Manager Dale Sveum has learned not to try to second-guess the weather conditions at Wrigley Field, where things can change hour to hour, not just day to day.
“You can’t set a lineup according to it,” he said, noting how some teams can build teams to suit their field’s playing conditions. “it’s difficult to build a team around the predictability of the wind here.
“I’ve come to find out you don’t do anything with the lineup,” he said. “It just doesn’t work out. The bottom line is to have a lineup that keeps the line moving [batter to batter.]”
But Sveum said the wind can effect how pitchers are used.
“Sometimes you’ll think about who can keep the ball on the ground, but for the most part you have your guys who are going to come in [at points of the game.]”
A starting pitcher who is victimized by wind-blown homers might stay in a game longer if he is otherwise throwing well, he added.
