Baseball Strategy
I didn't notice this at the end of last year, but I read the other day that LaRussa is having his pitchers bat 8th in the lineup this spring and possibly into the season. I'm not a big fan of LaRussa (I think he's generally overrated), but I'm curious. Can someone with a little more baseball knowhow clue me in? What's the TLR trying to do here?
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18 comments
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second leadoff hitter
The big thing that The Book found about lineups is that while the order of the lineup doesn't have that big of an effect, you can squeeze a handful of runs out by being more efficient with the lineup. In a race that could be as tight as the NL Central, a few runs here or there may make the difference.
Note that in the Pinto article, he mentions that Ned Yost is also considering doing the same thing.
by Slyde on Feb 28, 2008 11:35 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
That logic would only hold true...
The Reds will have....FROPPER!
by Lonesome George on Feb 28, 2008 11:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It also doesn't help if...
I don't know why, but I feel particularly pessimistic this season. I don't think we're going to be that good.
by TheC on Feb 28, 2008 12:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well
Why would this be a better startegy that keeping the lineup as-is, but batting (in our case) ross lead-off, fropper 2nd and so on, gonzalez 8th and the pitcher 9th?
by Lakeman on Feb 28, 2008 12:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Theoretically
The idea is that the guy you would put into the 9th spot is a better hitter than the pitcher, but not someone who is good enough to bat higher up in the lineup. The strategy is to take better advantage of the looping nature of the lineup and set your best hitters up better as the game goes on.
by Slyde on Feb 28, 2008 1:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
larussa's lineup
by rojosoto on Feb 28, 2008 11:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
He did it the last two months of the season
by Slyde on Feb 28, 2008 11:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
God bless the internet!
Larussa hit the pitcher 8th for the entire 2nd half of the 1998 season. He took a lot of crap for it and switched back to the traditional lineup in 1999.
by rojosoto on Feb 28, 2008 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
All to help Mcgwire
by ken on Feb 28, 2008 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
what other manager was known for that?
by Daedalus on Feb 28, 2008 12:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
It's pretty much been LaRussa
1976 White Sox 1
1979 Phillies 1
1998 Cardinals 77
2004 Expos 1
2005 Marlins 2
2007 Cardinals 56
The two times the Marlins did it in 2005, Dontrelle Willis was the pitcher and Robert Andino batted 9th. When Montreal did it in 2004, it was against the Reds with Tomo Ohka batting 8th and Jamey Carroll batting 9th.
by Slyde on Feb 28, 2008 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
ah, thanks
by Daedalus on Feb 28, 2008 12:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure
The pitcher was Ken Brett (George's brother) and he wasn't a bad hitter for a pitcher (.262/.291/.406 career line with 10 HR). I'm guessing it's because the White Sox came into the game with an 8-game losing streak and were trying to shake things up at the end of the season (the game was on 9/23). It didn't work as they ended up losing 3-0, extending the streak to 9 games. They did win the next night, but then followed that up with a 6-game losing streak to end the season.
And now you know the rest of the of the story.
by Slyde on Feb 28, 2008 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, that.
by Fat Vegas Alan on Feb 28, 2008 1:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think it is baseball prospectus
by justin0070000 on Feb 28, 2008 3:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
batting
by rojosoto on Feb 28, 2008 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
by BubbaFan on Feb 28, 2008 5:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

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