Lough... leadoff... why?

[mdbdotcom]

I guess my question is, does a professional baseball player really feel pressure depending on where he is in the batting order?

Each player probably has his own comfort zone. Some players might be intimidated batting leadoff, while others might feel more comfortable.

[mdbdotcom]

This is the lineup I'd like to see:

1. Nick Markakis RF

2. Manny Machado 3B

3. Chris Davis 1B

4. Adam Jones CF

5. Matt Wieters C

6. Nolan Reimold DH

7. JJ Hardy SS

8. Ryan Flaherty 2B

9. David Lough LF

I think Reimold has to be considered an everyday player until he gets hurt (which he probably will). I do have to say, though, that this lineup would look a lot better with Morales or Cruz in that five spot. Then platoon Reimold in LF.

Doubt that Buck wants three lefties in a row with Flaherty, Lough, Markakis.

[Redskins Rick]

I guess my question is, does a professional baseball player really feel pressure depending on where he is in the batting order?

I think there is, people expect more from the top of the order, its important they get on base for the middle of the lineup to drive them home.

You hear managers talk about pressure on hitters, and something moving a guy from the 4th or 5th slot to 6 or 7 helps them.

ideally, they are all paid and professional and where they bat isn't important.

In Earl Weaver Baseball, he loved the #9 hole as his 2nd leadoff spot.

[wildcard]

I guess my question is, does a professional baseball player really feel pressure depending on where he is in the batting order?

I don't know whether it is pressure on not but Nick doesn't not seem to do as well in the #3 slot as he does batting leadoff or #2. I have heard Nick describe his approach in the #3 spot as needing to drive in runs and higher in the order is getting on base. In the last year or so Nick has changes the way he talks about where he bats. Now he says it doesn't matter where he bats, he approaches it the same at any slot. But I think what Nick has really done is change the he talks to the media about the subject.

In Nick's case I still think it is more how he approaches the at bat than the pressure he feels.

[BradyBunch]

He still isn't a polished veteran.

PCL league and a .340 OBP has to be taken into consideration for being the PCL league.

Like Frobby just pointed out, he doesn't have much leadoff bats under his belt at the major league level.

So why put pressure on him?

How does one become a polished vet? Play games? Who woulda thunk. We threw Manny in the 2 hole last year, he certainly wasn't a polished hitter. So much so, his K/Walk ratio was close to 4/1, his OBP was .314 and we thought he had a good season.

Sure.. .340 in the PCL is typically a .310-.320 elsewhere. Problem is look at Lough's numbers from Rookie, A ball (high and low), AA and AAA. The guy gets on base, period. Did it in App League, Midwest League, Carolina League, Texas League and PCL. Hell, it's cause he was at .391 last year in PCL he was called up. KC couldn't ignore him anymore. Despite him put up numbers in previous years that would have justified a call up for longer then 20 games.

Who cares how many at bats you have at a certain spot in the line up? The job is still the same, see the ball, hit the ball, or get on base and score. Try not to make an out with out getting something in return (move a runner or score a run).

These are the simple facts of the simple game we call baseball.

[BradyBunch]

I think there is, people expect more from the top of the order, its important they get on base for the middle of the lineup to drive them home.

Have you seen the top of the O's line up for the last 5 years? We expect average and we get it.

You hear managers talk about pressure on hitters, and something moving a guy from the 4th or 5th slot to 6 or 7 helps them.

That's a manager playing politics. It's a nice way of saying they are slumping and they are being less productive so they are put in the bottom of the line up.

ideally, they are all paid and professional and where they bat isn't important.

No, ideally, you put a player in the line up for their strengths. Throwing in a player at spot just to fill the spot is how you waste ABs.

In Earl Weaver Baseball, he loved the #9 hole as his 2nd leadoff spot.

And I don't want to win and die by the HR either.

[crawjo]

Doubt that Buck wants three lefties in a row with Flaherty, Lough, Markakis.

Maybe not, but I think that's the best lineup anyway. If you are down late in a game, you pinch hit for Lough with a righty.

[El Gordo]

Maybe not, but I think that's the best lineup anyway. If you are down late in a game, you pinch hit for Lough with a righty.

I think there will be different lineups for LHP and RHP

RHP will be :

Markakis

Manny

Davis

Jones

Wieters

Hardy

Urrutia

Flash

Lough

LHP:

Markakis

Manny

Davis

Jones

Hardy

Wieters

Pearce

Flash/DeJesus

Lough/Peguro

[JayThomas]

Or they could just flip Flash and JJ:

1. Nick Markakis RF

2. Manny Machado 3B

3. Chris Davis 1B

4. Adam Jones CF

5. Matt Wieters C

6. Nolan Reimold DH

7. Ryan Flaherty 2B

8. JJ Hardy SS

9. David Lough LF

[Can_of_corn]

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2014/02/notes-on-aceves-gonzalez-hendriks-bundy-lough-and-more.html

Showalter indicated that David Lough, expected to be the regular left fielder this season, could evolve into a leadoff hitter.

"He's got a chance to fit that role," Showalter said. "We'll see how that develops, especially if Nick (Markakis) presents himself as a little different look player."

[BradyBunch]

Sigh. If only Nick was speedier. Because that's apparently the only thing that keeps stopping Buck from batting him leadoff. Which... yeah. Frustrating.

Well tell Nick to chose what kind of hitter he is.. lose the weight and run wind sprints over and over until you get a little faster or just accept your legs are going and pass the torch to Lough who does have speed and gets on base as well.

[Can_of_corn]

Well tell Nick to chose what kind of hitter he is.. lose the weight and run wind sprints over and over until you get a little faster or just accept your legs are going and pass the torch to Lough who does have speed and gets on base as well.

311 OBP last season, 308 for his career. 349 in the minors but that includes parts of four seasons in the PCL (and being old for his level pretty much the whole time).

[DrungoHazewood]

Well tell Nick to chose what kind of hitter he is.. lose the weight and run wind sprints over and over until you get a little faster or just accept your legs are going and pass the torch to Lough who does have speed and gets on base as well.

Lough has a .308 OBP. In his lengthy minor league career he walked about once every 17 PAs. I see no reason he should ever bat above 7th.

[Can_of_corn]

Lough has a .308 OBP. In his lengthy minor league career he walked about once every 17 PAs. I see no reason he should ever bat above 7th.

Is he the fastest starting position player in a dead sprint?

I think that might be what Buck is basing it on.

[BradyBunch]

311 OBP last season, 308 for his career. 349 in the minors but that includes parts of four seasons in the PCL (and being old for his level pretty much the whole time).

.329 OBP, Nick Markakis last year. .329 OBP for McLouth last year as well. So that's a few extra walks or hits from Lough to surpass last year's leadoff hitters. So that's an improvement.

Lough went to college so he was 21 when he was drafted and 22 before he was playing in the minors. So he was gonna be older then the bunch. That's just a reality we can't change. Being stuck in the PCL because KC didn't want to use his options shouldn't count as a negative against him. He was stuck behind Alex Gordon, Jeff Francoeur (who had the big contract), Scott Podsednik (for 2010), Melky Cabrera (2011) and others. Kinda hard to crack a team's outfield when you have the likes of Francoeur, Podsednik, Cabrera, and Gordon sitting in the outfield over that period as well.

Kinda like how David Dellucci could never crack the O's outfield in 1997 and was not protected in the expansion draft and we lost him in 1998.