2012-04-06 Cardinals (Garcia) at Brewers (Gallardo), 3:10 PM CDT (OPENING DAY)

[pretendastronaut]

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2012/logos/cardinals-opening.png[/logo][game-info][h1]April 6 | 3:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Cardinals (1-0) | Brewers (0-0)[/h2][h3]FSN HD | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2012/logos/brewers-opening.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2012/pitchers/cardinals/garcia-01.jpghttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2012/pitchers/brewers/gallardo-01.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][h2]0-0, -.-- ERA, -.-- WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Perhaps Garcia is poised for another big step forward as he prepares for his third full season as a big league starter. The sole lefty in the rotation, Garcia had an up-and-down spring, but he did so last year, too, and started the season strong.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][h2]0-0, -.-- ERA, -.-- WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cardinals | Game Log[/h3][h3]Gallardo will be the fourth Brewers pitcher to start three Opening Days, and is halfway to Ben Sheets' club-record six openers. The Cards have given Gallardo trouble; he's 1-7 with a 5.66 ERA in 11 regular season starts.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away]

1. SS Rafael Furcal
2. RF Carlos Beltran
3. LF Matt Holliday
4. 1B Lance Berkman
5. 3B David Freese
6. C Yadier Molina
7. CF Jon Jay
8. 2B Daniel Descalso
9. LHP Jaime Garcia

[/divclass][divclass=home]

1. 2B Rickie Weeks
2. CF Carlos Gomez
3. LF Ryan Braun
4. 3B Aramis Ramirez
5. RF Corey Hart
6. SS Alex Gonzalez
7. 1B Mat Gamel
8. C Jonathan Lucroy
9. RHP Yovani Gallardo

[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]Brewerfan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

[Invader3K]

Let's get this thing going! It's Opening Day! Go Brewers! For those of you who will be at Miller Park today, have fun and don't act like Cubs fans.

 

Here's Ron Roenicke's Opening Day lineup, via Mike Vassallo on Twitter:

 

http://yfrog.com/hskmdunj:iphone

[Mudville9]

Gomez in the two hole. Sigh.

[owbc]

I'm taking this opening day off for the first time in about a decade, spending it at the beach with my visiting family instead. Might catch some of the game later this afternoon, but if not, Go Brewers and make this another special year!

[lukevan]

Opening Day!!!

 

So excited to have meaningful baseball games back! Not so excited about the Gonzalez batting 6th ahead of Gamel thing. Let's win today.

[hawing]

Welcome back, baseball. I've looked forward to you since the evening of October 16.

[Glennron]

Opening Day!!!

 

Not so excited about the Gonzalez batting 6th ahead of Gamel thing. Let's win today.

 

pretendastronaut has Gamel listed as 6th, though. Is that just a typo, or did Roenicke change his mind?

[RobDeer 45]

Man, I'm really excited to see how we look today. Nothing better than an opening day win, and nothing more crushing than an opening day loss. Let's get the win and start the talk of 162-0.

[BradWI]

Opening Day!!!

 

Not so excited about the Gonzalez batting 6th ahead of Gamel thing. Let's win today.

 

pretendastronaut has Gamel listed as 6th, though. Is that just a typo, or did Roenicke change his mind?

 

http://i.imgur.com/HkfcA.jpg

 

Gomez 2nd.... ugh

[topper09er]

Unfortunately the Bud drinkers are 1-0 on the season, lets bring them back to .500 where they will hover around all season long.

[Glennron]

^Yeah, I figured I had just been getting my hopes up. Oh well. I'm trying hard to not be annoyed with the batting order before the season even starts.

[topper09er]

 

http://i.imgur.com/HkfcA.jpg

 

Gomez 2nd.... ugh

 

 

Not to mention 2 first baseman! What are you thinking RRR, Gonzo cant have that good of range

[pretendastronaut]

Opening Day!!!

 

Not so excited about the Gonzalez batting 6th ahead of Gamel thing. Let's win today.

 

pretendastronaut has Gamel listed as 6th, though. Is that just a typo, or did Roenicke change his mind?

 

No, I had entered that lineup as a guess when I pre-set this up last night. The Cardinals lineup is a guess right now too.

[umphrey]

Who would be better hitting 2nd? Hart at 2 and Gamel at 5? Not crazy about Gomez hitting there but not many choices.

