Bobby Cox is a great manager? Then why hasn’t he ever put his best 8 players on the field at the same time and in the proper batting order? Without doubt, and many thought and considerations going into the starting line-up for the Braves, this is the only way to write out the line up card:

1. Omar Infante 3B

2. Martin Prado 2B (currently injured)

3. Brian McCann C

4. Matt Diaz LF

5. Rich Ankiel CF

6. Jason Heyward RF

7. Eric Hinske 1B

8. Alex Gonzalez SS

9. Starter P

From an offensive standpoint and based on what the guys have done in 2010, this is the proper order for the Atlanta Braves to bat in each Major League Baseball game. Bobby Cox has over focused at times with the lefty/righty match ups and has forced good batters down in the order or to the bench in some cases.

Despite what the Braves announcers have said lately, Omar Infante is not the guy you want poking a ball through the right-side of the infield with the runner being held on at first base. He is a guy that prefers to pull the ball; instead of sprinkling it around. He had some success with going up the middle recently, but I believe his best swing is pulling the ball to the left side of the diamond. Martin Prado is a much better guy to slap the ball down the right side of the infield. So it’s obvious these are the two best hitters and would bat 1st and 2nd in the order.

Chipper Jones doesn’t deserve the 3rd spot based on his poor batting average over the last 1 and a half years. Then factor in his poor swings on pitches that are not strikes, his lack of putting full swings on at-bats, and his poor decisions with 2 strikes on him. He may just be the worse 2 strike guy on the team and clearly gets nervous with 2 strikes on him. I’m sure there are some major league teams who have a scouting report on the Atlanta Braves; where it says to not throw Chipper Jones a strike or anything to hit with a 2 strike count on him. He also has a problem with watching the baseball while running the bases. Fails to hustle on plays and never gets the extra base, like rookie Jason Heyward has shown the ability to do on many occasions this year.

The best hitter on the team for the last two years has been Matt Diaz. Probably the only guy on the team you could actually mention with Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, or Barry Bonds; in terms of a batter that is almost impossible at times to get out. Most baseball fans would laugh at this, but if you can remember when Matt Diaz was given the 1st spot in the batting order last year, for an extended stretch of time. He was the top hitter in the Majors and out-swung everyone during that stretch and should be an everyday player for the Atlanta Braves.

For fear of having a 1,2,3 inning and your lead-off batter in the 2nd inning is your clean up hitter, you would not put Brain McCann in that spot to lead-off an inning. So sliding the most consistent and clutch bat on the team into the number 3 hole makes a lot of sense and letting Diaz be your lead-off hitter in the 2nd inning; if the top 3 guys do go down in order in the first inning.

Since Bobby Cox over focuses on the lefty/righty match-ups, I just assume to stay away from that style of thinking. I would be in favor of Rick Ankiel and his power potential hitting in the clean up role for the Braves and moving Diaz to the 5th spot in the order.

Your 6th spot in the order belongs to a left hander hitter. You could show some flexibility here and bat Jason Heyward or Eric Hinske in this spot. Since Heyward has been on a bit of a hot streak recently, I would go ahead and pencil in the Say Hey Kid in the 6th spot of the batting order. Let Eric Hinske bat in the 7th spot for now. I am fully aware of the Ankiel (5th), Heyward (6th), and Hinske (7th) being a left-handed portion of the line-up; which would make it easy for opposing coaches to send in a lefty in relief situations to face these 3 spots in the order. The fact you would have your best hitters getting the chance to swing the bat more in games, out weighs this advantage you give to other team’s managers. I also feel confident with all 3 of these batters being selective at the plate and wouldn’t mind them facing left hand pitching late in ball games, where the stakes go up tremendously.

Alex Gonzalez has great power numbers and leads the team in homers, if you factor in his numbers at Toronto this year. I hate putting him in the 8th spot of the line up. No team should put their leading power guy in the 8th spot, but Gonzalez in a Braves uniform has struggled. Until he gets comfortable, I do agree with manager Bobby Cox here, who has recently moved Alex Gonzalez to the 8th spot in the order.

Some of the key right-handed batters off the bench would include Troy Glaus, Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad, and back up catcher David Ross. The key reserves who swing the lumber from the left side of the plate; would include Melky Cabrera, Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad, and Nate McClouth.

Since Martin Prado is now officially on the 15 day disabled list, you would have to shake up things with him missing from the line up. My Atlanta Braves line up is focused on helping him the most. Replacing him with Chipper Jones or Brooks Conrad is the most obvious choices. I would go with the hotter hitter; which would be Chipper Jones as of right now. This means your current third baseman Omar Infante would move over to 2nd base and allow Jones to play his normal 3rd base position. Or keeping Infante at third base and sliding Conrad in as your 2nd basemen.

If Chipper is playing, he would bat 7th in the order. Everybody else just moves up in the line up and I would have no problems with the Braves great hitting catcher swinging in the two hole and allowing Matt Diaz to hit 3rd in the batting order. This gives Rick Ankiel the clean up duties.

If Conrad is selected to fill the hole left by Prado, I would still just move the guys up in the order and make a nightly determination if I wanted Brooks Conrad or Alex Gonzalez in the 7th or 8th spots. Maybe consider the lefty/righty match up and allow the opposing pitcher to make my choice here. However, if one player was clearly hitting better than the other, I would let the hotter hitter have the higher spot in the line up.

My Atlanta Braves line up might surprise a lot of folks around baseball and including the Atlanta Braves fans too. All I can say is the best batting order without doubt and would be the way you would want to play out these last 2 months of the season, where every game is so big right now with a close race between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Who are two NL teams fighting for the National League East Pennant in 2010; along with a New York Mets team you can’t count out yet.

The reason why my line up would shock most, is because everyone has gotten use to the way Bobby Cox has messed it up for the last few years. Announcers like Joe Simpson has continued this brain-washing practice and given Cox way too much credit and doesn’t question him enough. Even Joe Simpson listed Matt Diaz as a player for Mets left hand pitcher Johan Santana to watch; when Diaz was given the clean up role in that game. Amazing how our 4th place hitter, who gets highlighted in a pregame prediction, has trouble finding a regular spot in the batting order.

Where would this Braves team be with more at-bats from Eric Hinske and Matt Diaz and fewer plate appearances from Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus? How many more wins do the Bravos have, if Omar Infante would have been given an everyday role with this team and less games seen from the Braves dugout? The NL East Race might have been settled, but the Braves continue to allow the banged-up Phillies baseball team a chance in the 2010 East Race. All thanks to manager Bobby Cox and his lack of knowledge when it comes to putting your best hitters as high in the batting order as possible. This Atlanta Braves line up is very elementary and has been filled out so improperly each night this season. If the Braves fail to make the post season as the NL East Champs, you can put direct blame on the line up cards submitted by the manager Mr. Cox.