alou tinkering with lineup -- bonds second?

[west coast orange and black]

"Alou is thinking about batting Bonds second in the lineup this season.

"'I haven't talked to Barry about it yet. I know he likes to bat fourth,' Alou said as he and a dozen of his players visited the Shriners Hospital for Children on Thursday. However, Alou said he thought about moving Bonds up two spots as far back as last season.

"Alou first considered it when Bonds returned in September from three knee operations, but he said he dropped the notion of Bonds hitting second when the left fielder "caught fire" at cleanup.

"When asked Thursday if he was serious about resurrecting the idea in 2006, Alou said, 'I won't say no.'"
-henry schulman, san francisco chronicle staff writer, friday, 20 january 2006


in schulman's article, skipper alou mulls over this lineup:

1. vizquel
2. bonds
3. winn
4. alou
5. durham
6. feliz
7. niekro
8. matheny

hmmm... remember the days when mays lead off?

[Edgartohof]

Bond's is just too old to be in the #2 slot. He is gong to be 41 this is year, and he is coming off several major surgeries. He has always been able to run the bases well, even when he ran less the past few years, he did it at a great rate (35-6, 85%) I would want my #2 guy to run more, and at this point, I wouldn't want to put Bond's in that kind of position. He may be able to handle it, but why bother. And in either case, he is better suited to be #3 or #4.

[west coast orange and black]

agreed, edgar, that bonds simply can not handle the rigor of the #2 slot.
alou could put him there every now and then, though, and then remove him after 3 or 4 innings instead of bonds having the entire game off.
hmmm...

[Edgartohof]

agreed, edgar, that bonds simply can not handle the rigor of the #2 slot.
alou could put him there every now and then, though, and then remove him after 3 or 4 innings instead of bonds having the entire game off.
hmmm...

Periodically having him there isn't such a bad idea actually. But I would rather have Bonds there the whole game in the #3 hole than half the game at #2.

Actually, as we were talking about Winn in the other thread, if the top 3 went:

1. Vizquel
2. Winn
3. Bonds,

then Winn would be seeing better pitches, and that would only help him. and the team, and then with bonds, good or bad pitches - he'll hurt you either way.

[bondsgirrrl]

Well Bonds has said " it doesnt matter where you put me. They will just pitch around me no matter where I am in the lineup"

[Sberl]

I can't understand Alou, Bonds for me is a #3 or #4

[west coast orange and black]

agreed, edgar, that bonds playing nine in the 3 is better'n bonds playing 4 in the 2.
it's just that bonds is expected to play somewhere between 120-140 games, with no telling just how many of these full games.

historically, when bonds takes a day off he is at the yard and available for pinch-hit duty. it's understood that that pattern will continue. alou's talk about the 2-hole is all about what to do with bonds on days where bonds feels that he could go a couple'a innings, maybe even half a game.

i find it kinda interesting that alou would go public with the 2-hole notion. alou has been known to just be "thinking out loud" when he gets quoted, though.

vizquel / winn / bonds looks good on paper, for the reasons that you list.
but bonds resists talk of the 3-hole whenever it comes up. he thinks of himself as a clean-up hitter and takes alot of pride being depended upon in that role.