[hawing]

For those of you who will be at Miller Park today, have fun and don't act like Cubs fans.

Don't act like Cardinals fans either. How many times am I going to have to mutter something about glass houses under my breath after the classiest fans in the universe take aim on Ryan?

[rluzinski]

Gomez is probably the 8th best hitter in that lineup, so the suggestion that there may be no one better to bat 2nd is a hard one for me to stomach. Hell, Gallardo isn't even that much worse than him as a hitter.

 

It's just the same, dogmatic philosophies of the old school managers. Many franchises have moved on but not the Brewers. The good news is that Gomez will play himself out of that lineup spot before June. It's just pretty unbelievable that RR has already forgotten he was embarrassed by his assessment of Gomez's offensive abilities last year.

 

Lineup order aside, there is a lot of upside in that lineup overall. Lucroy and Gamel, I'm looking at you!

[pitchleague]

OPENING DAY by Terry Cashman

 

 

VERSE

Well, I count up the days in a winter haze

Since the leaves began to fall.

Now it won’t be long ‘til the sun comes shining through.

 

When the camps start breakin,’ my spirits awaken

To an irresistible call,

Of an old American song that’s always new

 

CHORUS

And the robin is here,

The sky is so blue.

There’s a band, there’s music

And the flags are flying, too.

The grass is so green,

It’s like never before,

It’s Opening Day,

I can be a kid once more.

 

VERSE

Now will the champs repeat in the summer heat?

Will the races go down to the wire?

In April ev’ry team has a chance to wear the ring.

 

And there’s a rookie phenom

Who tore up the farm,

And the fans never seem to get tired

Of chasing the dreams that dance in the air ev’ry spring.

 

 

CHORUS

Yeah, the robin is here,

And the sky is so blue.

There’s a band, and there’s music,

The flags are flying, too.

The grass is so green,

It’s like never before,

Yeah, it’s Opening Day,

I can be a kid once more.

 

BRIDGE

So open the gates

And let the people in.

Let the games begin.

And may the home team always win!

 

CHORUS

The robin is here,

The sky, so blue.

There’s a band, and there’s music,

And the flags are flyin’, too.

The grass is so green,

It’s like never before,

It’s Opening Day,

Yes, it’s Opening Day,

It’s Opening Day

And we all can be kids once more.

 

 

 

 

GO BREWERS!!!!

[chuckiehacks]

Is it wrong to miss County Stadium?

 

[topper09er]

For the 2nd spring training in a row, Gomez walked 1 time!

 

2011: 63 AB, 1 BB

2012: 66 AB, 1 BB

 

Career number vs lefties:

557 PA, .242/.287/.392

 

This is who Roenicke picks to hit in front of Ryan Braun.

 

How many times today will he try to bunt for a hit while running to first base, resulting in a horrible foul bunt, at least once.

[longball04]

Gomez will bring some excitement to the game today. IF he gets on base, he'll distract Garcia enough to give Ryan some juice right down the middle of the plate to hit out. Have faith in Gomez. Roenicke just doesn't want to deviate too much from the daily lineup. Gonzalez had a great spring as well. I have no problem with the lineup. See how it goes. Have some faith. It's the first game of the year.

[Oxy]

For the 2nd spring training in a row, Gomez walked 1 time!

 

2011: 63 AB, 1 BB

2012: 66 AB, 1 BB

 

Career number vs lefties:

557 PA, .242/.287/.392

 

This is who Roenicke picks to hit in front of Ryan Braun.

 

How many times today will he try to bunt for a hit while running to first base, resulting in a horrible foul bunt, at least once.

 

I guess his reasoning is that Carlos is a free swinger so he wants to put him in a position in the order where he is most likely to get good pitches. I know that protection is a bit mythical, but I think it makes more sense to "protect" a guy who has poor plate discipline than a guy who will just happily take a walk.

 

Of course, I'd rather stick a guy like Hart, Lucroy or Gamel up there who will get on base 10% more than Carlos. Oh well.

[prophet]

Gomez HAS homered the last two opening days if I remember correctly. This is usually his best game of the season guys.

[jjkoestler]

Happy opening day, BF.net friends. WS 2012.

 

[RightFieldCoder]

We're on our way now. I'm expecting big new today. Stay tuned.

[MVP2110]

Its finally time Boys. Ive been waiting for today since the end of the last season. Time to gets some revenge on those redbirds