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I found it interesting on Sunday while reading the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to find out that the Milwaukee Brewers are switching Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder in the lineup this year. Braun hit third last year, while Fielder was in the cleanup spot. Now, according to Tom Haudricourt, the Brewers are going to move Fielder ahead of Braun in 2008.



The reasoning is that Braun was unable to use his speed hitting ahead of Fielder because if he singled and stole a base the opposing pitcher would then just pitch around Fielder and walk him. It looks like Mike Cameron could hit third, Fielder fourth and Braun fifth, giving Fielder similar RBI opportunities and better protection. Or Fielder will move up to third, Braun to the cleanup spot and Cameron fifth. Either way, it looks like Braun will be hitting behind Fielder this year.



GM Doug Melvin said the Brewers have four guys who could post 20/20 seasons in Braun, Cameron, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart. "Sometimes, we've looked like a team that goes base to base," Melvin said in the article. "We can be a lot more aggressive this year. There are better athletes on this team right now than there were at the start of last year."



[ January 23, 2008, 09:09 AM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Batting Cameron third or fifth? Naah! I wouldn't. Bat Hart 3rd (he has as much or more speed as Braun), Fielder 4th, and Braun 5th. Then you would not walk Fielder to get to Braun.



Bat Cameron 2nd (he strikes out a lot, but has a better OBP than Hardy), Hall sixth, Hardy 7th, Kendall 8th.



That reeks for Hardy, but he has no speed. Good protection for Hart, though. Makes the back half of your line-up pretty slow, but not sure the Brewers want Hall/Cameron hitting back to back. Between the two of them, the K's will kill you.

I think we'll see Fielder/Braun/Cameron/Hart once Cameron returns from his suspension. My preference would be to keep Hart in the fifth hole behind Braun and bat Cameron sixth or seventh depending on how Bill Hall is hitting.

If Hart hits in front of Fielder, does that mean that his SB's could be down using the same rationale?

seeing as brewers management lost the nl central i would put zero faith in them. they obviously have done a great job of developing talent. boys- it can't be more obvious- the time is now. the cubs finally are spending the $ to win- instead of market wrigley field and the reds appear to have a brain. no way you lose last year with proper management. the time is now- and the window will be closing. small market teams just don't have forever to build a team. so figure out a line up and a batting order and quit playing for tomorrow- it may never come. ps- you want people on base when fielder gets up. if hart braun and fielder hit .300 and get on base at a good clip- don't mess that up with cameron stuffed between any of them. who cares if hart gets the rbis- just win.

Originally posted by Joe Sambito:

If Hart hits in front of Fielder, does that mean that his SB's could be down using the same rationale? obviously

Originally posted by Joe Sambito:

If Hart hits in front of Fielder, does that mean that his SB's could be down using the same rationale? If it is Hart/Fielder/Braun in the 3/4/5 hole? I think it is unlikely that Fielder gets walked so the pitcher can "get" to Braun if he is the hitter we on these boards think he is.



The greater impact on Braun would be if the Prince is clogging the basepaths in front of him, but that would be the case as well if Braun was hitting third with Hardy (no speedster) in front of him.

Originally posted by headhunters:

you want people on base when fielder gets up. I agree. That is why I would put the three people with the highest (projected) OBP hitting ahead of Fielder. Weeks, Cameron, and Hart all project out somewhere between .345 and .355 OBP. A lot of ducks on the pond.



[ January 23, 2008, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Edwards Kings ]

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:

I think we'll see Fielder/Braun/Cameron/Hart once Cameron returns from his suspension. My preference would be to keep Hart in the fifth hole behind Braun and bat Cameron sixth or seventh depending on how Bill Hall is hitting. We have a winner!

Your 2008 Brewers lineup:



Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Hall, Cameron, Kendall, Pitcher.

Originally posted by cribgusto:

Your 2008 Brewers lineup:



Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Hall, Cameron, Kendall, Pitcher. thats last years lineup, old news...

i am with you edward kings- but i just watch this manager and he just doesn't seem to focus on what is actually happening on the field. if cameron can get .350 on base- he should bat second. mike cameron will really help this team- he is a really good center fielder.

