Who starting????

chibears55

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Figured we can overkill this topic for the next month..lol

Assuming both Bryant and Russell return healthy in September, which of these guys do you want to see Maddon start Game 1(if/when they clinch)..
Also, the last 3 postseasons with Maddon he has gone with 11 pitchers and 14 position players, so were assuming it stays the same...

Contreras
Caratini
Rizzo
Murphy
Baez
Russell
Bryant
Zobrist
Schwarber
Almora
Heyward
Happ
Bote
LaStella


My choice...

Contreras
Rizzo
Murphy
Baez
Bryant
Zobrist
Almora
Heyward

My thinking is to start Zobrist against the better starters, then Schwarber against game 3 and 4 starters..

Russell will be used as a defensive replacement

How i think Maddon will go...

Contreras
Rizzo
Murphy
Baez
Bryant
Schwarber
Heyward
Zobrist




Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

NCChiFan

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I'm guessing the decision on line up would be a who the cubs are facing, right v. lefty.
 

CSF77

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CubsFaninMN

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I figure the playoff lineup may look a lot like this:

Against RHP:

Zobrist - RF
Heyward - CF
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - SS
Murphy - 2B
Contreras - C
Schwarber- LF
Pitcher - P

Against LHP:

Zobrist - LF
Murphy - 2B
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - SS
Contreras - C
Heyward - RF
Pitcher - P
Happ/Almora - CF

In each case, I'm starting them with Russell on the bench. I'm figuring on Zo leading off, with his switch-hitting ability and OBP, he gets on base most. Murphy's splits against LHP are actually good, he can go in the #2 slot against LHP. Heyward plays against both for his D, but goes down to 7th in the order against LHP. And against RHP Joe puts his pitcher in the #9 slot, but uses Happ/Almora in the #9 slot against LHP. Defensive upgrade in this lineup is basically Russell for Murphy, Russell in at SS and Baez sliding to 2B. Depending on what the opposing team does with its relievers, with the "against RHP" lineup you can also put Almora in CF, pull Schwarbs, move J-Hey to RF and Zo to LF.

Position players on the bench will be Russell, Bote, Caratini, La Stella and whichever of Schwarbs/Happ/Almora are not starting.

Starters? Hamels, Lester, Hendricks, Quintana. Relievers? Morrow, Strop, Edwards, Wilson, Montgomery, de la Rosa and Rosario/Duensing (whichever is healthier).

There's your playoff 25-man, I think. They could go with one less bench player and one more reliever, but on a playoff roster you can usually do just fine with four starters and seven relievers. Joe has gone both ways in the past, hard to say where he'll go with this team. I imagine it will depend on who our opponents are, how much travelling we'll have to do, and how many rest days each team will get, both before the playoffs start and between games in a given series...

Edit -- maybe Chavez instead of de la Rosa, or both of them if Joe goes with eight relievers. Depends on which one of the two is throwing better going into the playoffs.
 

CSF77

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Murphy
Bryant
Rizzo
Baez
Heyward
Contreras
Schwarber
Pitcher
Zobrist

He could swap Zo and Contreras but Zo makes a good 2nd lead off as the game moves on.

Schwarber and Almora basically platoon with Heyward moving to RF and Zo to left. Rest of the line up static except Russell late D and Baez to 2B.


Joe will play for the lead and to hold it
 

DanTown

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I'm pretty sure he's going to go something like

Vs RHP
Murphy - 2B
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - SS
Zobrist - LF
Heyward - RF
Contrears - C
P
Almora - CF

Vs LHP
Almora - CF
Zobrist - LF
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - 2B
Contreras - C
Heyward - RF
P
Russell - SS

Bench - Schwarber, Happ, Murphy, Bote, Caratini, Gore
SP - Lester, Hamels, Hendrick, Q
RP - Morrow, Strop, Edwards, Cishek, Chavez, Wilson, Montgomery
 

CSF77

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I'm pretty sure he's going to go something like

Vs RHP
Murphy - 2B
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - SS
Zobrist - LF
Heyward - RF
Contrears - C
P
Almora - CF

Vs LHP
Almora - CF
Zobrist - LF
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - 2B
Contreras - C
Heyward - RF
P
Russell - SS

Bench - Schwarber, Happ, Murphy, Bote, Caratini, Gore
SP - Lester, Hamels, Hendrick, Q
RP - Morrow, Strop, Edwards, Cishek, Chavez, Wilson, Montgomery

I'd be shocked if Gore plays a game past Sept. Getting a set of legs in a expanded roster is one thing. on a 25 man roster is another.
 

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