Sports fans that pick up a weekly newspaper and examine the National League Central standings may be somewhat surprised at what they see. Neither the Milwaukee Brewers nor the Chicago Cubs occupy the top spot - that belongs to the St. Louis Cardinals - and both squads are 8-6/9-5, respectively.
It is unknown why the Cubs have struggled to start off this season, other than the fact that they just aren't that good, but the Brewers' struggles are well apparent: The big bats aren't hitting.
While most will solely place the blame on first baseman, Prince Fielder, and some are even going as far as naming his decision to become a vegetarian as the culprit, the true reason goes much deeper - into the lineup, that is.
Left fielder Ryan Braun, second basemen Rickie Weeks and shortstop J.J. Hardy are all batting under .229, which doesn't bode well for Fielder in the No. 3 spot in the lineup. Weeks' on base percentage is currently .317, which is little consolation, while Hardy has had trouble getting good pitches in the No. 7-spot, batting in front of the pitcher.
Braun just hasn't been able to get into a rhythm and manager Ned Yost's lineup change that switched Braun to three and Fielder to four hasn't changed much.
And then there is third basemen Bill Hall. Hall currently leads the team with five home runs, but his batting percentage (.207) leaves much to be desired. Hall also has a team-high of 18 strikeouts in 58 at-bats, giving the opposing pitcher a K on the score sheet a whopping 31 percent of the time.
The one bright spot in the lineup - besides the ridiculous start for catcher Jason Kendall - seems to be right fielder Corey Hart. Hart proved himself last season, taking over the starting job a month into the '07 season, finishing with 24 home runs and 23 stolen bases. He may wear sunglasses at night, but as long as he continues to hit over .300, no one will care what he wears.
But all of these problems are can be easily fixed. The main trouble the Brewers are having right now stems from their batting order.
Yost received much criticism and praise for adopting the philosophy made famous by Tony LaRussa of batting the pitcher eighth instead of ninth, as most NL teams do. And, while the move has worked to the Brewers' advantage at times, the rippling effect it has had throughout the lineup has been devastating.
Whoever is batting in front of the pitcher needs to be the most selective hitter in the lineup, who is either Kendall or Hart for the Brewers. While Hardy is a great player, he hasn't grown the patience to wait back and see what is coming. After batting in front of Fielder in '07, it is hard to blame Hardy for expecting meatballs like last season.
For things to change, Hardy has to be moved. The best spot for him would probably be back toward the top of the order, in the No. 2 spot. Yost seems to love outfielders Gabe Gross and Gabe Kapler in that spot, but the spot was really destined for Tony Gwynn Jr. and Mike Cameron.
However, with Cameron suspended and Gwynn out with an injury, there is no reason to keep Gross - who still has more of a pinch-hitter mentality, where every pitch has to be knocked out of the park - and Kapler in that spot.
Switching Hardy and whichever backup outfielder is batting in the two-spot would greatly help all of the Brewers' hitters.
More can be done, and should at least be brought into consideration. Hart deserves to be batting higher in the lineup, and unless Weeks can prove he truly deserves the No. 1 spot in the batting order, the idea should be presented of moving Hart into the one-spot and moving Weeks further down.
But none of these changes will do anything unless the Brewers become more patient and selective at the plate.
In Tuesday's 6-1 loss, Fielder was walked all four times he was at the plate. Following him was Hall, who struck out twice, and grounded into a double-play the other two times he was at bat. Hall's inability to produce turned out to be crucial, as the Brewers were still within reach through the first seven innings of play.
With all of this said, the season is still young. The Brewers will persevere through their early season batting troubles. If last season has taught Brewer fans anything, it's that the MLB season is a long one. But unless key hits begin to come in key situations, Milwaukee may be ready to rearrange the batting order.
If you have any alternative suggestions for how the Brewers can improve their batting order or defensive lineup, e-mail Nate at ncarey@dailycardinal.com.
