DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Sizemore to hit second

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/02/no_swingers_allowed_cleveland.html

I know no one probably cares, but Paul Hoynes reports that the Indians have decided to hit Sizemore second and possibly lead off Cabrera. I'm all for the move; Sizemore strikes out way too much to lead off. Any thoughts out there?

IMO, Sizemore needs to hit 3rd, with Brantley leading off and Cabrera hitting 2nd. You want your 2-hole to be able to move the runner and get the leadoff guy in scoring position for the big dogs. Grady strikes out too much to hit 1st or 2nd.

Sizemore is probably our best hitter. I would bat him 3rd. I can justify him batting leadoff because he will get a few extra at bats. But the #2 hitter often has to sacrifice himself to advance the leadoff hitter (bunting or hitting behind the runner). Doesn't make sense to have your best hitter batting 2nd.

I don't have a problem with it,.... -- we don't have any bunters except maybe Sizemore.

Ive been wanting Sizemore to bat second since they traded Crisp. They never went out on got a lead off batter after that trade. I hope Cabrera is up for the spot.

One reason I loved the Loften signing a few years ago, but then Wedge would move him down to 7.

Honest question here...

What is it with you Tribe fans and your infatuation with the bunt? I listen to WTAM postgame most games driving home from work and every night there's at least 1 caller who calls to complain about the lack of bunting - not the same dude - a different one everytime. It's been about a three year thing from what I can remember.

Now on here you're talking about bunting with your best hitter on the team. Grady Sizemore isn't Albert Pujols and he isn't Juan Pierre - he's an all around good baseball player with I'd say "plus" pop.... yet you want him to bunt? Just doesn't make sense to me.

I've said before I'm a Pirates fan. Our comparable player to Grady is Andrew McCutchen. Right now he's batting leadoff but I can see him in a year or two batting 3rd (which IMO is where the best hitter goes, but I digress) and I sure don't think when that time comes I'll be wishing he'd lay one down once in awhile.

Just throwing it out there.

It's because Grady is the only guy who can actually hass-aff bunt on the team, and hitting in the two hole will/might cause some activity where a bunt is actually the vogue thing to do, and can actually be done because there is someone -- Grady -- there who can actually bunt. Actually.

It's like Wedge got "bunt" and "punt" mixed up when he was a kid,....

To me it makes since, but in reality, it's March 1st, lets see how it works itself out. I think thier is more upside than not but will see.

Any move (when you stink and are trying to get better) is worth a shot. Aside from the bunt crap (my theory) this should also relax Sizemore some from the pressure of leading off.

It has nothing to do with infatuation.

It has to do with playing the game of baseball.

As it stands with him at leadoff, he doesn't have much hitting behind him. If he goes to 2nd in the order or 3rd in the order, he should have a better bat behind him, which is going to do two things.

It's going to help him at bat as teams can't really pitch around him, and it is going to help whoever bats behind him if Grady gets on since he is a pretty good threat to steal a base. That hitter should see a pretty good dose of fastballs, which makes his job a whole lot simpler if he knows he is going to get at least a couple of fastballs to sit on.

In many ways the guy hitting in front of you is just as important as the guy hitting behind you.

You still want Sizemore hitting near the top of the order so has has a shot of getting on with only 1 out in the first inning. If he gets on with 2 outs , the running game isn't as viable since most teams don't like the third out being made on the base paths early in the game.

I think it is going to be advantageous for both Sizemore and Soo to be hitting next to each other in the order.

Look at it this way. You actually lead off a game/inning once for sure....the 1st inning. You may never be in that position again during the course of the game. You will always be in a position where the next hitter is a good hitter by dropping Sizemore to 2nd in the order.

You could do that by dropping Sizemore to 3rd, but as explained earlier, you take away some of the options you know you might have with the way you start off the game in the 1st inning....why totally give that away??

