Charlie and The Lineup Factory
After the front office added two new everyday players, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel takes a stab at the lineup.
Charlie and The Lineup Factory
Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer
The last time Charlie Manuel addressed the Phillies beat scribes, we were all in Nashville having lunch and the front office hadn't done a thing to improve the roster.
But just before Manuel and Co. boarded a plane bound for Philly on Thursday, Manuel knew there was a very good chance he had two new pieces for his starting lineup. The Phils traded for center fielder Ben Revere and were awaiting word for Michael Young to accept the third base job.
On Monday, with most of his starting nine accounted for, Manuel tried to take a stab at his 2013 batting order.
"You know, when I think about it, Michael Young, I can hit him quite a few places," Manuel began. "And in the year, two years, Ben has mostly hit second. But, you know what. I can sit here and go over lineups all I want to, but when it really gets down to it, who we have on the corners and in the outfield, that's what is going to dictate where our lineup falls. You can say whatever you want to, but if you're going to have production, as far as RBI and runs scored..."
Like you, Manuel is waiting for the next move. And if history is any indication, there will be another move.
The Phils aren't going to run the foursome of Domonic Brown, Darin Ruf, Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. into the final two spots in their outfield. After trying to fill one corner outfield spot with question marks in each of the last two seasons, there is no chance they go into 2013 with two question marks in the corners.
In 2011, the Phils hoped to replace departed free agent Jayson Werth with Domonic Brown. But Brown got hurt early in spring training, Ben Francisco struggled and the team eventually traded for Hunter Pence.
In 2012, the Phils hoped to replace departed free agent Raul Ibanez with John Mayberry Jr., who finished the previous season on a tear. But Mayberry never took hold of the job when the season began and was out-played by Juan Pierre, a limited veteran who played above the minor league contract he signed last winter.
The Phils could platoon one of those two spots in 2012 - say, Brown and Ruf in left. But they know they need a proven bat in the other spot, and after going cheap in center, they have money to spend, too.
Among the outfield bats still on the free agent market: Josh Hamilton, Nich Swisher and Cody Ross.
Since Charlie won't entertain a lineup until all of the pieces are in place, here's one man's guess. (I'm sticking Carlos Ruiz in there since he will be back as the team's regular catcher following a 25-game suspension).
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Carlos Ruiz, C
6. Free Agent, RF
7. Darin Ruf/Domonic Brown, LF
8. Ben Revere, CF
9. Pitcher
"if history is any indication..." waiting for the next Herndon, Baez, Contreras, Willis, Qualls, Pineiro, Lindblom... Clueless rube sure knows how to spot talent ..those "low risk, high reward" moves are always so productive...— warbiscuit- You loved Qualls when he was signed dopey tool — DogBiscuitthedope
- shame someone had to bring up Chollie's name, as fans are currently dealing with Eagles mess and imbecile Clueless Rube's mismanagement and didn't need to be reminded about the doofus in the dugout too— warbiscuit
- Yeah every GM and manager are clueless, shame they can't all be as smart as the brilliant idiotdopeymoronctoolbiscuit. — DogBiscuitthedope
- Revere should hit 8th. It isn't ALL about OBP in the lead off spot. JRoll produces runs, gets extra base hits, and steals enough bagz. JRoll isn't the "prototype" like Lou Brock, but you haters underestimate how good he is.... 23 hr's , 30 steals, 102 runs scored and 68 RBI from the lead off spot for Jimmy. Love him for the player he is.... Not who you think he should be. Revere is a perfect 8 hole hitter in the NL....— cdedrick05
- Sure, bury the guy who hits for average and has the potential to steal 60 plus bases at #8. Put the guy who has the penchant to pop up and stroll down to first base in the leadoff spot, because, you know, he hits a bunch of solo HRs. Makes perfect sense.
— Sam Crow - Hey bud, have you actually looked at the numbers? JRoll has a HIGHER career OBP and OPS than Revere. He gets more extra base hits too. Therefore he scores more runs. And how do you get 68 rbi with all solo home runs? The case for JRoll to leadoff is backed by actual facts, not shallow opinions based on 10 extra stolen bases. — cdedrick05
- wow...thats what we have to look forward to this summer? Ouch. That lineup sucks. They better get a real good FA....— scootch
- Another genius — DogBiscuitthedope
- so-called dogiscuitthedope aka texasyankee said last year that Blanton and Worley are 2 of the best starters in baseball, that Wigginton is better than Pujols and Fielder, that Schwimer would be a future closer and should be offered a long-term deal, that Millard Filmore trailed only Jimmy Carter as this country's best president, insited that Rick Schu was better than Mike Schmidt, never heard of Ted Williams, that Cal Ripken had only marginal talent and that North Korea's president was a wonderful adminstrator... blah blah blah— so-called dogbiscuitthedope is a dope
- Ok it’s now time to review the genius that is DopeBiscuit. He wanted to sign Carlos Pena (LOL, great call idiot) Wanted to sign Mike Gonzalez who is currently out of baseball (LOL, great call idiot) I guess he’s smarter than all GM’s in baseball. Wanted to sign Derek Lee who is currently out of baseball (LOL, great call idiot) I guess he’s smarter than all GM’s in baseball. And last but certainly not least he screamed like a dopey tool that RAJ should have kept Madson over Papelbon and we all know how that turned out. Any more great ideas? LOL what a moronic clown. — DogBiscuitthedope
- The lineup will be a non-stop distraction for the next 4 months. Any lineup that has Rollins leading off and Utley and Howard back to back is a joke.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- hey dogbiscuithedope how's your buddy Heath Bell whom you wanted Rube to sign doing? how about your brother Dontrelle Willis who was going to be a lefty specialist? how about Ron Paul who was supposed to be president...was that really you in the grassy knoll while faking the Moon landing?— so-called dogbiscuitthedope is a dope
- hey dogbiscuitthedope: when RonPaul is inaugurated as president on Febr. 30 will he make you Chief Propaganda Officer?— so-called dogbiscuitthedope is a dope
- hey dogbiscuithedope if you spend all your time and efforts spewing lies, misinformation and insults, do you really think that will persuade the other few million Phillie fans that Chollie Manuel is really a brain-surgeon and that Ruben Amaro really did a tip-top job signing Howard for $125 million, and signing Ibanez, Polanco ,Blanton, Baez, Gload, Schneider, Qualls, Thome, etc and making big trades to rent, e.g., Pence? did you ever read Animal Farm -- did you realize that the pigs were spouting propaganda and that repeating lies and nonsense doesn't make it so? and that's why Ron Paul won't be president— so-called dogbiscuitthedope is a dope
