What's Detroit's line-up opening day should look like?

[kellmellus50]

my position players roster and line-up would look like this.

Assuming we carry 13 position players. . 1. Damon LF 2. Sizemore 2B 3. Maggs RF 4. Cabby 1B 5. Guillen DH 6. Inge 3B 7. Jackson CF 8. Laird 9. Everitt


Starting picher who else but Verlander.

Do you think this line-up draws fear from opposing teams? my answer no

[ajaX82]

I posted this in another thread but I think it will look very similar to your first lineup. I think Jackson will be switched with Sizemore, but thats just me.

And no this lineup does not instill fear...right away. BUT....... IF....

Mags keeps up what he did at the end of last year, Guillen doesnt completely suck, Sizemore really is ready, Damon can hit a homer that isnt to the porch in Right at Yankee Stadium, Inges knees dont fall off, Cabrera really is sober, Jackson doesnt strike out all the time, and Laird and Everett both stop gunning for the Mendoza line.....

than we are a pretty decent lineup

[kellmellus50]

Scott Sizemore a better batter than Laird.

I Believe Cabrera and all the outfielders will have a great year propelling the tigers again into first place.Pitching will hold opposing teams to low runs scored against them.They will beat the Yankee's in the playoffs.

( det free press: )

Leyland said he was thinking of putting Damon in the second spot and trying speedy rookie Austin Jackson at leadoff. He likes the idea of two stolen-base threats atop the lineup. But he left open the possibility that Damon could hit leadoff and rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore could bat second.

He said the club wants Jackson to be the everyday center fielder. Damon’s arrival frees Ryan Raburn and Clete Thomas to platoon in center if the club decides that Jackson needs more time in the minors. Jackson has never played in the majors.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- In what will remain the least surprising news of Detroit Tigers spring training, manager Jim Leyland said that right-hander Justin Verlander will start the season opener April 5 in Kansas City

[TSE]

Laird in front of Sizemore is just silly. Laird is a reject hitter and we are banking on Sizemore being a Polanco-value hitter.

[kellmellus50]

Sizemore, who batted .308 with 39 doubles, 17 home runs bats better than laird but those are minor stats hopefully he will continue to do those numbers in the majors.

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

01/20/10 8:10 PM EST

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't claim to know what to expect from rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore. But he knows what not to expect. For that matter, Leyland isn't expecting anybody to duplicate what Polanco did, not in the second spot in the order. That's part of the challenge Leyland is confronting with his lineup, and it's leaving him with a bad case of writer's block.

Normally, Leyland loves to fill out lineups and batting orders during the offseason. He enjoys tinkering around with ideas on what could work and what could make the offense mesh. But as Leyland talked with reporters at the Mud Hens Fandemonium Wednesday night at Lucas County Arena, he said he hasn't been doing that this winter.

It's obvious why. He needs a leadoff hitter to start out with, and he isn't yet sure who that's going to be. He isn't sure who goes after the leadoff man, either.

"I've not written one [lineup]," Leyland said. "This is probably the first year in my managerial career that I haven't, because I don't know where to start."



"I haven't seen a lot of him," Leyland admitted. "I saw him a little in Spring Training, and it looks like he's got a lot of offensive potential. Off the cuff, from what I saw in Spring Training, he's going to need some work defensively, but that's what Spring Training is for."

Leyland said he plans to have Sizemore work with shortstop Adam Everett and middle infielder Ramon Santiago in Spring Training to help address the defensive part. Offensively, he has some decisions to make, not just with Sizemore, but also with fellow rookie Austin Jackson.

Leyland has seen the statistics from Sizemore, who batted .308 with 39 doubles, 17 home runs, 66 RBIs and an .889 OPS between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie. He saw him bat last Spring Training in doses when Sizemore came in for Placido Polanco.

Leyland doesn't know what to expect from Sizemore in the transition to the big leagues, but he isn't afraid to find out. He also knows, though, that he doesn't want Sizemore to get wrapped up in expectations.

In that respect, Leyland believes his veteran hitters can take a lot of pressure off youngsters like Sizemore and Jackson.

[TSE]

Well Sizemore doesn't hit like Polanco, he has more power to him, whereas Polanco is more of a contact guy and singles guy, so they are quite a bit different. When I say we are banking on him to hit like Polanco, I don't mean that literally. What I mean when I say that is we need him to hit as effective as Polanco, which doesn't have to be with contact and batting average, but with a higher slugging percentage to make up the difference and then some. Sizemore should actually have a good chance of outperforming Polanco at the plate. This quote by Leyland just shows how out of touch with reality he is. Ever since Polanco has been here Jim has tremendously overrated him as a hitter. So when he says he doesn't expect Sizemore to duplicate what Polanco did, he only means a duplication within his perception of what those players are worth, and he's dealing with a jacked up perspective that ihe real world and logic disagree with.