Alright, what are your way too early line-up predictions for opening day??

[reteegz]

With the way the Angels went out of the postseason last season and with football season, I haven't exaclty kept up to date with all the off season shenanigans for the club. Barring any injuries what does our opening day lineup look like? Say Hamilton gets suspended and everybody else is healthy. Who's supposed to start at 2b Rutledge or Green? Trout, Calhoun and who is the 3rd starting outfielder? Cron? What's the rotation look like when Richards gets healthy? Please enlighten me folks...

[Blarg]

Bonds comes out of retirement to play left field and bat 4th.

Edited March 8, 2015 by notti

[reteegz]

My 3,4,5 are Bonds,McGwire,Sosa

[wopphil]

I predict the lineup will be atrocious because it won't be identical to the one I would create in a theoretical world where I am the manager.

[Cdaniel]

This is what I think happens. I'm going on nothing but gut feeling.

Kole RF

Trout CF

Pujols 1B

Joyce LF

Freese 3B

Cron DH

Aybar SS

chris C

Featherston 2b

Bench

Rutledge

Navarro

Backup catcher (not sure)

Cowgill

SP

Weaver

Wilson

Shoemaker

Santiago

Heaney

BP

Street

Smith

Morin

Salas

McBride

Whomever else

[Inside Pitch]

My prediction is 9 guys in an order which will induce a great deal of consternation among some Angels fans.  I then predict this will happen at least 161 more times after that.

[Stradling]

My prediction is 9 guys in an order which will induce a great deal of consternation among some Angels fans. I then predict this will happen at least 161 more times after that.

Failo

[reteegz]

I predict the lineup will be atrocious because it won't be identical to the one I would create in a theoretical world where I am the manager.

 

Let's see what you got...

[Second Base]

I predict the least exciting roster decisions in history. Butera is the backup catcher, Rutledge is the 2B, Featherston is the UTIF, Wilson is still in the rotation and the 4/5 will go to Santiago and Heaney just as predicted. The bullpen should have a different look to it though.

I will have some bold predictions for ST released this next week that I'll post here.

[nikkachez]

Hmmm

 

Weaver, Wilson, Shoemaker, Santiago and Heaney will make the rotation

 

Street, Smith, Morin, Salas, Pestano, Ramos, and Lindstrom are in the pen

 

Iannetta, Pujols, Ruledge, Aybar, and Freese are in the infield. Cron DH's. Featherston, Butera, and Giavotella are on the bench. 

 

Trout, Calhoun, Joyce and Cowgill make up the outfield. 

 

Navarro, Green, Perez, Rasmus, Robertson and Snodgress get sent to AAA to create depth. 

Edited March 8, 2015 by nikkachez

[Troutstanding]

Rasmus will be in the major league bullpen, imo. 

[QuinlansMinion]

Kole batting leadoff again this year is still one of the dumbest managerial decisions ive seen anyone make.

 

I cant fathom why its so hard to understand a guy who is known more for his slugging rather than his on base % should bat 3rd or 4th instead of leadoff.

 

But oh well I guess the lineups dont matter anyways right?  

[Stradling]

Nor do we have a better option

[Inside Pitch]

Kole batting leadoff again this year is still one of the dumbest managerial decisions ive seen anyone make.

 

I cant fathom why its so hard to understand a guy who is known more for his slugging rather than his on base % should bat 3rd or 4th instead of leadoff.

 

But oh well I guess the lineups dont matter anyways right?  

 

Fathoming is hard, bro...

 

Based on OPS, he'd have been a below league average number 3 hitter, a slightly above average number 4 last year, but he was well above average as a leadoff hitter.  It's also worth noting that the dumb manager showed a tendency to bat Chris Ianetta in the 7,8, 9 spots a great deal last year thus creating possibilities for Calhoun and Trout behind him to drive in runs.  Nor surprisingly the Angels number 7 and 9 hitters ranked 2nd in all of MLB in runs scored and number 8 hitters, 5th.  If only those guys would have had people capable of driving them in behind them -- right?

 

Not sure why it's so hard for some people to understand that getting more at bats to your best hitters is a good idea, but to each his own I guess.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[QuinlansMinion]

Fathoming is hard, bro...

 

Based on OPS, he'd have been a below league average number 3 hitter, a slightly above average number 4 last year, but he was well above average as a leadoff hitter.  It's also worth noting that the dumb manager showed a tendency to bat Chris Ianetta in the 7,8, 9 spots a great deal last year thus creating possibilities for Calhoun and Trout behind him to drive in runs.  Nor surprisingly the Angels number 7 and 9 hitters ranked 2nd in all of MLB in runs scored and number 8 hitters, 5th.  If only those guys would have had people capable of driving them in behind them -- right?

