Cubs manager Lou Piniella feels the media fantasize about the Cubs' lineup. Knowing most of the media, Cubs lineups are deep on their list of fantasies. Judging from our e-mail, fans have their own fantasies about lineups.
So here's your chance. With Alfonso Soriano set to come off the disabled list Thursday, there will be a new dynamic to the Cubs' lineup. How would you fill out the top eight?
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Chris De Luca covers baseball for the Chicago Sun-Times. E-mail Chris De Luca.
Gordon Wittenmyer covers the Cubs for the Chicago Sun-Times. E-mail Gordon Wittenmyer.
This page contains a single entry by Chris De Luca published on April 27, 2008 1:11 PM.
Murton up, Patterson down was the previous entry in this blog.
Soriano activated, Murton sent down is the next entry in this blog.
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1. Johnson
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Soriano
5. Ramirez
6. Soto
7. Derosa
8. Cedeno
1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Johnson
1. johnson
2. fukudome
3. lee
4. ramirez
5. soriano
6. derosa
7. soto
8. theriot
Johnson
Theriot
Fukudome
Lee
Soriano
Ramirez
Derosa
Soto
The ONLY thing I would do is keep Johnson in the leadoff spot and have Soriano batting down in the order probably at the #6.
1. Johnson
2. Fukudome
3. Soriano
4. Lee
5. Ramirez
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Theriot
1. Johnson
2. Theriot
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. Soriano
7. Soto
8. DeRosa
Fukudome has been productive in the 5 spot, so I say let that continue for now. And the 6 hole should allow Soriano to ease his way back in the lineup. The whole Soriano "DL thing" has proven once and for all that the Cubs and Soriano both are better off with him down in the order so he can produce more runs.
1. Theriot
2. Fukudome
3. D.Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Johnson
Soriano bats 5th until he heats up and then goes the #3 bumping Lee and ARam to 4 and 5. Lots of speed at the top. Winner, winner chicken dinner.
1. Johnson
2. Fuku
3. Lee
4. Aram
5. Soto
6. Soriano
7. DeRosa
8. Pitcher
9. Theriot
Soriano stinks, end of story. Soto should get more RBI opportunities. Pie should be in the lineup more, perhaps instead of Soriano (who stinks). Theriot 9th as second leadoff. And, please, please stop this "winner winner chicken dinner" garbage; it's not funny, it's not even catchy.
1. Johnson
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramierez
5. Soriono
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Theriot
Just tell Soriono, "Just pretend you're hitting leadoff after Ramierez clears the bases."
1. Johnson
2. Soriano
3. D-Lee
4. A-Ram
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. The Riot
When Pie is in the line-up. It makes the top heavy, but also puts Pie in a position to do what he does best, HIT FASTBALLS!
1. Soriano
2. Fukudome
3. D-Lee
4. A-Ram
5. DeRosa
6. Pie
7. Soto
8. The Riot
1. Johnson
2. Theriot
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Soriano
9. Pitcher
1. Johnson
2. Soriano
3. D-Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa
7. Theriot
8. Soto
This lets Soriano see a lot of fastballs with Johnson on base.
theriot
fukudome
soriano
lee
ramierz
soto
derosa
johnson
Against RH
1. Ryan Theriot
2. Felix Pie
3. Derrek Lee
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Kosuke Fukudome
6. Alfonso Soriano
7. Mark DeRosa
8. Geovany Soto
Against LH
1. Reed Johnson
2. Ryan Theriot
3. Derrek Lee
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Kosuke Fukudome
6. Alfonso Soriano
7. Mark DeRosa
8. Geovany Soto
Fontenot, Murton, Cedeno, and Blanco should each start once a week, minimum.
Johnson IS the best pure leadoff hitter, but Felix Pie needs to play, and he needs to bat 2 so he'll get pitched to. Theriot can handle himself leading off; the only downside is batting Geo as low as 8, but he'll still drive in runs, and he's a more patient hitter than can handle being pitched around. Also, in both lineups, we put our fastest three in the top three spots, leading to more stolen bases, and more pressure on defenses and pitching staffs.
Reed Johnson
Ryan Theriot
Derrek Lee
Aramis Ramirez
Kosuke Fukudome
Alfonso Soriano
Mark DeRosa
Geovany Soto
Think about the RBIs for Soriano batting behind the big men.
Maybe I'm crazy...
1 Fukudome
2 Johnson
3 Lee
4 Soriano
5 Ramirez
6 DeRosa
7 Soto
8 Theriot
Top of the order players need to get on base. Period.
