What about swapping biggers and bonfield in the batting order

[hogfanboy2]

Biggers may not have the same home run power as Bonfield,
But, Biggers' BA  is about 50+ points higher
and if you look at recent at bats  the difference may be greater.
 
it would be very hard to pitch around C-SPAN with a guy batting 350 behind him.
Maybe it is too many lefties in a row.

[lefty08]

Nothing is wrong with Bonfield 3rd in the lineup........

[TNhawgfan]

I know C-Span was intentionally walked several times during the tournament, and I'm curious what Bonfield did after the walks. Did he get any hits following the intentional walks? I'm sure other teams are studying those numbers and will probably not pitch to Chad either

[CJ HOG]

I don't know about overall, but he's 0-2 in that situation vs LSU this year. I'd be curious to know as well.

[lefty08]

I know C-Span was intentionally walked several times during the tournament, and I'm curious what Bonfield did after the walks. Did he get any hits following the intentional walks? I'm sure other teams are studying those numbers and will probably not pitch to Chad either

Bonfield is a really good hitter. Judging him off of one weekend would be stupid. I hope they decide to go that route, he will make them pay

[TNhawgfan]

Bonfield is a really good hitter. Judging him off of one weekend would be stupid. I hope they decide to go that route, he will make them pay

I didn't say he wasn't. I really like Bonnie. I just wanted to know the numbers since I feel other teams will do the same thing

[hawg1221]

Absolutely. In the game of baseball, you definitely can't judge a player over one week in the SEC Tournament.

[Razorback_Mack]

Biggers is the most pure hitter we have on the team. He gets on base more than anybody on the team. He should definitely be somewhere 1-3 in the order.

[bulldog04]

That would put three lefties batting in a row.  It is something not done in baseball very often

[hogman64]

Nothing is wrong with Bonfield 3rd in the lineup........

agree with this Bonfield is a good hitter and until the lineup switch Bonfield has had to face getting nothing to hit in any meaningful situation for a month at least  because teams preferred to pitch to Koch,maybe were not intentionally walking him but close to it...

[Razorback_Mack]

Nm

[The_Iceman]

Would love to see us go:

Cole
Biggers
Spanberger
Bonfield
Fletcher
Shaddy
Koch
Gates
Arledge

[lefty08]

Would love to see us go:

Cole
Biggers
Spanberger
Bonfield
Fletcher
Shaddy
Koch
Gates
Arledge

Why would you take at bats away from spanberger?  Just curious

[woodhog14]

Would love to see us go:

Cole
Biggers
Spanberger
Bonfield
Fletcher
Shaddy
Koch
Gates
Arledge

Man, that would be salty! I'd be willing to bet we would produce even more runs if this were the lineup.

[woodhog14]

Why would you take at bats away from spanberger?  Just curious

Moving Spanberger down 1 spot would not take away at bats for him. Now, if you moved down further in the lineup, it would.

[hogfanboy2]

Maybe  it should be  Batter A  vs Batter B  in the 3 hole
The question was not meant to be knock on a player


one response said don't judge batter A over one weekend  but  batter B is 50+ points higher for the "whole" season
Another response is batter A is a "good" hitter - everybody agrees  But  there is good  there is better then there is best.

it is true  that Batter B being in the bottom of the order has had less pressure ABs,  so no telling how Batter B would perform in the more pressure situations

[seasonhog]

Man, that would be salty! I'd be willing to bet we would produce even more runs if this were the lineup.

my lineup...

Cole
Fletcher
Biggers
Span
Bonfield
Koch
Shaddy
Gates
Arledge

[lefty08]

Moving Spanberger down 1 spot would not take away at bats for him. Now, if you moved down further in the lineup, it would.

Unfortunately it would

[SPAL]

my lineup...

Cole
Fletcher
Biggers
Span
Bonfield
Koch
Shaddy
Gates
Arledge

No. CSPAN can be no lower than 3rd and no real reason to move him out of the 2 hole.

[seasonhog]

No. CSPAN can be no lower than 3rd and no real reason to move him out of the 2 hole.

To not put Biggers in the top 3.....is a mistake....the guy can hit to any field....depending on the pitch.

[hawginbigd1]

No. CSPAN can be no lower than 3rd and no real reason to move him out of the 2 hole.

