Tonight’s Mets Lineup vs. Tigers

Here is the lineup the Mets will send to the plate against Tigers righthander Rick Porcello:

Jose Reyes – SS
Willie Harris – DH
Carlos Beltran – RF
Daniel Murphy – 3B
Angel Pagan – CF
Jason Bay – LF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Justin Turner – 2B
Josh Thole – C

R.A. Dickey is pitching for the Mets, but will not be batting. It’s weird, I know. For those who missed the Rangers series, in the Adulterated League, teams are allowed to substitute a “designated pinch-hitter” for the pitcher. It is an experimental rule that is designed to make baseball “more interesting”. I imagine if it works out well, the Adulterated League will eventually extend the concept to the entire lineup, much like the way football has evolved (i.e., we will see “defensive players” who play the field, and “offensive players” who only take turns at bat). While the Mets play in A.L. parks, they have the option of using the “designated pinch-hitter”. In this first game with the Tigers, they will “make the game more interesting” by using Willie Harris as the designated pinch-hitter.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
  1. NormE June 28, 2011 at 7:26 pm
    Why is Collins unwilling to bat
    Pagan 2nd? A healthy Reyes followed by a healthy Pagan would seem to be a perfect fit. Pagan is a much better hitter when he doesn’t have to muscle-up, as he sometimes does in the fifth spot.