Upton is third

Manager Joe Maddon followed through on his plan to move B.J. Upton up in the batting order, slotting him third for Tuesday's game. Brendan Harris drops to sixth and Josh Wilson gets another start at second.
The lineup:
Iwamura, 3b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Young, rf
Harris, ss
Wigginton, dh
Navarro, c
Wilson, 2b

Comments

[Roy]

Bill, are you sure you even know what Gomes' lifetime numbers are?

Even including the shoulder injury that plagued him last year, his career OPS is 814. He's slugging over 500 this year and slugged over 500 the last year he was healthy. How can you possibly argue that he shouldn't be the Rays' full-time DH?

[Bill]

I don't like Norton at all.......but Gomes is a wannabee. His lifetime average and power numbers are not impressive at all.

[Roy]

That's nonsense, Bill. To win games, you need guys who do the big things. That's why teams with the Manny Ramirezes and Albert Pujolses win championships. And when Gomes sat the other night it was to play Norton, who does neither big nor small things. Maddon's an idiot.

[REB]

WHY ARE THE RAYS AND FANS GETTING SO EXCITED WHEN WE ARE IN THE CELLAR ? COULD IT BE THEY PLAYED A GOOD SERIES VS THE [NYY] AND ARE ABOUT TO WIN A SERIES FROM THE 1ST PLACE ANGELS ? WHO IS HOT ... WIGGS OR UPTON OR YOUNG OR PENA?[HA] I PREDICT SHIELDS TO WIN 15 AND KAZ TO WIN 14 GAMES. TWO WINS AT THE END OF JULY, 3 IN AUG. AND 3 MORE WINS IN SEPT.FOR EACH. PLUS, I THINK AKI'S BABY SITTING HAS HIM IN A SLUMP.

[Bill]

Notice how many games the Rays have lost when Gomes starts vs. when he is sitting? The team is much better without him in the lineup. He does NONE of the small things to win....hit behind a runner, sac flies when we need it.......it's a one hit wonder.

[Ray]

What's the explanation for sitting one of the team's hottest bats? The only explanation that makes any sense is giving visibility to Norton and Wigginton hoping to draw a trade. However, with Gomes hitting over .300 since his return and riding a 6 game hitting streak it seems as though the organization isn't as interested in trying to win games as they are moving dead wood that ain't gonna move any faster with 0 for 4 performances like Norton's this weekend. Much of the crowd the next few months is coming to see the other teams play. C'mon Joe and Andy...Can the the Rays really afford to lose anymore fans? At least put the best lineup on the field and TRY to win a few!