You also have to consider when leading off a game, a big part of your job is to get deep in the count, and take a couple of strikes. I always told my leadoff hitter he failed if he made a out before having 2 strikes on him. YOU FAILED EVEN IF YOU GOT A HIT WITH LESS THAN 2 STRIKES....a walk was your ideal. You were a big time success if you managed to make the pitcher throw 9 pitches...drive deep in the count and foul off a couple...so really, batting first in the order is almost like taking Sizemores bat out of his hands for 25-33% of the game

I think 2nd is a good move by Acta. Now Sizemore can look to drive the first good pitch he sees rather than look to make the pitcher throw a few extra pitches.

I hope that at least explains my thinking.

so here is a link to the top 100 mlb prsopects
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/03/02/top.prospects/index.html?eref=sihp

so, the indians only have 1 player in the top 30??? did we actually get anything in return for cliff lee or victor martinez?

Suprised to see Santanna so high up there though, Man the Rays appear to be loaded. I guess Brantley is now considered a major leaguer? I didnt find his name in there, also never heard of the 3b guy the story mentioned. Anyone have any info on him?

Thanks for clearing that up, i didn't want to have to research things.

We got a lot of guys who were on last years or the years before list.

I agree on Knapp....at 19 it is hard to crack many top 30 lists, especially with a arm question.

As you said, if he comes back sound, he could easily gain 25 slots before the season is out.

The talent on the farm isn't the problem.

And I don't feel it is as bad as some think on the big league club.

I have always said a manager might only account for 2-3 wins a season, but I feel a manager can cost you 30 wins with a lack of direction....and that was Wedge....

Now we are rebuilding, so the results Acta might bring may not show all that much this season since we did dump a few of our better players....but all things being equal, had Acta been here last year, I have a feeling we would have been more like .500....which would have taken us from 20 something out to maybe 6-7 games out.

im not too concerned about what we got for cc, because we basically gave him for the price of a 3 month rental to the Brewers.

I will actually watch more indians games this year because I know we will suck, anything more than that will be a bonus, last year was just depressing.

Just a general note...I wish there was more baseball talk in here...this kind of stuff.

Glad to see a few of you actually sound like you enjoy the game and know something about the game.

If I lived in Cleveland, I would have season tickets or at the least find 1 other who wanted to split tickets....any playoff seats would be split until deciding games happened, then my buddy and I would sit together.

Any of you play fantasy baseball? I have 2 teams on another board on which I post. Running 3 wouldn't be that big a deal. What else am I going to do at 6am other than manage my sports teams??? Have 2 basketball and 1 hockey team going right now.

It might get a little crazy when all the leagues start to overlap for a few weeks, but again, it doesn't take that much time.


If anyone does that sort of thing and needs a player, or if this board forms a group, send me a invite.

Don't make me list everyone who's gone,....

Go back to Belle -- not that he would be any good/help now,...

V-Mart
Manny
CC
Lee
Thome
even Casey,...Blake,...and
Casey,....Sean (retired now ?)


I look stupid here,...I mean what's the point ?

I know. It can be frustrating. I have come to terms with it because otherwise I wouldn't be able to enjoy watching/listening anymore.

And I can't imagine spring/summer without baseball as my backdrop (I got giddy last night for a long drive because UT vs. UT-Pan America was on the radio. First baseball broadcast of the year that I caught.)

You in Texas,...?

Quote:

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And I don't feel it is as bad as some think on the big league club.

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I agree to an extent. We definitely have proven offensive talent (Sizemore, Cabrera, Choo, Peralta), as well as very promising young offensive players (Brantley, Laporta, Brown, Santana). The bullpen has potential (IMO, anytime you have a proven closer, you have a chance to have a decent pen).

The problem is the starting picthing. Too many what ifs. If Westbrook is healthy, if Carmona returns to 07 form, if Masterson, Carrasco or Rondon continue to develop... Not one single certainty.

CC and Lee were certainly certain.

I know,...old, dead man, kicking his dead horse,....

They definitely were. I swore last year I was done when they traded Victor. Even starting missing a few games here and there at the end of the season. But, sure enough, like any good Cleveland fan, I'm back for more punishment. And even getting a little excited to see the new talent and (hopefully) watch it develop.

The full circle here is, that it's being done "as the business" of baseball allows,...it's not going to change, and that's what stinks.