Yeah except the fact that for over 100 years the conventional wisdom is your best RBI power guy bats in the 4 hole, but other than that you are spot on. First of the season when he was scuffling 2 spot was a decent move, but now he is clearly the best RBI power guy. Bonfield is now scuffling a little the last 10 or so, I might move him down if it were me.

[woodhog14]

Unfortunately it would

Ok.

[lefty08]

Ok.

Do you even math?

[woodhog14]

Do you even math?

What do you mean? I thought about and agreed. That's why I said ok. Jeez.

[Amityvillehogger]

Let's not jack with what got us here. We just scored 16 runs on the #3 national seed.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

Spanberger is in the 2 hole because he isn't the best offspeed hitter and DVH wants him to get more fastballs.   He's not going anywhere.  I don't think the lineup needs any tinkering.  I do think Kenley needs to be the everyday 3rd baseman for the remainder of the season. 

[flippinhogmana]

Spanberger is in the 2 hole because he isn't the best offspeed hitter and DVH wants him to get more fastballs.   He's not going anywhere.  I don't think the lineup needs any tinkering.  I do think Kenley needs to be the everyday 3rd baseman for the remainder of the season.

Placing a home run hitter in the four position is for rbis, not for increased at bats.  You potentially get one more runner on base before your hits.  But he has proven most effective in the number two hole (which most of us doubted when he wasn't hitting well at first).  When Spanberger stopped trying to pull everything is when he started hitting better, part of that reason was he was expected to try and get on base, not just hit home runs all the time.  Bonfield just needs to pick it up.  Fletcher hitting behind him (Bonfield) should be all the protection Bonfield needs, moving Biggers up behind Fletcher was the right move though, and still is, just like moving Cole to the leadoff spot was the right move.  Koch needs to get it going again too! 

But I also saw good things with our pitching for the most part the last three games of the tournament (just scratch the first MSU game).  Getting Blaine and Travis and one or two other pitchers going and them keeping it going will have more to do with our run the rest of the way than any lineup changes will. 

As to pitching, I like Murphy as my number three starter right now, with Taco in a pinch when we go through those three, or for one time through the lineup at any time.  Kopps threw well, Reindle does at time also, as did Cronin;  Chapwick not so much, and then Alberius-who might not have much in the way of velocity or 'stuff' but he battles, hits locations most of the time and throws strikes.  Our defense in the field is what let us down Sunday as much or more than pitching.  Two errors hurt, especially the first one. 

[SPAL]

Yeah except the fact that for over 100 years the conventional wisdom is your best RBI power guy bats in the 4 hole, but other than that you are spot on. First of the season when he was scuffling 2 spot was a decent move, but now he is clearly the best RBI power guy. Bonfield is now scuffling a little the last 10 or so, I might move him down if it were me.

Yeah, except for the fact the kid was just named SECT Mvp in a tournament we didn't win batting from the 2 hole. . You typically put your best slugger in the 4 hole because after the 5 spot, you start running into weaker hitters who struggle to get on base while your first 3 guys typically do.

In our lineup, we have power and pop everywhere so he is likely to have runners on every time he comes up....which at the 2 spot would be more often than at the 4 spot.....if math is a real thing anyway. Apparently, somebody in this thread says he will get the same number of at bats batting 5th as 2nd.

[Stewhog 11]

Against Georgia, Bonfield hit a home run after Spanberger was intentionally walked. The lineup is fine.

[azhog10]

Would rather see Biggers lead off. Cole has done a good job, but I like Biggers average hitting first. He always seems to work the counts and see pitches. Would rather see Cole at five, Bonfiled at 3 and Fletcher 4.

[hogfanboy2]

It is not about what is good (it's all good) its about "BEST" and in baseball that as a lot to do with playing the averages.

I suggest the opposing team  will think twice about walking Chad  knowing there is  a 350+ hitter behind him vs a 294 hitter that has a few more HR.
 
Always consider what the opposing team is thinking and make  their decisions as hard as possible.
 

and don't settle for just good

[woodrow hog call]

Lets not forget Chad had a chance to come up big in the first game of the tourney and popped out to center, then we know what he did after that, I expect Luke to have a monster regional for us. Competitors don't like the feeling of failure, they go back to work to make up for it.

[Birminghog]

Eric's switch hitting is valuable at the leadoff spot. Let's leave C-Span batting 2nd and dance with the girl that brung us. As for Bonfield v. Biggers, I love what Biggers has been doing lately, but I'll trust DVH.

