The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Dusty Baker forced to change often

The Reds’ lineup for Wednesday’s game was their 38th different one in 52 games this season.

RedHawks' Burke ‘always had a smile’
Updated 7 min. ago
Snow cancels basketball games, many already rescheduled
Updated 8 min. ago
Waynesville selects Philpot as football coach
Updated 9 min. ago
Preview: UD vs. Charlotte
12:55 a.m.
UD's Johnson goes from starter to spark off the bench
12:55 a.m.
> More sports headlines

By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 3:22 AM Thursday, June 4, 2009

ST. LOUIS — Dusty Baker stifled a little grin as he fingered the lineup card and said without being asked, "I've changed the lineup around a little bit."

A little bit? This one was his 38th different lineup/batting order in the first 52 games.

For only the third time this year, Jerry Hairston Jr. batted leadoff Wednesday for the Cincinnati Reds in Game 3 of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Chris Dickerson, who has been batting leadoff when he substitutes for Willy Taveras, substituted for Taveras Wednesday and batted second.

And Paul Janish was at shortstop in place of Alex Gonzalez, but the most curious facet of the lineup was Jay Bruce batting fourth, despite the fact he is 1 for 20 with eight strikeouts during the first five games of this trip.

"It's because it's the best lineup I can come up with today," Baker said with a shrug. "I had a talk with him about concentration and getting a good pitch to hit and have four good at-bats instead of one or two."

There is nothing physically wrong with Gonzalez other than the wear-and-tear on his knee from playing 11 straight games. He is hitting .300 over his last 11 games and generating impeccable defense.

"I don't want Janish to be out too long," said Baker. "I thought about tomorrow, but we face Chris Carpenter (3-0, 0.62) and that's not fair to Janish — one start and he has to face Carpenter."

And why did he flip-flop Hairston and Dickerson?

Hairston started at third base Wednesday for the 12th time and the Reds are 2-9 when he plays third. He has started eight times at second base (7-1), six times at shortstop (5-1), seven times in left field (4-3) and twice in center field (0-2).

"I don't mind batting first and as I've said many times, I don't care, I just want to play," said Hairston. "After the first inning, it doesn't matter anyway. You're not leading off most of the time then. All I care about is doing something to help the team win."

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

Dusty has to flip flop so much because Cincy doesn't have enough ML talent to work w/. This team would be in 1st place in their division and stand a good chance of winning it....IF ownership would go get a complete (field & hit) ML ready 3rd, SS, CF and or LF. Doing so would provide more consistency and clutch performance IMO and give Dusty a bench to work w/.

MAC
2:36 AM, 6/6/2009

REPORT ABUSE

"Number one, I want to split up right-left, right-left and Number two, going on last year, Hairston was an outstanding leadoff guy for us," said Baker, referring to the face the Reds were 25-19 with Hairston at the top of the order. This year, though, they were 0-2 going into Wednesday's game. THERE HE GOES AGAIN, TRYING TO SOUND LIKE HE HAS A PLAN! LAST YEAR? OH, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO JUSTIFY MY NEXT MOVE.HOW ABOUT LAST DECADE?

blogcopwatcher
10:10 AM, 6/4/2009

REPORT ABUSE

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.