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MY line-up for 2005

Author	Comment
Froback	MY line-up for 2005	Lead	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 562 (02/22/2005 5:45 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None This is totally based on what I would do. I guarentee that many of you will not agree with it. Guess what.... I don't care! This is what I would do and why. #1- Willy Taveras (CF) .280/.330/.400 - Figure he will be mostly a singles type hitter, who is be streaky most of the season. Figure he will steal around 50 bases if given a full 500 ABs. #2a - Craig Biggio (LF) .280/.330/.440 - This is only while Berkman is out, after that he becomes back-up OFer and back-up 2B. #2b - Chris Burke (2B) .280/.350/.425 - Chris is going to develop into a Biggio type player. Scrappy, ok power (15-25 HRs per season type), ok speed (15-25 SBs per season), great glove man #3 - Jeff Bagwell (1B) .275/.385/.500 - Bagwell continues to be the heart of the line-up. Figure he will not stink as bad as he did the first half of last year, this year. #4a - Jason Lane (RF) .290/.380/.550 - Ok, I am REALLY high on him. I think if he knows he has the full time gig from the start, he will relax and produce like the MVP he was at EVERY level in our minor league organziation. This is LONG overdue. #4b - Lance Berkman (LF) .310/.410/.525 - I think his overall numbers will be slow in returning, thus the drop in numbers from last season. I think after his return, he goes to LF, to keep him from running as much, allow him to reduce the chance of re-injuring his knee. Lance is the best hitter we have, we NEED him to be that again by June. #5a - Morgan Ensberg (3B) .280/.350/.500 - Morgan will balance out to a decent 3B, not great, but reliable. His power will be around 20-25 HRs, now that he is starting to "figure" things out at the Major League level. #5b - Jason Lane (RF) -He will slide down here when Berkman is back #6a - Chris Burke (2B) - While Berkman is out and Biggio is playing everyday, look for Chris to be placed in this easy spot in the line-up. Has more power than Adam, thus placed ahead of him. #6b - Morgan Ensberg (3B) - Simple shift down when Berkman returns #7 - Adam Everett (SS) .275/.320/.385 - Some might argue that he should bat #2, but I think you need the occassionaly HR from the 2 hole to keep people honest. Burke has more power, so Adam drops down here. #8 - Brad Ausmus (C) .250/.310/.350 (think 2002 numbers) - I find I waffle on him alot, mostly because I think he is great behind the plate, and below average at it. So to summarize: With out Berkman #1 - Taveras (CF) #2 - Biggio (LF) #3 - Bagwell (1B) #4 - Lane (RF) #5 - Ensberg (3B) #6 - Burke (2B) #7 - Everett (SS) #8 - Ausmus (C) With Berkman #1 - Taveras (CF) #2 - Burke (2B) #3 - Bagwell (1B) #4 - Berkman (LF) #5 - Lane (RF) #6 - Ensberg (3B) #7 - Everett (SS) #8 - Ausmus -Fro
bwbollom	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#1	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 279 (02/22/2005 6:12 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I almost completely agree. The only major move I'd make is taking a "wait and see" approach on Taveras. Until he proves that he can get on base enough to be a legit #1 hitter, I'd keep the top 2 like it was for most of last season: Biggio/Everett. Then, if a few weeks in Taveras is working out, he moves to #1, Biggio to #2 and Everett to 7. When I get EA's MVP Baseball 2005 for GameCube later this week, your "B" lineup is the one I'll likely start the season with and what I'd like to see the Astros utilize for most of the season. I think Biggio can be a great utility guy, getting near regular playing time replacing at 2B & OF and coming off the bench when he's not starting. Brandon
Bob Hulsey	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#2	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 4641 (02/22/2005 6:22 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	If I kept Taveras and decided to play him, I would either start him 8th in the lineup (the traditional "break into the lineup" spot) until he establishes he can be a dependable OBP man. Or, if he does a little better, move him to the #2 hole in front of Bagwell where he is most likely to see good pitches and his speed will certainly negate most chances to kill a rally with a double play. As stated before, the only guys with set jobs the first month of the season are Bagwell, Ausmus and Everett. The other positions ought to go to the hot bats - whoever they are. If that means starting Lamb in RF or Vizcaino at 2B, so be it. Runs will be a premium until Berkman returns, and even afterwards, so we can't afford to sit anybody who is hitting well. That goes for Taveras and Burke too. If they are hot, you keep playing them and if they aren't, you sit them until they get their stroke going. But, I'd go into the spring thinking this way: LF - Biggio SS - Everett 1B - Bagwell RF - Lane 3B - Ensberg/Lamb C - Ausmus/Chavez 2B - Burke CF - Taveras and then adjust as I see who is hitting and who isn't. Once Berkman returns, he goes into the cleanup spot and the question becomes whether to send Taveras down and put Lane in CF or whether to keep Taveras and decide between Lane, Biggio and Burke for playing time in LF/2B. But there's a lot of open questions at this point and I'm definitely going to give preference to whomever has the hot bat - even Palmeiro.