[TebowHater]

my lineup...

Cole
Fletcher
Biggers
Span
Bonfield
Koch
Shaddy
Gates
Arledge

Why not Lee for Arledge? Dude has an absolute cannon and all he does is get on base. Not to mention he is our best base runner per DVH.

[WhenPigsFly]

Would rather see Biggers lead off. Cole has done a good job, but I like Biggers average hitting first. He always seems to work the counts and see pitches. Would rather see Cole at five, Bonfiled at 3 and Fletcher 4.

This would suit me.  Having our best hitter at no. 6 or 7 could cost him 2 or 3 ABs over the course of the Regional.

[seasonhog]

Why not Lee for Arledge? Dude has an absolute cannon and all he does is get on base. Not to mention he is our best base runner per DVH.

Sound good to me.......

[woodrow hog call]

No way would I trade Arledge for Lee in LF, at this point in the season, Lee will be a great one I believe but he is too green for a corner outfield spot right now.

One wrong step, or split second of hesitation out there turns an out into a triple, we can't afford that.

The other thing about that move is, the quickest way to drop his BA about 100 points is give him more at bats in this setting.

I want more proven fielders and hitters right now.

[hawginbigd1]

No way would I trade Arledge for Lee in LF, at this point in the season, Lee will be a great one I believe but he is too green for a corner outfield spot right now.

One wrong step, or split second of hesitation out there turns an out into a triple, we can't afford that.

The other thing about that move is, the quickest way to drop his BA about 100 points is give him more at bats in this setting.

I want more proven fielders and hitters right now.

I don't think Arledge is that great a fielder, I leave him in because he is one of the best OBP guys on the roster.

[hogfanboy2]

Listening to DVH  press conference  he made a point to say  Luke was his man in the 3 hole behind Chad.  Make me wonder  if someone the org  reads  this forum. 

[SPAL]

No way would I trade Arledge for Lee in LF, at this point in the season, Lee will be a great one I believe but he is too green for a corner outfield spot right now.

One wrong step, or split second of hesitation out there turns an out into a triple, we can't afford that.

The other thing about that move is, the quickest way to drop his BA about 100 points is give him more at bats in this setting.

I want more proven fielders and hitters right now.

Evan Lee is our version of vin ascolese.

[jbell96]

Biggers may not have the same home run power as Bonfield,
But, Biggers' BA  is about 50+ points higher
and if you look at recent at bats  the difference may be greater.
 
it would be very hard to pitch around C-SPAN with a guy batting 350 behind him.
Maybe it is too many lefties in a row.

The lineup as it is constructed now, in terms of the batting order, averaged 10 runs a game in the SECT before facing LSU, and an extremely wide strike zone, on Sunday. Bonfield has hit 3rd all year long and I don't see him moving out of the 3 hole because he struggled the last few games of the SECT. Not to mention he got victimized by the awful zone in 2 at bats that should have been walks.

Our lineup has a perfect balance right now and doesn't give teams an opportunity to relax.

[TNhawgfan]

Evan Lee is our version of vin ascolese.

What kind of poetry does he write?

[jbell96]

my lineup...

Cole
Fletcher
Biggers
Span
Bonfield
Koch
Shaddy
Gates
Arledge

So you want to take away at bats from Spanberger and have three left handed hitters in a row? Call me crazy, but I think we should keep the lineup we had in the SECT, which averaged almost 8.5 runs a game.

[seasonhog]

So you want to take away at bats from Spanberger and have three left handed hitters in a row? Call me crazy, but I think we should keep the lineup we had in the SECT, which averaged almost 8.5 runs a game.

When Biggers is on base......& Span hit it out.......I think that is 2 runs.....

[woodrow hog call]

When Biggers is on base......& Span hit it out.......I think that is 2 runs.....

At the end of the game, when we need runs to win or tie, we want Span to have a chance to bat.
The farther down the line up he is hitting, the odds of him getting that chance get lower and lower, because when we have 3 batters make an out, we have to stop batting.

[jbell96]

When Biggers is on base......& Span hit it out.......I think that is 2 runs.....

What is exactly is your point? This team had a 3 game stretch in the SECT where they scored 37 runs, against 3 NCAAT teams, and you "experts" want to mess with the lineup. DVH wants balance, and with the way it is now, that is what we have.