Originally posted by fandango:

quote:Originally posted by cribgusto:

Your 2008 Brewers lineup:



Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Hall, Cameron, Kendall, Pitcher. thats last years lineup, old news... [/QUOTE]Cameron and Kendall were not on the Brewers last year.

But you're right, so switch Braun and Fielder.



[ January 24, 2008, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: cribgusto ]

I might just be old fashioned. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to bat your most powerful homerun hitter at anyplace other than fourth. Yes, I know there are examples where managers have done that, but you bat your speedy/OBP player first, your BA guy third, your power hitter fourth and your pitcher last (sorry, I do not consider the AL/DH to be "real" baseball! )!

I think we are really going to see a much improved Brewers team this year.



They're building their team through the minors along with IMO a quality pickup in Cameron. I think they'll have a tough team to beat. Especially if Capuano rebounds, Sheets stays healthy, and Gallardo goes out and pitches like the stud he is. I think they could be a sleeper this year......along with Rickie Weeks.

Not sure the Brew crew qualify as sleepers. Lots of people like them better than the Cubs.

the brew crew should be good, until games get pushed to their bullpen

you are correct gecko- but this is the nl central, 85 wins should be plenty.

SLEEPER- THE most overused word prior to a sports season.



Another way of saying, "I don't think that most of the others have caught on to how good this player or team could be, but I know".



Former meaning- Knowing who a player is and his abilities before others. Former meaning vanished with the advent of mass communications.



Used in a sentence-Since Albert Pujols proclaimed that his shoulder may trouble him this year, he may be a real SLEEPER for the middle of the first round. Yes, old-timers, SLEEPERS are even in the first round, sigh.



Time of year the word SLEEPER is most used- The word is most often used prior to a sports season. The word accelerates after a draft when magically team owners see several SLEEPERS on their roster.



Time of year the word SLEEPER is least used- After the season begins, most team owners refer to their SLEEPERS as #$#**$!!

LOL, Good one Dan......

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

SLEEPER- THE most overused word prior to a sports season.



Another way of saying, "I don't think that most of the others have caught on to how good this player or team could be, but I know".



Former meaning- Knowing who a player is and his abilities before others. Former meaning vanished with the advent of mass communications.



Used in a sentence-Since Albert Pujols proclaimed that his shoulder may trouble him this year, he may be a real SLEEPER for the middle of the first round. Yes, old-timers, SLEEPERS are even in the first round, sigh.



Time of year the word SLEEPER is most used- The word is most often used prior to a sports season. The word accelerates after a draft when magically team owners see several SLEEPERS on their roster.



Time of year the word SLEEPER is least used- After the season begins, most team owners refer to their SLEEPERS as #$#**$!! [/QUOTE



Very true. I think with so much information that is readily available to anyone with a computer connection, there aren't any true sleepers anymore. I look at all information and in the end, go by my hunch.

Except Bedard, he is a serious SLEEPER.

Originally posted by Gordon Gekko:

the brew crew should be good, until games get pushed to their bullpen The bullpen doesn't concern me as much as the inevitable Sheets injury.



Then again, he's in a contract year which means he'll finally stay healthy. And then the Brewers have to decide if they want to pay him or risk losing him for nothing. If they're in a playoff race as expected, they can't trade him if he's healthy and I think it would be a huge mistake to offer him a big contract given his massive injury issues.



It's very similar to what happened with Cordero last season. The Brewers had to keep him knowing full well they probably would lose him for nothing in the off-season.

tom- sheets and fielder will probably tell you in the next few years what you have in the brewer management. if they sign sheets to a big deal- they are dumb - but willing to spend. if they don't sign sheets and then later sign fielder- they are smart and willing to spend. they have enough pitching ( i think) to let sheets go and get a mid range pitcher in the market. like i said before they are in the nl central which is really easy- but the cubs really are now trying to win for the 1st time in 100 years. so look out.

I don't think they have enough starting pitching to go without Sheets. Other than Gallardo, I don't see much there I like and there isn't much in the minors currently. So if Sheets does get hurt, that's going to be a problem.



But I agree they need to be smart with Sheets and not sign him based on one good or great season should that be the case in 2008. His injury history absolutely has to be factored strongly into the decision whether to keep him long term or not.