batting order suggestions?

I'm looking for suggestions on batting order for my squad...been playing around with them and there may be no "right answer", but I would love other's opinion as I wait for my team to start playing next Monday.

I have this starting lineup -

catching platoon - Ed Ott .92/Earl Smith 1.07
1b - Lou Gehrig 11.89
2b - Robinson Cano 8.16
3b - Darrell Evans 3.30
shortstop - Rick Burleson 2.02
LF - Barry Bonds 14.54
CF - Turkey Stearnes 10.41
RF - Babe Ruth 13.07

Sportsman's AL (7,7,20,6)

I have catcher slot and then Burleson at #7 and #8 with the pitcher hitting 9th.

What order would you use?

what park?

Isn't Sportsman's AL (7,7,20,6) ?

Anyway, here's my template, driven in part by the authors of "The Book" (Tom Tango and company who made simulations with different lineups):

1-On base machine
2- One of your two best hitters--the one with better on-base
3- Best combination of slugging/low gbA
4- One of your two best hitters--the one with better slugging
5- Best combination of slugging /clutch
6-Your 6th best hitter--the one with better speed if it's pretty much even
7- Your second worst hitter
8- Your worst hitter
9- The pitcher

Of course, I also consider righty/switch/lefty combination

Here is the listing of your players by modNERP, a modified version of NERP used by DiamondDope. At his simplest, modNERP is an offensive rating, and can be translated as "how many Runs Created each hitter can perform over a replacement player (roughly a 3M player)". It includes what NERP includes, with the exclusion of gbA, which I still don't have at this moment, but the weights I use differ somewhat from those used by NERP. Running and defense are not included here---it only relates with offense.

(assuming 7-7-20-6 for sportsman)
vs RHP (modNERP, gbA, clutch, speed)/ vs LHP (just putting the letter for speed, for ease of description)

Bonds 119.5, 0, 0, B/ 103.3, 0, 0
Gehrig 95.8, 9, -1, C/ 62.8, 6, -1
Ruth 84.6, 4, -2, C/ 98.3, 0, -2
Stearnes 48.6, 12, -2, B/ 98.0, 9, -2
Cano 21.0, 24, -3, C/ 21.3, 24, -3
D. Evans 7.3, 15, -7, D/ -0.9, 15, -4
Smith -11.7, 27, -9, E/ Ott: 5.4, 22, +2, E
Burleson -35.3, 27, -7, C/ -29,6 26, -7



Since Bonds, Gehrig and Ruth are the three best cards, I would use them in the 1-2-4 slots. You can't go wrong with any choice, but since Bonds has the most on-base and no gbA, I would put him second, and since Gehrig has more extra-base chances than Ruth, and more modNERP, I would put him 4th, thus leaving Ruth in the first slot. Lower gbA and no difference in clutch leads me to put Stearns in the 3rd slot and Cano in the 5th. Evans, even though his speed is not a strength, has to be 6th since he's much better than the rest, with Smith and Burleson closing the lineup. Bad thing is that it leaves your lineup with 7 consecutive lefties, but I guess you're okay with living or dying with a lineup of lefties in Sportsman.

Vs lhp, just replace gehrig by stearnes, and you have the same argument as above, with the exception that Ott has a better card than Evans and you might like to have Evans between two righties. Thus:

vs rhp..................vs lhp

Ruth.............Ruth
Bonds...........Bonds
Stearns.........Gehrig
Gehrig..........Stearns
Cano...........Cano
Evans..........Ott
Smith..........Evans
Burleson......Burleson

A stud like Burleson should be in the 4 slot. Gives you a right handed bat midorder that really makes the team.

With Bonds being a 3R, I recommend platooning him. Ray Jablonski is a 1L and would work nicely in that role.

Are you set with Cano as your 2nd baseman? I would swap him for a real OBP machine at the top of the order and use the additional $$$ to get 15m Ruth card that is more flexible. The Ruth card you have, along with the Bonds card are one dimensional - walks & homeruns. The 15m Ruth card does it all. Your lineup is too top heavy and you need to stretch it out. Cano, as your 5th place hitter will leave a ton of runners on base-his card is overpriced, esp at 80m. I would also look if you have extra $$$ to swap out Evans for someone with more hits instead of walks on his card.

2nd baseman w/good OBP
Bonds
Ruth (15M)
Gehrig
Stearnes
Evans
Smith/Ott
Burleson

if you keep Cano, he would be your only only option as a 5th place hitter and not a good one

Stearnes
Bonds
Gehrig
Ruth
Cano
Evans
Smith/Ott
Burleson

yes Sportsman is a 7,7,20,6...bad edit on my part.

This is a $100 mil team, and Yes I am more than willing to live and die with all the lefties.

Re: Cano....he is there for the D and I love the lack of injury risk...maybe overpriced, but this is a tiny experiment. (Gave up a lot from pitching budget for my kind of team to get to this hitting lineup)

Again, assuming no change in personel, I wanted to hear some lineup ideas. Thanks for the input Johnny, Marc and of course Mr BBW.

More please.



Burleson at 4th? perhaps that is the right move Rick...I was thinking with his injury risk putting him lower would give him fewer injury chances.......maybe I should ask Tom and Tom? I'll consider making that change if the first few series are a bust. (I'm guessing when you face Barry, Lou, Babe and Turkey at 5-8 it might make for an interesting game)

Someone long ago linked this site.

http://www.baseballmusings.com/cgi-bin/LineupAnalysis.py

I've tried to use it for creating lineups, but your mileage may vary.

Moose

I have to wonder if Mr. Baseball is in your league

Here's how I would set it up...
V RHP V LHP
Cano Evans
Gehrig Stearnes
Bonds Bonds
Ruth Ruth
Stearnes Gehrig
Evans Cano
C Platoon C Platoon
Burleson Burleson

I'd want the Ruth and Bonds down a bit to make sure most of their HR's produce more than solo shots. That Evans card has a decent OBP, not awesome but good enough to be on base for some of those bombs, definitely better than Burleson and the Pitcher...which is who you have Ruth following now. Happy to go into more detail if interested.

Rosie

Doc, I play Sportsman's Park quite often and I find that each time I surrender to the temptation to swap out lefties for more balance or to fit other parks I regret it. Meanwhile, I've had luck with the heavy lefty squad similar to what you have assembled. Good luck!

I have to wonder if Mr. Baseball is in your league

Here's how I would set it up...
V RHP V LHP
Cano Evans
Gehrig Stearnes
Bonds Bonds
Ruth Ruth
Stearnes Gehrig
Evans Cano
C Platoon C Platoon
Burleson Burleson

I'd want the Ruth and Bonds down a bit to make sure most of their HR's produce more than solo shots. That Evans card has a decent OBP, not awesome but good enough to be on base for some of those bombs, definitely better than Burleson and the Pitcher...which is who you have Ruth following now. Happy to go into more detail if interested.

Rosie

Mr BBW is not only in my league, but in my division.

Your lineup selection is actually very close to where I was starting... (although I have been debating how Barry Bonds might work out as a leadoff hitter with an expected mondo OBP). I'm curious why you feel Cano would be better vs LHP in the #1 slot. (Cano OBP vs LHP on his card is about .397 while Evans OBP vs LHP on his card is .439)

Also, why Bonds then Ruth rather than visa versa? (To me it is pretty close, and perhaps a matter of who I I like better and want to reward with the the most RBIs)