Lineup Help

[edub1969]

What do we input into it if no DH? Is there a generic OB and SLG for pitchers?

[J-Pav]

It doesn't take into account a lot of things:

1. Steals (attempts, success rate)
2. Baserunning (stretching hits, hit & runs)
3. Bunts (lots of A or B bunters?)
4. Ballparks (singles and esp home runs)
5. Opposing pitchers (Peavy or Carlyle?)

Probably a lot more, but so what.

That it doesn't take these things into account does not mean that it can't serve a useful purpose. Generally, if the analyzer has you well above 5 runs per game, then you know you did not make a major mistake in selecting your offensive players.

Once you get past that, you're just dissecting fractions of fractions. It's a simple tool, but it can be especially helpful for newcomers who aren't familiar enough with the player's cards to know where to bat them.

If you want an all-encompassing line-up analysis, you could run a detailed RC-27 analysis model on a Sun Microsystems Supercomputer every series. Generally what you end up with then is a complicated mathematical model that recommends swapping your 7 and 8 hitters once in awhile to earn 0.002 more runs per game. It's like taking an airplane to cross the street.

What [b:cbd5a33186]Rally[/b:cbd5a33186] [i:cbd5a33186]should[/i:cbd5a33186] be thinking about is that if he can live with Counsell and McDonald hitting worse than pitchers vs. RHP, and that if he can live with the Todd Wellemeyer's of the world throwing three-hit shutouts against his six righty lineup (seven really, because Counsell is almost an automatic out).

Ruiz was a great pick-up (but is there anything better than Miller to platoon vs. LHP?)

[b:cbd5a33186]edub[/b:cbd5a33186]:

I just input .200 for pitchers into both boxes. Pick whatever number you want, as long as it's realistically low. It will tell you to bat the pitcher eighth. You can't, you have to bat him ninth. Who cares?

Don't even use the analyzer. Bat your best OBP guy first. Bat your best OPS guy fourth or fifth. Bat everyone else in descending OBP. Alternate lefties and righties. Bat your clutch guy fifth or sixth. Bat Juan Pierre leadoff because he steals alot. Who cares?? Just don't bat A-Rod ninth, or Jermaine Dye leadoff. If you do that, and you know your team is not forecasting 3.93 runs per game because you ran the analyzer, you're basically good to go.

[J-Pav]

To say it with numbers:

I just ran my last team vs. RHP. It says 913 runs per season (5.637).

The very worst line-up the computer can concoct is 815 (5.032, a significant loss in production). If I use the very worst line-up, but put the top OBP guy first and the top slugger fourth, I get back 70% of the lost runs between the best line-up and the worst. This is with my second best slugger batting ninth.

So just use a little common sense. If you bat your best guys first and your worst guys last, you are already 99% optimized. If you [i:2e6070a1fe]feel better[/i:2e6070a1fe] because your computer spits out a "statistically perfect" line-up, by all means use it. But don't lose sleep over batting your B* basestealer sixth, who has .030 less OBP than your C* basestealer batting seventh.

[Rally Sally]

Thanks J-Pav, for putting the question into perspective. My real purpose for this thread was to see how people would order my first six hitters; but I guess as long as the best six are the top six, it's all good. I think I've decided on this:

1. Polanco 2B
2. Ichiro CF
3. Hanley DH
4. Maggs RF
5. Kotchman 1B
6. Hopper LF
7. Ruiz C
8. Counsell 3B
9. McDonald SS

It's been my experience that you can get away with 2 bad hitters in a lineup, so I think the only real unorthodox decision is to actually play Craig Counsell. And it's funny that you mention the RH heavy tilt of the lineup: there are only four SP in the league that are weighted 5R or more. Two of those are Peavy and Webb, and only Kyle Kendrick is in my division. I love playing in public leagues!

[edub1969]

Thanks alot J-Pav! I just like those nerdy tools, but you're right punching in a line-up I'm using currently, the analyzer gives you a good idea. Thanks again.