One of my unrealized goals was to work in a front office on the baseball side and to participate in putting a roster together. I came close once, but my scout friend, who was my ticket to a job like this, turned down an Assistant GM job and decided to remain a scout. How dare he!
I think construction of this roster has been magnificent. Sure we may need another starter and a cure for Sipp, but the non-pitcher roster so far may be the best I have seen. No matter who Hinch runs out there, the lineup 1-9 has no weak links. Even Marisnick is hitting some, and he is invaluable as a defender. Rallies can break out anywhere, and the team is not dependent on any one player or on the middle of the order. Pitching against it is a chore.
I looked superficially at the 1986 and 1998 teams to test my belief in the 1-9 toughness of this lineup and think I am correct so far. 1986 for sure. The team had only one .300 hitter (Walling) and was a solid lineup but also had Ashby, pre-All Star Thon/Reynolds, Hatcher, and Doran. Solid players all but not the tough outs 2017 has, imo.
1998 was a powerful team. Alou, Bagwell, and Bell drove in more than 100 runs each, and there were five .300 hitters (Berry as a sub plus four starters) and Everett at .296. The lineup also had Ausmus, though, backed up by Eusebio, and Gutierrez/Bogar at SS. This team set the bar high for a power-laden offense, but it was not a tough out 1-9, imo.
I know it is only early May, and I may be quite wrong, but thus far I am giving Luhnow a standing O.