 

Not sure why it's so hard for some people to understand that getting more at bats to your best hitters is a good idea, but to each his own I guess.

Mike Trout had a .377 OBP last year

 

 

Kole Calhoun had a .325 OBP

 

Calhoun with runners on base : .834 OPS

Calhoun bases empty : .744 OPS

 

And you want to waste an at bat every game with the bases empty for Calhoun?  

 

 

Explain to me how batting Calhoun in front of Trout makes any sense?  

 

And just for good measure, Joyce had a .349 OBP last year, and .365 OBP vs righties.  Explain to me why he isnt batting leadoff in front of Trout and Calhoun?  Instead, we have seen it at cleanup so far.  So lets recap

 

Our leadoff hitter, .325 OBP, .450 SLG

 

Our cleanup hitter, (vs RHP) .365 OBP, .393 SLG

 

Are you really suggesting this is a smart move?  Would you really be stupid enough to also suggest Aybar should bat 1st or 2nd?  He has a .321 OBP.

Edited March 9, 2015 by QuinlansMinion

[Troutstanding]

I believe that to some extent the reason that Scioscia prefers Calhoun in the lead off spot is because Scioscia believes that Calhoun is a spark plug of sorts because of his contagious enthusiasm. So there's more to it than just raw stats. 

[wopphil]

Let's see what you got...

If I were writing the lineup card, probably something like:

1. Calhoun

2. Joyce

3. Trout

4. Pujols

5. Cron

6. Aybar

7. Freese

8. Ianetta

9. Rutledge

I suspect Scioscia's lineup will include all those guys, with only Calhoun and perhaps Ianetta occupying the spots I have chosen. And I suspect it won't make a bit of difference in the number of runs we score.

[Jeff Fletcher]

http://m.ocregister.com/angels/roster-652916-keep-tropeano.html

[Ohtaniland]

1) insert name

2) Mike Trout

3) Albert Pujols

4) insert name

5) insert name

6) insert name

7) insert name

8) insert name

9) insert name

[Vegas Halo Fan]

My prediction is 9 guys in an order which will induce a great deal of consternation among some Angels fans.  I then predict this will happen at least 161 more times after that.

 

And some people will be calling for anyone who goes 0-fer on opening day to be benched.

[xboom28x]

I think the Angels carry 4 starters for the first week of the season. Whoever the 5th starter is, he should get one start at AAA before being called up for a start at Texas. Then, when Richards is ready, a decision can be made between sending down Trop/Heaney or sending a bullpen arm down and dropping Santiago down to the bullpen. Of course, this could all change depending on how everyone performs this spring.

[Inside Pitch]

Mike Trout had a .377 OBP last year

 

 

Kole Calhoun had a .325 OBP

 

Calhoun with runners on base : .834 OPS

Calhoun bases empty : .744 OPS

 

And you want to waste an at bat every game with the bases empty for Calhoun?  

 

 

Explain to me how batting Calhoun in front of Trout makes any sense?  

 

And just for good measure, Joyce had a .349 OBP last year, and .365 OBP vs righties.  Explain to me why he isnt batting leadoff in front of Trout and Calhoun?  Instead, we have seen it at cleanup so far.  So lets recap

 

Our leadoff hitter, .325 OBP, .450 SLG

 

Our cleanup hitter, (vs RHP) .365 OBP, .393 SLG

 

Are you really suggesting this is a smart move?  Would you really be stupid enough to also suggest Aybar should bat 1st or 2nd?  He has a .321 OBP.

 

 

Ahhh -- the world where producing runs is limited to three or four spots in the order...    Sorry you can't grasp how Ianetta impacts the lineup.

 

Last time I checked Ianetta had almost as good an OBP as did Trout, his being at the bottom of the order means he's in line to be on base for Calhoun -- maybe that's one of the reasons the Angels 1 and 2 hitters drove in more runs than any other top two in MLB.   Also sorry that you don't realize that Calhoun's OBP in the first inning last year was .415, or that it was .440 when leading off a game... far and away the best figure in any inning.  So, the one time he's always hitting when he doesn't have someone on base, he's getting on base -- imagine that....

 

Lastly the only person to bring Aybar into the conversation was you, Dopey.   But, since you mentioned him and Matt Joyce, Joyce's career OBP leading off an inning is .312. (.315 as a leadoff hitter)  Aybar's is .325 (.316 as a leadoff hitter)   So what were you saying about stupid?

 

Chris Ianetta's ability to get on base and how he helps turn the lineup over to the top of the batting order is being severely underestimated by the Mensa chapter of AW.com.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2015 by Inside Pitch