Tonight's Line-up

[WMR]

Hopper 8
Gonzalez 6
Griffey 9
Conine 3
Dunn 7
Encarnacion 5
Castro 4
Ross 2
Harang 1

This is may be the worst line-up yet this season from Narron. Hopper, Gonzo, and Conine all getting more ABs than Dunn and Ede. Castro starting.

[RedEye]

It's official: they're playing for draft position in 2008.

[WMR]

Narron wasn't lying when he talked about picking names out of a hat to construct his line-ups/batting orders.

[eastkyred]

why does he insist on giving castro a start every 3 or 4 games? 33% of the batters tonight are Castro, Ross, Harang, Everett, Ausmus, and Wandy. Should be exciting!

[WMR]

Originally Posted by eastkyred

why does he insist on giving castro a start every 3 or 4 games? 33% of the batters tonight are Castro, Ross, Harang, Everett, Ausmus, and Wandy. Should be exciting!

You don't sign a player like Juan Castro to an extension and then not play him.

Think about that.

[RedsFanInMD]

It shows what a drop-off there is without Phillips in the lineup. Harang is going to have to pitch a shutout tonight...

[OesterPoster]

I'm way beyond even questioning Narron's lineups any longer. It's become second nature to me when I look at the lineup and give a "bleh" response.

[WMR]

The drop-off wouldn't be so severe if the ballplayer detritus Juan Castro wasn't occupying a spot on our 25 man. Hell, off the top of my head, I'd take Keppinger over Castro in a heartbeat.

[jimbo]

Not my favorite lineup either, but I don't think it's that bad considering what Narron has to work with. I don't like Castro starting anymore than anyone else does, but I think Phillips has had only one day off all season so he needs one. With him not at the top of the lineup, Gonzo isn't ideal but he is 11 for 29 this past week so he is getting on base and scoring runs so, it makes sense for this one game IMO.

Dunn batting 5th is another argument that has been hashed and rehashed so I won't even comment on that.

[James B.]

Did anyone else notice the team the reds had on the field in the 9th inning? They almost had to go extra innings with Wise, Castro, Hopper, and Moeller all in the lineup. That would have been ugly.

[WMR]

Who would you rather have coming up in the ninth inning down a run, Gonzalez and Conine or Dunn and EE?

This line-up is indefensible, IMO.

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

Who would you rather have coming up in the ninth inning down a run, Gonzalez and Conine or Dunn and EE?

This line-up is indefensible, IMO.

By the 9th inning the order of the lineup is much less meaningless. Who's to say that spot wouldn't come down to the 5th or 6th hitter in your scenario? Besides, I wouldn't like EE in the two hole in any situation and like I said I am not going to comment on Dunn's batting 5th because that's been beat to death already. He puts Conine in between Dunn and Junior to break up the lefties. You may not like it, but that's the reasoning behind it and many managers do just the same.

For some, no lineup that Narron puts out there will be defensible. I don't like them all of the time either, but I just try to find the reasoning behind them when they do come out as opposed to automatically bashing them, and sometimes after doing so they make a little more sense.

[WMR]

The ninth inning question was just a hypothetical. The point is, you're giving more ABs over the course of a game to Hopper, Gonzo, and Conine than you are to Dunn and EE. That's just wrong. Your guys who have the greatest opportunity to avoid making outs and get on base should be given the maximum opportunity to do so.

[Degenerate39]

How soon till we get to see Dunn batting leadoff?

[WMR]

Originally Posted by degenerate10

How soon till we get to see Dunn batting leadoff?

Bob Boone is that you?