Johnson
Fukudome
Lee
Ramirez
Soriano
DeRosa
Soto
Theriot/Cedeneo
If Pie starts
Fukudome
DeRosa
Lee
Ramirez
Soriano
Soto
Pie
Theriot/Cedeneo
JOHNSON
THERIOT
LEE
RAMIREZ
FUKUDOME
SORIANO
SOTO
DEROSA
1 - Fukudome
2 - Theriot
3 - Lee
4 - Ramirez
5 - Soriano
6 - Johnson
7 - DeRosa
8 - Soto
9 - Pitcher
1. Theriot
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. Derosa
7. Soto
8. Pie
Soriano is not a leadoff hitter, period. You cannot be our #1 batting below .200. He needs to be deeper in the lineup to be the power hitter he tries to be when he swings the bat. I like Fukudome in the #2 slot b/c it gives an almost automatic baserunner for D-Lee to drive in runs. D-Lee is constantly hitting with no men on base.
1. R. Johnson
2. R. Theroit
3. D. Lee
4. A. Ramirez
5. K. Fukudome
6. A. Soriano
7. M. DeRosa
8. C. Zambrano
9. G. Soto
1.Johnson
2.Soriano (better pitches+speed
3.Lee
4.Ramirez
5.Fukudome
6.Theriot
7.Derosa/Cedeneo
8.Soto
1-Johnson
2-Theriot
3-Lee
4-Ramirez
5-Fukudome
6-Soriano
7-Soto
8-Cedeno
put soriano on a plane somewhere.
do we really need 136 million pop-ups & strike-outs?
1- JOHNSON- CF
2- THERIOT- SS
3- LEE- 1B
4- RAMIREZ- 3B
5- FUKUDOME- RF
6. SORIANO- LF
7- DeROSA- 2B
8- SOTO- C
9- SUTCLIFFE- P
Johnson
Lee
Ramirez
Fukudome
Derosa
Johnson (in disguise)
Lee(in disguise)
Ramirez (in disguise)
Fukudome (in disguise)
I'd rather see Soriano bat cleaup to utilize his power, with Ramirez behind him so he still sees a decent amount of fastballs, so ideally, Johnson, Fukudome, Lee, Soriano, Ramirez, DeRosa, Soto, and Cedeno/Theriot. If Lou is dead set on batting Soriano leadoff, then I'd move the the pitcher to seventh, followed by Johnson and Cedeno/Theriot, to give Soriano some RBI opportunities. The fact that 23 of his 33 homers last year were solo shots speaks volumes. So if Soriano is leading off, the lineup would be Soriano, Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez, DeRosa, Soto, pitcher, Johnson, and Cedeno/Theriot.
1-Fukudome
2-Cedeno
3-Lee
4-Ramirez
5-Soriano
6-Soto
7-Johnson
8-Derosa
The top two in the lineup should be Theriot and his LSU buddy.
No 3 should be Fukudome, No 4, Ramirez, No. 5, Lee, Soriano, Soto, and DeRosa. The problem is that this lineup has only two lefthanded hitters, one a switcher. The Cubs need to trade DeRosa for a lefthand hitting infielder.
I agree with Pete W's lineup selection. With good pitching, the Cubs could definitely be a winner.
1 Larry Bowa
2 Ron Cey
3 Jody Davis
4 Bob Dernier
5 Leon Durham
6 Gary Matthews
7 Keith Moreland
8 Ryne Sandberg
Ahhh the '84 Cubs...
1. Theroit
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. Soto
7. Johnson
8. DeRosa
When you have Cedeno in line up, you can move the pitcher spot up in the line-up and move Soriana back at lead off if Lou is set on keeping Soriano happy and give him a chance to be a team player and drive in some runs with some good batters in the eight or nine spot..
johnson,fukudome,lee,soto,ramirez,soriano,cedeno,theriot...with Derosa as the swing man
1. Johnson
2. Fukudome
3. Soto
4. D.Lee
5. Ramirez
6. Soriano
7. Theriot
8. DeRosa
In my honest opinion, Soto has been penned in too low in the batting order. I think he would fit well in the third spot with Lee and Ramirez dropping to four and five. Then have Soriano, who's in need of some polishing for the first few games back; batting sixth.
THERIOT
FUKUDOME
LEE
RAMIREZ
SORIANO
FONTENONT
SOTO
DEROSA
Would like to see DeRosa traded for a lefthanded hitter, or Lee for Griffey.
THERIOT
FUKUDOME
LEE
RAMIREZ
SORIANO
FONTENONT
SOTO
DEROSA
Would like to see DeRosa traded for a lefthanded hitter, or Lee for Griffey.