
This is what I wanted to see last month.
This isn’t an optimal lineup so much as it is a “let’s do something different” lineup. It would’ve been more interesting to watch last month when the team’s offense was on life support. Now we’re doing it after we’ve given up 7+ runs a game over the weekend (even though the team still isn’t bunching hits together).
ThundaPC - June 7, 2010
Nothing wrong with any change when the old way wasn't working.
Thingray - June 7, 2010
Carpie Carpie Carp.
msb - June 7, 2010
He looks like a sad and fat WFB.
Thingray - June 7, 2010
With less chin.
msb - June 7, 2010
I was trying not to notice.
Thingray - June 7, 2010
And less grit
d0nkey - June 7, 2010
NO! He'd grown a cool 'stache in Tacoma
marc w - June 7, 2010
Maybe it was drawn on like Ronny Cedeno's?
marc w - June 7, 2010
Ew. Now I have the mental picture of Mike Carp with Jim Joyce's mustache.
msb - June 7, 2010
Nah, just trying to hang with the big dogs
like Steve Palazzolo .
marc w - June 7, 2010
He looks like the kind of guy that can hit a ball
With a big wooden stick.
HititHere - June 7, 2010
That is a weak chin
killer_ewok18 - June 7, 2010
Carp isn't pretty, but this gives him more incentive
to be a millionaire athlete so he can get girls (even if we’re talking about Elite International escorts in hotels).
Any change in the lineup looks good to me.
ignacio - June 7, 2010
So what is this, like the opposite of OCD? He can't have stuff the same twice?
the other side - June 7, 2010
Carp! Carp! Carp! Carp!
Wilder. - June 7, 2010
I like the lineup change
I think more of a shake-up like this may have a stronger effect than some of the previous changes just moving a player 1 or 2 spots here or there.
The changes make sense to stick to something like this because it can be successful, not only for the reason to just try anything new
fortyniners - June 7, 2010
There is no way Chone Figgins is going to be our 9 hitter the rest of the season. That's just assinine.
I don’t blame him for being pissed off about it.
There is only one sensical move that could have been made in regards to lineup and that would be moving Ichiro into the heart of the order.
Going Figgins, Bradley, Ichiro, Gutz, Lopez, Saunders, Wilson, Carp, catcher is something that would seem to make more sense.
Batting Figgins ninth and Carp fifth, and Rob Johnson 7th is just moronic in my opinion.
Rudy4three - June 7, 2010
Getting an extra at-bat definitely helps batting near the top of the order
But when the offense is struggling and 4 or 5 at bats don’t matter, I would do something with that lineup to make them more effective for some of those at-bats, rather than add another useless at-bat.
I would have liked to see Figgins 6th and Johnson 9th, don’t mind Carp at 5th yet.
I think its fine either way for Ichiro, 1st or like 3rd/4th. We need people to drive in players but then we won’t have someone like Ichiro always getting on base
fortyniners - June 7, 2010
Just noticed that Figgins is career under 0.200 batter against Feldman in about 30 AB's
fortyniners - June 7, 2010
If Ichiro ain't on board with that, the whole argument falls apart.
Gekko Mojo - June 7, 2010
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