How about this lineup vs Hamels tomorrow?

[BearcatShane]

CF: Norris Hopper
RF: Ryan Freel
1B: Jeff Keppiner
2B: Brandon Phillips
LF: Adam Dunn
3B: Edwin Encarnacion
SS: Juan Castro
C: Paul Bako
p: Branson Arroyo


I don't wanna start Castro but I could see Dusty trying to overload the lineup with righties. Griffey could use a day off.

[Degenerate39]

CF- Hopper
SS- Keppinger
2nd- Phillips
LF- Dunn
3rd- Encarnacion
1st- Hatteberg
RF- Freel
C- Bako
P- Bronson Arroyo

[mlbfan30]

CF: Norris Hopper
RF: Ryan Freel
1B: Jeff Keppiner
2B: Brandon Phillips
LF: Adam Dunn
3B: Edwin Encarnacion
SS: Juan Castro
C: Paul Bako
p: Branson Arroyo


I don't wanna start Castro but I could see Dusty trying to overload the lineup with righties. Griffey could use a day off.

Griffey just got a HR.....and was 2/4
Are you saying he needs rest after 6 games into the season?

[AmarilloRed]

CF-Hopper
SS-Keppinger
2nd-Phillips
LF- Dunn
3rd-Edwin
1st-Votto
RF-Freel
c-Bako
P-Bronson Arroyo

[RedsFan2008]

With all the excitment about our future pitching rotation, its important to realize that we have a bright future on offense as well.

Adam Dunn. Assuming we keep him we will have that one guy that can just smack the ball out of the city. Its important to have one of these kind of guys. Dunn is 28.

Jeff Kepp. He has been such a great surprise this season and even though he is not a power guy he will be able to get plenty of HR's at GABP because of its size. W ehave to keep this guy. He is only 27.

Jay Bruce. I have heard nothing but great things from this guy. Not sure when he will get some playing time but when he does I will be on the edge of my seat.

Joey Votto. Has not impressed that much yet but he says that he has always been a slow starter. He still has major potential and he could very well be a great player for us. Lets hope he gets it going.

Im so excited to see how our future turns our for our pitchers and our hitters.

[ChatterRed]

CF- Hopper
SS- Keppinger
2nd- Phillips
LF- Dunn
3rd- Encarnacion
1st- Hatteberg
RF- Freel
C- Bako
P- Bronson Arroyo


I like your lineup better.

[757690]

Hamels is equally tough on righties as he is on lefties. I'd say leave your best hitters in there and hope for the best.
I remember when Bob Boone had an all righty lineup against Randy Johnson featuring Castro at first and he struck out 20.

[RedsFan2008]

Why dont you have Votto in? He has struggled so far but he is young and talented so we need to get him PT.

[JBChance]

CF- Hopper
SS- Keppinger
2nd- Phillips
LF- Dunn
3rd- Encarnacion
1st- Hatteberg
RF- Freel
C- Bako
P- Bronson Arroyo

Hopper and Freel. That's a scrappy outfield.

[5DOLLAR-BLEACHERBUM]

Why dont you have Votto in? He has struggled so far but he is young and talented so we need to get him PT.
we are playing to win and with Votto's strugles Hatte gives the best opportunity to do so right now.

[RedsFan2008]

we are playing to win and with Votto's strugles Hatte gives the best opportunity to do so right now.


Maybe so, but every single game we play to win, so when does that give us a chance to put in young, unproven players? We need to get him playing time now. BTW, just because you start him doesnt mean he wont help us win.

[mound_patrol]

Pretty sure Hamels best pitch is his changeup. Which means righties would probably struggle more. I, like someone else said, would just play the best 8 hitters and hope for the best.

[keeganbrick]

CF - Hopper
SS - Keppinger
RF - Griffey
2B - Phillips
LF - Dunn
3B - EE
1B - Hatteberg
C - Bako


Would be surprised to see anything else. I dont like our chances tomorrow with Arroyo facing Utley and Howard. I think Dusty already said he likes Hatteberg better against lefties and with Votto looking bad yesterday I would put my money on Hatteberg getting the start

[Jr's Boy]

Will be interesting to see what Dusty does when Gonzalez gets back.Theres no way you sit Keppinger when he is on fire,and a consistent hitter.This lineup needs good contact hitters to compliment the big boppers.However Kepp has flashed some pop as of late.

[Gizmo]

Will be interesting to see what Dusty does when Gonzalez gets back.Theres no way you sit Keppinger when he is on fire,and a consistent hitter.This lineup needs good contact hitters to compliment the big boppers.However Kepp has flashed some pop as of late.

It is nice that we have a SS controversy brewing, rather than no SS. :runaway:

[Boston Red]

Jeff Kepp. He has been such a great surprise this season and even though he is not a power guy he will be able to get plenty of HR's at GABP because of its size. W ehave to keep this guy. He is only 27.


I'm not really sure how Keppinger is a surprise this year. He's just doing the same thing he did for most of the second half of last year. He was certainly a big surprise last year, though!

[AdamDunn]

Griffey just got a HR.....and was 2/4
Are you saying he needs rest after 6 games into the season?

yes... its ken griffey junior... giving him rest ever seven games doesn't seem that bad to me given that he's injury-prone as anyone in the game.

