Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced Wednesday that Miguel Cabrera would open the season batting fifth.

Leyland will use a lineup of: CF Curtis Granderson, 2B Placido Polanco, DH Gary Sheffield, RF Magglio Ordonez, 3B Cabrera, 1B Carlos Guillen, SS Edgar Renteria, C Ivan Rodriguez and LF Jacque Jones. Marcus Thames is expected to start over Jones versus lefties. The only question remaining prior to today was whether Sheffield or Cabrera would bat third. That Cabrera lost out hurts his value a bit, as he'd miss out on about 35 at-bats over the course of the season if he hits fifth all year. He's still in a fine situation for driving in and scoring runs.

 

---RotoWorld.com

he'll be batting third May

Fifth!?

fifth in that lineup will be like batting 5th in the mantle maris or ruth gehrig days.

 

plenty of runs to go around! Plenty.

 

As long as Renteria learned how to hit AL pitching in ATL.

Leyland must be crazy...

 

Sheffield hit .265 last year and is on the wrong side of 35.

 

I seriously doubt it will take that long for Cabrera to prove he should hit 3rd in that lineup

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

The only logic in hitting Sheffield third, is that he's the least capable out of himself, Maggs, and Miggy of holding his own against MLB pitching. Therefore, he should see some decent pitches to hit in front of Ordonez and Cabrera, maximizing his production.

 

Edit: Looking at Sheffield's stat line from last season, he still had an impressive .378 OBP to go along with his .265 AVG. That probably affected Leyland's decision. Nothing wrong with putting another runner on base for Ordonez and Cabrera to drive in.

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

 

 

This is quite similar to the Red Sox lineup. Two sluggers in Ortiz and Ramirez, with a good contact/OBP guy in Lowell to drive them in. Hitting Sheffield behind Ordonez and Cabrera would allow pitchers to pitch around the two of them to get to Sheffield and his .265 Average.

The only logic in hitting Sheffield third, is that he's the least capable out of himself, Maggs, and Miggy of holding his own against MLB pitching. Therefore, he should see some decent pitches to hit in front of Ordonez and Cabrera, maximizing his production.

 

Edit: Looking at Sheffield's stat line from last season, he still had an impressive .378 OBP to go along with his .265 AVG. That probably affected Leyland's decision. Nothing wrong with putting another runner on base for Ordonez and Cabrera to drive in.

 

 

Sheffield does have the best eye of the three, but he's not going to be getting .400 OBPs anymore because of his BAA. Cabrera is. Not only that but Cabs has more power.

 

Personally I would have cabs > sheff > mags. Mags isn't going to hit .360 again. Watch his OPS fall back down to the 800 range like it has been the previous three years.

I think you let the venezuelans make up the heart of the order:

 

1. Granderson

2. Polanco

3. Ordonez

4. Cabrera

5. Guillen

6. Sheffield

7. Renteria

8. Rodriguez

9. Jones

 

Cabrera is poised to hit 40+ homers in Detroit IMO. Let him hit clean-up and have plenty of protection behind him with Guillen/Sheffield/Renteria. You let the batting champ get plenty of at-bats in the 3 hole with Cabrera right behind him. At this point in his career, Sheffield should not be hitting 3rd.

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

 

 

This is quite similar to the Red Sox lineup. Two sluggers in Ortiz and Ramirez, with a good contact/OBP guy in Lowell to drive them in. Hitting Sheffield behind Ordonez and Cabrera would allow pitchers to pitch around the two of them to get to Sheffield and his .265 Average.

I like this. Buttt, would pitching around two hitters to get to Sheffield end up producing more runs anyway. I think we all learned from Barry Bonds thats walks hurt you just as much as going after primier hitters.

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

 

 

This is quite similar to the Red Sox lineup. Two sluggers in Ortiz and Ramirez, with a good contact/OBP guy in Lowell to drive them in. Hitting Sheffield behind Ordonez and Cabrera would allow pitchers to pitch around the two of them to get to Sheffield and his .265 Average.

I like this. Buttt, would pitching around two hitters to get to Sheffield end up producing more runs anyway. I think we all learned from Barry Bonds thats walks hurt you just as much as going after primier hitters.

 

Did we really learn this? Or did managers continue to walk Bonds throughout the entire season? Did walking Bonds result in less Giants wins or more Giants wins?

Miggy is the best hitter in the line up I would bat him 3rd

You will see Leland changing that lineup very soon. Cabrera will be hitting 3rd by June

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

 

 

This is quite similar to the Red Sox lineup. Two sluggers in Ortiz and Ramirez, with a good contact/OBP guy in Lowell to drive them in. Hitting Sheffield behind Ordonez and Cabrera would allow pitchers to pitch around the two of them to get to Sheffield and his .265 Average.

I like this. Buttt, would pitching around two hitters to get to Sheffield end up producing more runs anyway. I think we all learned from Barry Bonds thats walks hurt you just as much as going after primier hitters.

 

Did we really learn this? Or did managers continue to walk Bonds throughout the entire season? Did walking Bonds result in less Giants wins or more Giants wins?

 

That Giants team was absolutely awful. If not for him, that would be a historically awful offense. If they walked Bonds every single time, they would've won more games, though.

I respect Leyland and all, but that's retarded. I'd actually have Miguel hitting clean-up, and Ordonez third and Sheffield fifth.

 

 

This is quite similar to the Red Sox lineup. Two sluggers in Ortiz and Ramirez, with a good contact/OBP guy in Lowell to drive them in. Hitting Sheffield behind Ordonez and Cabrera would allow pitchers to pitch around the two of them to get to Sheffield and his .265 Average.

I like this. Buttt, would pitching around two hitters to get to Sheffield end up producing more runs anyway. I think we all learned from Barry Bonds thats walks hurt you just as much as going after primier hitters.

 

Did we really learn this? Or did managers continue to walk Bonds throughout the entire season? Did walking Bonds result in less Giants wins or more Giants wins?

 

That Giants team was absolutely awful. If not for him, that would be a historically awful offense. If they walked Bonds every single time, they would've won more games, though.

Bonds was in the league leaders in runs every season. I think he scored from a walk alot more than he damaged teams with homeruns. It was a mixture between always being on base, and when he did get a pitch to hit, it was usually extra bases that made him such a big chunk of the offense.

I just noticed this...

 

The Tigers lineup is completely filled with minorities.

 

That's pretty neat.

Thats horrible, I thought the point of baseball is to want to win!

 

Sheffield is on the wrong side of 30 and his injries show that, bat him 5th or 6th, definatly not 3rd!