Tuesday, September 16, 2008

First Game of the Sveum Era Open Thread

In his first move as manager, Dale Sveum shook things up a bit with the line-up:

CF Mike Cameron
2B Ray Durham
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
SS JJ Hardy
RF Corey Hart
3B Craig Counsell
C Jason Kendall
P CC Sabathia

I think the biggest thing is that Weeks and Hall are on the bench. Cameron is at the top of the order, which is odd from an OBP standpoint, but may be good from an it-may-get-him-another-at-bat standpoint. Hardy also drops back to the 5 spot. Sveum seems to have been cognizant of keeping his lefties spaced out in the line-up, which is good. I think we'll get a better idea of whether yesterday's dugout personnel change will matter when Sveum is put into substitution situations. Will he pull Kendall for Rivera or Salome if we need some offense? Will he pull Counsell for Gamel or Escobar? Find out the answers to these questions and more at 7:05 tonight.

The pitching match-up is CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.81 ERA, 55 BB/225 SO) against Ryan Dempster (15-6, 3.02 ERA, 74 BB/173 SO).

Go Brewers!

99 comments:

Dave Manney said...

Already, he's a smarter manager than Yost.

I've been saying it since the trade - there's no way in Hell that Weeks should be playing when Durham is on the team. Vast improvement on both offense and defense.

Plus, when both Weeks and Hall are in there, if I were the opposing managers, I would fine my pitcher if he threw either of them anything but a breaking ball low-and-away.

Anonymous said...

100% agreed. Weeks's OBP isn't what I'd call "good" but it's actually better than Cameron's though. I wonder why they don't just have Durham lead off. He has the best OBP on the team.

The Asian Badger said...

Looking better already IMHO. Hopefully, Sabathia has his good stuff so we don't need any bullpen management...at least tonight.

DannyNoonan said...

Whether or not Sabathia has his good stuff, I hope Sveum doesn't let him throw 120 pitches. That'd make it hard to have him pitch on 3 days rest, which I really hope Sveum will do, so we can get 4 starts out of him. That's what a competent manager would do with a rented monster in this situation.

PaulNoonan said...

Weird. But worth a try.

Anonymous said...

Well it's improvement

I agree that i think Durham should leadoff.

Is there convenient way to list a players batting hand in the lineup? THat would be a real value add for those of us who don't have such things memorized.

Oh and thank you for the lineup and open thread and lack of emotionalism. 'Cept during the game of course ;)

E.S.K. said...

I'm disappointed at no Rivera, but not terribly so. I didn't really expect Sveum to make him the starter anyway.

DannyNoonan said...

Quit winking at me eric.

PaulNoonan said...

CF Mike Cameron - R
2B Ray Durham - S
LF Ryan Braun - R
1B Prince Fielder - L
SS JJ Hardy - R
RF Corey Hart - R
3B Craig Counsell - L
C Jason Kendall - R
P CC Sabathia - L

Anonymous said...

Definitely a different look to the order. If the Brewers win tonight, that will bode well for the other 11 games because this doesn't look good on paper.

E.S.K. said...

I didn't realize Hardy is 0-13 against Dempster. Strange. Also, and it sounds awful, but Mike Lamb may have been a sound play:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/p-pvb.cgi?n1=dempsry01#choice=&bats=&minPA2=0&minPA=0&orderbydir=DESC&orderbydirb=ASC&n1=dempsry01&as=pitcher&year_game=career&opp_id=MIL&orderby=PA&orderbyb=Name

E.S.K. said...

http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/09/16/yost/

nice article on the Yost firing (heaping heavy praise on FireNedYost.com)

E.S.K. said...

it's a new era gentlemen...here we go!!!

DannyNoonan said...

Did you guys here that? McClung to the ROtation, Parra to the pen.

E.S.K. said...

I'm in class so I can't hear shit.

I would rather a 4 man rotation

DannyNoonan said...

That's what they said.

Braun just got held up at third. Sveum would have sent him for sure. It would have been close.

E.S.K. said...

let's go JJ!!

E.S.K. said...

Riske done for the year, Gallardo likely to join the club in Cincy in the pen

DannyNoonan said...

Damnit Cameron, scared of the brick wall.

E.S.K. said...

sigh

DannyNoonan said...

BS call. Cameron should have walked.

E.S.K. said...

The Cubs have an absolutely perfect approach to Sabathia. It's sort of stunning really.

DannyNoonan said...

Yeah, they're pretty good. We NEED some offense.

DannyNoonan said...

This isn't going well. On the bright side, the Astros and Mets are both losing too. On the not bright side, Philly is up by one.

DannyNoonan said...

And the Braves just pulled ahead of Philly!

C'mon now Brewers!

DannyNoonan said...

CC Bunts for a single!

Anonymous said...

You guys really need to get HaloScan :-)

Seriously, not a bad live thread. This is turning out about as I feared.

DannyNoonan said...

You can't see Haloscan comments on a blackberry. Or at least I don't know how to. And I travel a lot.

What's the advantage of haloscan anyway?

Anonymous said...

Yeah Ray!

Anonymous said...

I wish I would've bee home to see the CC bunt single. Unfortunately, I got back in the bottom of the 5th.

Any word on how the Crew has done with RISP tonight?

DannyNoonan said...

Atlanta just got out of a jam. Still lead the Phillies 7-6

E.S.K. said...

danny, the thing I like about haloscan comments is that it's a pop up.

