With expanded rosters, the Dodgers are gaining pinch-hitters to spare.

They also have two slots in their batting order that are not producing - eighth and ninth, catcher and pitcher.

Why not, during road games, start the following lineup:

Antonio Perez, C
Joe Thurston, P
Steve Finley, OF
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Shawn Green, 1B/OF
Milton Bradley, OF
Hee Seop Choi/Jayson Werth, 1B/OF
Cesar Izturis, SS
Alex Cora, 2B

Then of course, in the bottom of the inning, you substitute your intended starting catcher and pitcher.

Sure, it's gamesmanship. And you sacrifice a little in talent and experience at the top of the lineup. But you delay the appearance of David Ross or Brent Mayne and the pitcher's spot - and have a decent chance of eliminating one of their at-bats.

Look, Ross and Mayne can hit better than they have, and heck, Jeff Weaver knows how to swing a bat. I don't know if this maneuver would preemptively turn a loss into a win. But it's hard for me to believe that a team's chances wouldn't improve by starting the game with 10 hitters before the pitcher, instead of eight.

The Dodgers have done this sort of thing before, actually. Remember back in 1993, when Orel Hershiser started at third base to aid Dave Hansen's pursuit of the seasonal pinch-hitting record?

Fun to ponder, I think...