Grizzlies looking for lineup consistency

"We haven't had the same guys here all the time too," said infielder Edgar Gonzalez. "So it's hard to get comfortable. It's hard to get used to it.

"I know it's hard for the managers, for Deck and now Russ, to make the lineup every day because they don't know who's going to be here and who's not going to be here. Who's going to be hurt and who's not going to be hurt. He's had times that he puts the lineup up and he's had to make a change because somebody's hurt."

46 different players have made an appearance for the Grizzlies this season, remarkable considering the roster only holds 25 at any given time. The lack of continuity in the lineup has produced inconsistency in the standings. But the Grizzlies won't use it as an excuse.

"That's the nature of baseball," said Batting Coach Russ Morman. "It really is. You've seen a lot more early on. But really when you start looking at it and try to space it over a whole year that's kind of how things happen."

Still, veterans like Gonzalez say the sheer number of roster moves this year has stood out.

"I know a lot of the guys are not used to it," Gonzalez said. "Guys are playing positions that they've never played before. So there's a lot of teaching involved and more things going on this year than I think I've ever been a part of. I don't think I've ever been on a AAA team that has gone through as many changes as this one."

But Mormon says it's just something the players will have to fight through if they want to make a run at a division crown, the second half of the season.

"It's something that every team deals with," Morman said. "And we have to deal with it as an organization. For us as coaches it's our job to help prepare these guys to get ready for whenever they have the chance to be a major league player."