DannyNoonan said...

They left the bases loaded with one out last inning.

DannyNoonan said...

PRINCE!!!

Anonymous said...

HaloScan lets us know (some of the time at least) when new comments show up. That's something I haven't seen with either Blogger or WordPress.

Now, what was I saying about piss-poor performance with RISP? Thank you, Prince.

DannyNoonan said...

Dude watched that one fly! That's what we need, a little swagger.

DannyNoonan said...

HARDY!


Paul and I thought about Haloscan. We can add it if that's the concensus. We were both mehhh on it. My only problem is sometimes I like to check what you morons are saying from the airport or something.

Anonymous said...

We can do pop-ups with Blogger.

Figures there would be a mass-stranding.

Anonymous said...

That bases-loaded stranding was kind of bullshit though. Cameron should have been safe at first.

DannyNoonan said...

Mets lost.

steveegg said...

Ah, now I'm on the right account (have a second Google account for a group).

I'll bet that call was approved by The Sports Netork That Shall Not Be Named :-)

E.S.K. said...

i just want the pop-up, danny.

steveegg said...

VERY nice play by Hardy to finish off the Cubs' 6th.

DannyNoonan said...

Astros lost too.

DannyNoonan said...

He's letting Sabathia bat. I don't think that's a bad idea, especially since he can hit.

steveegg said...

I'll take those losses. Hopefully it's 1-3 with the Crew providing the 1.

As for pop-ups, that's Settings > Comments > Comment Form Placement

Sabathia out there to force Pinella's hand and hopefully not bat for himself.

Mutaman said...

Congradulations to Bronson Arroyo on his 15th victory tonight.

steveegg said...

That was a ride, but not quite deep enough.

The Asian Badger said...

I'm not sure what's going with letting CC hit for himself.

E.S.K. said...

allright, mutaman!

DannyNoonan said...

Aw crap. Philly pulled ahead 8-7 in the 9th.

steveegg said...

Dammit; we didn't get to Howry.

steveegg said...

And we got Marmol now.

steveegg said...

NASTY CC!

steveegg said...

FUCK!

DannyNoonan said...

Soriano owns CC. What the hell?

steveegg said...

Just one of those things. If it makes you feel any better, Nedley would've left him in to do that as well.

Why didn't we dump Maddux when we had the chance?

DannyNoonan said...

PRINCE!!!!!

steveegg said...

Fielder be HOT!

The Asian Badger said...

Gotta love those home runs.

steveegg said...

Can we swear here?

DannyNoonan said...

It's a free country.

steveegg said...

Good, because I can't watch games without the "occassional".

steveegg said...

That's one way to set up a potential inning-ending double-play.

Winning run on for the Braves, but 2 outs.

DannyNoonan said...

Okay, now we just need a double play.



If we get out of this in striking range, it'll be interesting to see if Sveum pulls Kendall.

DannyNoonan said...

I'll add that, although this isn't exactly "working" I like CV in the 8th inning.

DannyNoonan said...

Braves have the bases loaded.

steveegg said...

It will work if they can get either the double play or a K and another out and strand Ramirez

steveegg said...

BIG K!

steveegg said...

Thanks for the K, now sit down and let Shouse have a crack.

DannyNoonan said...

Phillies win. Shit.

steveegg said...

Unfortunately, the Phillies also got the big K for the win.

Anonymous said...

If we can pull this off, we'll still be a half game up because the Mets lost.

DannyNoonan said...

Why is Shouse pitching to a righty again?

steveegg said...

Shouse does what he does against righties. DAMMIT!

E.S.K. said...

firedalesveum.com

DannyNoonan said...

We do have more pitchers. Even more lefties. We should have pulled Shouse without throwing a pitch.

steveegg said...

Sveum's gone in 2 weeks. We need to start up firemikemaddux.com.

DannyNoonan said...

Can't we just have a computer make these decisions? How about letshirearobot.com?

steveegg said...

If memory of the rulebook serves, we were committed to Shouse for at least 1 pitch. Unfortunately, it was a grooved one.

E.S.K. said...

great steve, lets fire the beer vendors too, they have roughly the same impact.

DannyNoonan said...

Kendall is hitting. More of the same.


Is that Mike Fucking Lamb on deck?

E.S.K. said...

un-fucking-acceptable

Anonymous said...

Bill Fucking Hall must be busy.

E.S.K. said...

Nedly v1.1

DannyNoonan said...

C'mon LAMB!

E.S.K. said...

what a cruel cruel joke

steveegg said...

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

DannyNoonan said...

Woo Hoo!

DannyNoonan said...

C'mon CAMMY!

DannyNoonan said...

Way to go RAY!


C'Mon Braunnnnny!

steveegg said...

This one goes onto Mike "Ned Jr." Maddux. I doubt Sveum is running the pitching staff.

steveegg said...

Speed kills. Fortunately, it's our speed.

DannyNoonan said...

If Fielder hits another dinger, I'll take back everything I've ever said about vegetarians.

DannyNoonan said...

:(

steveegg said...

Way to leave the fucking bat on your shoulders, Prince.

Buh-bye share of the wild-card lead.

E.S.K. said...

fuck.

DannyNoonan said...

These postgame guys are idiots. We didn't fall a game behind Philly, we fell a half-game behind the Mets.

steveegg said...

They caught it.

That's the positive aspect; the Mets have one more game to play than the Crew. </ommmmmmm>