HudsonHawk	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#3	[-]
Posts: 1316 (02/22/2005 6:47 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	*Quote:* #1- Willy Taveras (CF) .280/.330/.400 If you're expecting Taveras to hit .280 and slug .400, you're expecting way too much. In 500 at bats, thats 60 extra base hits. Last year Jeff Bagwell had 58. Have you seen Taveras hit?
Froback	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#4	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 562 (02/22/2005 6:56 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	*Quote:* If you're expecting Taveras to hit .280 and slug .400, you're expecting way too much. In 500 at bats, thats 60 extra base hits. Last year Jeff Bagwell had 58. Have you seen Taveras hit? Ok, so .400 slugging might be a bit high, but assuming 500 ABs, that means of the 140 hits, he has 20 double, 10 triples and 5 HRs. Maybe he cannot do all that. I honestly don't care about his extra-base hits. If he steals 40-50 bases in the 180 or so times he gets on base, I can live with that if all his hits are singles. And given normal player development, I will grow in power to hit something like those numbers. Not all of us are as down on him as you are, I guess. -Fro
Bob Mundon	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#5	[-]
Posts: 2350 (02/22/2005 8:23 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	hes not downing him, hes just saying a .400 slugging percentage with a .280 batting average is well beyond the realm of realism when it comes to taveras, and it is. slugging or not, if he gets on base at least as much as biggio can (i dont think he will, i want him in AAA unless hes a freak and can) put him in leadoff. he can steal bases to make up for the singles, and the point of the leadoff man is to get on. one potential lineup would have lamb in the outfield until berkman gets back. if he can successfuly make the switch i think they will probably start him, and if he can handle himself as good as biggio (read: not much) i could see him at the very least platooning with biggio in left once berkman comes back. this would naturally put lane in center, which it seems most people forget he is qualified to do.
HudsonHawk	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#6	[-]
Posts: 1316 (02/23/2005 12:06 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	*Quote:* Not all of us are as down on him as you are, I guess. I'm not down on him at all. I just think you're really unrealistic about what Taveras can do at this point.
believin	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#7	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 277 (02/23/2005 4:00 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I think it is unrealistic for either Taveras or Burke to work out as the leadoff man right away, but if either did, that would be a huge lift to the team. Bidge could bat lower in the order, and I believe he'd pick up a lot more RBIs than he normally does. His power numbers, while not eye-popping, are not horrible either. Think of all those doubles from one of the guys expected to put up RBIs. Biggio is needed in the leadoff spot, and has been for the past several years. But if one of these young guys stepped up and performed in that role, I think we'd see Bidge producing in another capacity. But I think it is wishful thinking, not because of the role-change for Biggio, but because I don't expect so much from a young guy his first year. I hope one of them surprises me.
FredUD	Re: MY line-up for 2005	#8	[-]
Posts: 356 (02/23/2005 12:16 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	*Quote:* I just think you're really unrealistic about what Taveras can do at this point. I'd have to agree. For Taveras' speed to be a factor, he's going to have to have the ability to drive balls into the gap or at least hit them hard enough to force an OF to move towards the fence to cover the gap instead of playing it even or charging the ball. There's little doubt that his ability to drive the ball to the RC gap could increase his 3B from that of RR, but expecting anything more than .260/.350/.350 I think is difficult to swallow.

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