[ChatterRed]

yes... its ken griffey junior... giving him rest ever seven games doesn't seem that bad to me given that he's injury-prone as anyone in the game.


I agree. Although, I always loathed when Narron would sit a player who just had a good game, like KGJ just did.

[Degenerate39]

CF: Norris Hopper
RF: Ryan Freel
1B: Jeff Keppiner
2B: Brandon Phillips
LF: Adam Dunn
3B: Edwin Encarnacion
SS: Juan Castro
C: Paul Bako
p: Branson Arroyo


I don't wanna start Castro but I could see Dusty trying to overload the lineup with righties. Griffey could use a day off.


CF- Hopper
SS- Keppinger
2nd- Phillips
LF- Dunn
3rd- Encarnacion
1st- Hatteberg
RF- Freel
C- Bako
P- Bronson Arroyo

1. Freel cf
2. Castro ss
3. Phillips 2b
4. Dunn lf
5. Keppinger 1b
6. Encarnacion 3b
7. Hopper rf
8. Bako c
9. Arroyo p

[ChatterRed]

I like that lineup better. Good move, moving the hot hitting Keppinger behind the lefthanded hitting Dunn. Not crazy about Castro hitting second though.

[Jefferson24]

1. Freel cf
2. Castro ss
3. Phillips 2b
4. Dunn lf
5. Keppinger 1b
6. Encarnacion 3b
7. Hopper rf
8. Bako c
9. Arroyo p

That looks like a white flag of a line up if you ask me. Maybe Dusty doesn't expect to win today regardless. Might as well get some people some pt and take their lumps. Hopefully I'm way off but I kind of doubt it.

[Degenerate39]

What is it with Reds managers and batting Juan Castro so high in a line up? I may not be the smartest person around when it comes to baseball but I wouldn't put him anywhere other than 8th or even 9th.

[Kingspoint]

CF: Norris Hopper
RF: Ryan Freel
1B: Jeff Keppiner
2B: Brandon Phillips
LF: Adam Dunn
3B: Edwin Encarnacion
SS: Juan Castro
C: Paul Bako
p: Branson Arroyo


I don't wanna start Castro but I could see Dusty trying to overload the lineup with righties. Griffey could use a day off.

That's a very likely scenario, and it's all that bad. Castro needs his playing time, too.

[OesterPoster]

Fun with numbers...

Juan Castro in 2007 hit .180 with a .211 OBP.
Bronson Arroyo in 2007 hit .143 with a .178 OBP.

We've got 2 pitchers in the batting order today. Great. :)

[AdamDunn]

Fun with numbers...

Juan Castro in 2007 hit .180 with a .211 OBP.
Bronson Arroyo in 2007 hit .143 with a .178 OBP.

We've got 2 pitchers in the batting order today. Great. :)

One of them is batting no. 2... which makes no sense at all.

[tommycash]

What a terrible lineup that was to use today. Horrible. Play Griffey. Who cares that a lefty is on the mound. Dusty just managed like Miley and Narron and Boone would today. I thought Dusty was better than that. Play your best players. Never start Castro unless it is necessary.

[Jefferson24]

What a terrible lineup that was to use today. Horrible. Play Griffey. Who cares that a lefty is on the mound. Dusty just managed like Miley and Narron and Boone would today. I thought Dusty was better than that. Play your best players. Never start Castro unless it is necessary.


Dusty gave up on this game before the first pitch was ever thrown. He did the same thing in Chicago. If it's a game he didn't think they could win we would ensure they didn't win by putting a weak line up out there.

News falsh !!! The 2008 Reds can win games, give them a chance...

[RSNtransplant]

It is nice that we have a SS controversy brewing, rather than no SS. :runaway:

There will be a book written here if/when Gonzalez gets healthy and Baker puts him in @ SS over Keppinger.

[mlbfan30]

There will be a book written here if/when Gonzalez gets healthy and Baker pus him in @ SS over Keppinger.

Not only will that happen, but AGone is going to bat 2nd because he's a SS

[jmac]

What a terrible lineup that was to use today. Horrible. Play Griffey. Who cares that a lefty is on the mound. Dusty just managed like Miley and Narron and Boone would today. I thought Dusty was better than that. Play your best players. Never start Castro unless it is necessary.

Jr is 38.
He needs a day off occasionally and against a lefty is the perfect time to do it.

[AdamDunn]

Jr is 38.
He needs a day off occasionally and against a lefty is the perfect time to do it.

Agreed. But that doesn't explain putting Castro in the two hole.

[jmac]

Agreed. But that doesn't explain putting Castro in the two hole.

That's because I cant explain Castro in the 2 hole :)

[BLEEDS]

Castro in the 2 hole just erased ANY and EVERY slack I have cut for Dusty. It's insanity.

At least Hopper batted over .300 last year, and he has speed - WHAT does Castro do in the 2 hole that Hopper can't do 10 times better?!?!? He's an out machine of epic proportions. IN THE 2 HOLE??!?!?! Theren't aren't enough words - and open dings on my warnings/violations for me to address this correctly.

Every game we bat Castro 2nd, is an automatic loss.

PEACE

-BLEEDS