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Scioscia announces Game 1 lineup
October 7th, 2009, 2:09 pm · 17 Comments · posted by BILL PLUNKETT, OCREGISTER.COM
ANAHEIM
As projected here last week (harumph), this will be the Angels’ Game 1 lineup. Confirmed by Angels manager Mike Scioscia before today’s workout:
3B Chone Figgins
RF Bobby Abreu
CF Torii Hunter
DH Vladimir Guerrero
LF Juan Rivera
1B Kendry Morales
2B Howie Kendrick
C Jeff Mathis
SS Erick Aybar
RHP John Lackey
Morales and Rivera will swap places for Game 2 (when the Red Sox will start a right-hander, Josh Beckett).
Maicer Izturis will likely replace Kendrick for Game 2 — though both Izturis (10 for 27) and Kendrick (8 for 19) have had some success against Beckett.
And the Mathis-Mike Napoli debate will be a game-to-game decision, based more on defense than offense (as has been pointed out ad nauseum this season).
Posted in: Angels • Bobby Abreu • Boston Red Sox • Chone Figgins • Erick Aybar • Howie Kendrick • Jeff Mathis • John Lackey • Juan Rivera • Kendry Morales • Maicer Izturis • Mike Napoli • Torii Hunter • Vladimir Guerrero
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Yeah, let’s leave Vlad in the 4 spot. Real smart Scioscia. Stick a kid with a blindfold on and a pinata in front of him and you will get the same results!!! Your best hitter Morales in the 6 hole? WHY are you catering to Vlad?…he’s done after this year (with the Angels, anyways.)
I like having Abreu-Morales-Rivera all in a row. Those three guys pretty much look exactly alike and it must freak pitchers out.
Vlad is an icon who is no longer among the elite. He is still a threat, but not feared like he once was. I am at a loss to understand why Scioscia has refused to move him down in the lineup. Sure, Scioscia’s reputation as a player’s manager is well known, but how does the approach serve any of the players? GM Jr., Napoli, Rivera, Kendrick, and Aybar, has seen the Scios-style move them all around the lineup or sit them for extended periods when they are out of sync, but never Vlad. Same “hole” in the lineup over and over. That’s exactly what it has become, a “hole”. He should be batting 6th (or 7th) Scios! Let Vlad “take one for the team” and hold his head high like everyone has had to do!
Go Angels!!!!
Quit being so negative! Scioscia knows what he is doing.
Agreed, I’ve been on the “Vlad Hurts More Than He Helps” train the last 2 seasons, I think we saw that the team is better off without him during his DL stint. I am at a loss for why Soth refuses to move, my only idea is that Arte is very resistant to it being that he built the club around him (?). He’s not moved Vlad for 2 seasons now and Vlad has not impaled, maybe it’s time to try something different and move him down to give him something to play for? But I guess it’s too late for that.
The fortunate thing was a comment from Soth a few weeks ago about winning rings being more important than having a future HOFer on the squad (I have high hopes now that Vlad is in his last year, then we can be serious in the playoffs).
Oh and P.S….
Mathis over Napoli? Lulz, they both can’t throw base stealers out, I’d take the bat over the “better defense” any day. Looks like they will be a lot of steals on both sides of the ball Game 1.
Both sides of the ball is a football term. And most bases are stolen on the pitcher, not the catcher.
True. And Mathis threw well in the most recent Boston series, gunning down Ellsbury on one occasion.
Napoli’s D sealed the deal down the stretch. Muffing pitchouts, missing throws to home, not blocking pitches late … add that to his horrendous slump and you get Mathis without any second guessing from me. The #8 or #9 hitter isn’t going to make or break your post season, but bad defense and bad pitch calling most definitely will.
You mean as opposed to the recent game in which Mathis threw the ball into CF trying to catch a runner trying to steal and then on almost the very next pitch threw the ball into left field so the runner could score. It’s a myth that Mathis is better defensively than Napoli.
Seems to me that it was Napoli who “made or broke” Game 3 last year. How soon you forget.
Guys the difference between switching Vlad and Morales over the course of the season is something ridiculously low, like 10 runs. Lineup construction just doesn’t mean that much over the course of 5 games.
Indeed, about six runs per season, or about 0.036 runs per game.
That makes snense but then I ask why does Mike change the lineup all the time then? He doesn’t look at the numbers apparently.
But I will say this every good offense team has guys hitting in the same spots in the lineup almost every day especially from 1 to 6.
You guys are complete MORONS!!!!! Vlad has a career average of over 320 one of the best hitters of our times and you do not want him in the #4 spot? With Hunter in front and a Rivera and Morales behind him???? And then you are questioning one of the best managers in baseball Scioscia???? You guys must be the ones that go on the radio and think you know how to hit better then a professional player and tell them what they are doing wrong….. That cracks me up!!!! These guys are playing professional baseball they are the best at what they do.. you should not be questioning anyone… just give the Angels the support and enjoy the ride….
Bill - the offense vs defense discussion on the C spot is amusing to me.
Look if its about defense Mathis is clearly better than Napoli hands down. But who did Mike C last post-season Napoli, and every time when push comes to shove its Napoli over Mathis because Mathis cant hit.
The Napoli/Mathis issue is based more on favoritism than skill. Napoli is not a bad defensive catcher and catching is like hitting in that it is hard to get in a groove when you sit the bench a week at a time, add in Nap’s time as DH and he did not get a chance to get comfortable behind the plate. Does anyone notice that if Napoli makes an error he sits for 3-4 days but Mathis can make 2 in a game and Scioscia says he has to put him in to make sure he knows he has faith in Mathis. Add that to Mathis catches the 2 best pitchers and errors get charged to Napoli that should get charged to Figgins or Kendrick on throws and Napoli does not have a chance. Does anyone remember Napoli’s clutch blocks and only life in that line up last year against Boston. Good defensive catcher with a big bat vs. a little better catcher with no bat, whatever, anyway GO ANGELS.
Go Halos baby…think red, not blue. we need more power we should put mike napoli over jeff mathis. why Morales batting six no clue. Vlad is a hall of famer an angel for ever, but i would want morales to bat 4th. Red Sox Busters, GO ANGELS!!!