Bench Jocketty-ing

or is he starting? I think that if Duncan still is not hitting well they probably will have him start in AAA to work on it. I’d be very surprised if Tyler Greene makes the team

Wiggington plays 2nd base, but can spot start at 3rd if necessary.

Kennedy and either Green or Brendan Ryan can be the backup infielders

OF Skip
OF/UTIL Mather
IF Thurston
IF Ryan
C LaRue

Assuming Freese is the starter at 3B to begin the year, then once Glaus is healthy, Ryan gets sent back down to AAA. I’d prefer Barton instead of Skip as well, but I agree with DanUp. As long as Skip’s a Cardinal, he plays with the big boys.

I agree with DanUp. I think that Brendan Ryan has not been given a fair chance (and remember how he started out hitting so well last year), and won’t be again this time around. I think that Duncan should not be part of the bench after last year’s struggles (and Mather should because he proved he was good and belonged).

I have loved Tyler Greene ever since I watched his scouting video before the 2005 draft, and would be ecstatic if he made the team. I just hope Tony does not look at his strikeouts too harshly. Greene can be an excellent player. His combination of speed, defense, and power at SS would be sick. If he could just hit for average…

barden — good mi presence and can pickup 3b at odd times as insurance in case main pick d/n work out

thurston – b. ryan is such a known quantity at this point. they’ll want to test out these wheels if he even has a reasonable spring and ryan doesn’t come out blazing.

mather — can’t miss this bat in a two-lefty OF; also, with what might have been a backup corner infielder taking 3b, likely to need a power bat for pinch hitting.

duncan — if he’s healthy and hitting, I don’t think he gets missed. that’s a big if, but I’m going to gamble here and say he will be.

fumanchu — barring a serious injury that catapults knoedler, anderson, or pagnozzi into the bigs, this is a no brainer

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Do we really have to?

OF – Duncan
OF – Barton
OF/IF – Mather
IF – Barden
C – LaRue

I’m Assuming:
 - Rasmus starts at AAA (unless he rakes or a trade is made)
 - Duncan is, as mentioned before, at least Izzy-healthy
 - Barden will impress in spring training
 - LaRue doesn’t shave his glorious facial hair

is to trade three outfielders and let amury marti play the whole outfield by himself while he carves his own bats and use 6 infielders.

I honestly think that there will be a wild card pine pony rider, a veteran who receives a non-roster invite and has a good spring. How on earth could TLR resist?

so, who bats lead off w/ skippy on the bench?

skip starts in LF, Rasmus starts in AAA

Larue
Duncan
Mather
Ryan
Thurston or Barden (spring training comp)

Rasmus gets promoted and Ankiel gets traded, Duncan gets too many at bats and isn’t completely healthy. Ludwick is the only OF to start 130 games for the cardinals.

My preference…

Luddy, Ank, and Colby all start at least 140 games

bench consists of

Mather
Schumaker
LaRue
T. Greene
Barton/Barden/Thurston keep Freese’s bench spot warm until Glaus returns. Duncan gets traded before camp breaks.

looking at comments on non-VEB sites with people complaining about “decheapo” and mo.

Larue
Dunc OF
Skip OF/(IF?)
Ryan IF
Mather OF/IF

(with Rasmus, Ank, Luddy starting)

My preference:
Starting: Ank and Luddy. Rasmus if he’s awesome in ST, Skippy if he’s not.

Bench:
Larue
Mather
Skip (if he’s not starting, otherwise Barton)
Barden
Thurston/Greene

Dunc will not get traded until he proves he can still play. He can’t prove he can still play getting limited PT in the majors. He needs to start at AAA at least for a while. I’ve never been huge on Barton, he does deserve a shot in ST (against Skip, Dunc, Mather). I think Ryan would be better off somewhere else, since there are guys (barden, thurston, greene) that seem to have more upside. I think he’s gotten plenty of shots to prove himself. I’m also still intrigued by the prospect of Skip manning 2nd.

but my prediction is:

Ludwick, Ankiel, and Ducan start in the OF with Schumaker and Mather on the bench. The rest of the bench will be Pornstache, Thurston and Ryan. You can substitute any other two MIFs in there as long as the total is four. Unless, of course, TLR is confused by Stavinoha’s resemblance to Miles and keeps him because he thinks he is a MIF.

What it should be:

Ludwick in LF, Rasmus in CF, Ankiel in RF with the bench consisting of:

Mather
Barton
Schumaker
Pornstache
Ryan or TGreene

Not that it is being said with anywhere near the same venom as the crusade against Aaron Miles (that went on, almost constantly, for most of three years)… but I smell a theme developing, re. Schumaker.
A more tacit respect, and ungruding, about his skills and value (than with Miles) but a lot of VEBers seem to back hand wave Skippy away. Again, not with angst or passion, but more like a “ah, we don’t really need him.”

I like Skip… and a think a lead-off platoon of him and Barton/Mather in LF would be pretty decent. But I confess I mainly like the Schu because of the ‘grit’ factor. I would argue that he was second behind Miles in that department for the last two years and now will inherit the mantle…if he is still with us.

He’s easy to root for. And even tho I like to win, like every other fan, it is also very important to me that I am comfortable rooting… as in for the people INSIDE those uniforms.

Starting outfield
-CF Rasmus
-RF Ludwick
-LF Ankeil

Starting infield
-3B Freese
-SS Greene (Kahlil)
- 1B …ummmm
-2B Kennedy
-CA Yadi

Bench
-IF Thurston
-IF Ryan
-OF/3B Mather
-OF Barton
-CA Pornstache

Leftovers
-Duncan in AAA to get healthy/productive so he be called up if Rasmus/Barton struggles or Ankiel is traded. Or he could be traded if he REALLY beefs up his value in Memphis.
-Trade Schumaker for any kind of SP depth
-Craig starting 3B in AAA
-Wallace starting 3B in AA
-Greene, Barden, Hoffpaur 2B/SS rotation in AAA

…but I’d venture to guess the opening day starters in the outfield are Schumaker, Ankiel, and Ludwick.

So, if I believe that, I’ d have to believe the bench looks like this:

LaRue
Ryan
Thurston
Mather
Duncan

I’d love to see Rasmus on the roster, but not on the bench or platooning.