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Saturday, April 6, 2013

High Cheese

Rollins not on top in Phillies Opening Day lineup

Ben Revere, not Jimmy Rollins, will lead off for the Phillies on Opening night in Atlanta.

Rollins not on top in Phillies Opening Day lineup

POSTED: Monday, April 1, 2013, 2:52 PM

Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer

The Phillies starting lineup tonight in Atlanta for the first game of the 2013 season against Braves righthander Tim Hudson:

1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Jimmy Rollins, SS
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Michael Young, 3B
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. John Mayberry Jr., RF
8. Erik Kratz, C
9. Cole Hamels, P

Yes, that's Ben Revere - not Jimmy Rollins - in the leadoff spot. Rollins has been the Phillies long-time leadoff hitter, but he also wasn't in the top spot in the lineup last year, either. With both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley on the disabled list a year ago, Rollins hit third on Opening Day 2012.

Rollins is hitting second tonight, which isn't too surprising since manager Charlie Manuel said he planned on feeling the situation out with both new, speedy center fielder Ben Revere and Rollins. Since the Braves are throwing a lefthander on Wednesday (Paul Maholm), there's a good chance Revere will remain at the top spot in the lineup - if Revere batted second, Manuel would be running three straight lefthanders out from the second through the fourth spots in the lineup.

The other news out of the lineup: John Mayberry Jr. gets the first start in right field, the only position where the Phillies don't have a clear-cut starter.

Interesting that Manuel went with the righthanded Mayberry against the righthanded Hudson? Maybe.

But Mayberry has hit .308 (4-for-13) with 2 home runs off Hudson in his career. He's walked four times and struck out twice.

The lefthanded-hitting Laynce Nix has also hit .308 in his career against Hudson (8-for-26) with one home run. He's walked once and struck out eight times.

Here's the Braves' lineup tonight:

1. Andrelton Simmons, SS
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Justin Upton, LF
4. Freddie Freeman, 1B
5. B.J. Upton, CF
6. Dan Uggla, 2B
7. Chris Johnson, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Tim Hudson, P

Comments (50)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:58 PM, 04/01/2013

So there you have it. The world should cease to exist any moment now ...

Give Charlie credit. I really didn't think he'd do it until the last week or so of spring training when it started to look like he really would.

— s

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:04 PM, 04/01/2013

Hes done it before and has looked for the first excuse to change it back.

— Sidewinder7

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:58 PM, 04/01/2013

Lets see if it lasts.

— Sidewinder7

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:05 PM, 04/01/2013

It looks like old dogs can learn new tricks, after all! Bisquick & Pooper34 probably think the line-up is a typo or some overly involved conspiracy, or something.

— The Pack Leader

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:13 PM, 04/01/2013

It should give Rollins a chance for more RBI's.

— Hghwyman47

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:29 PM, 04/01/2013

We'll just have to see how J-Roll adapts to the 2-hole. In order to allow Revere to steal, Jimmy is gonna have to show patience, and that has never been his strong suit. In the last half of 2012, Jimmy finally started to lay off the high cheese. Let's hope he can continue that trend in 2013.

— southpaw57

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:31 PM, 04/01/2013

just win.......

— kissamiazz

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:31 PM, 04/01/2013

I wish we could have bottled and stored all the negative energy and dialogue that was wasted about Charlie and his lineup leading up to this! I got tired of skimming over those comments to get to the substantive ones.

— terrycindyian

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:32 PM, 04/01/2013

Good thing Chollie keeps shoehorning Mayberry into the lineup. He hasn't had enough chances.

— hunglikeaton

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:46 PM, 04/01/2013

agreed, tonner. not sure what cholly or the phillies still see in mayberry. he is 29 and has yet show any true potential. thats a lot of floundering.

— theeducator

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:34 PM, 04/01/2013

I think Uncle Cholly was pressured into putting Revere leading off.

— BobbyD

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:34 PM, 04/01/2013

Playing Mayberry tonight is the right move, Tonner. He hits Hudson very well. Like the lineup tonight, Cholly!! Let's start the year off with a win!!

— vdstrading

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:49 PM, 04/01/2013

while im not sure what mayberry's stats are vs hudson, i know that mayberry was a paltry .229 vs righties last year.

— theeducator

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:02 PM, 04/01/2013

Both Nix and Mayberry hit.308 against Hudson. Mayberry has one more homer. Not sure that's exactly a landslide. The Tonner will hope for the best vdstrading. The Tonner's just seen enough of Mayberry.

— hunglikeaton

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:06 PM, 04/01/2013

so, .308 tells me it is an 8-for-26 deal. to me, that's not enough of a storied history. then again, its not like cholly had many options to consider in lieu of mayberry.

— theeducator