Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRed75
You can extend that logic to say the pitcher should be batting 7th, because if one baserunner when the top of the lineup comes to the plate is good, then two is better, right?
I don't understand batting a good/very good/great OBP player in the 9th spot, which is the spot with the fewest number of plate appearances over the course of a season. You want guys who get on base frequently to make more plate appearances, not less.
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It just turns out that the trade off is worth it when you have a hitter as bad as the average pitcher. It's not just a hunch, it's the result you get from mathematical simulations.
Personally, I don't worry too much about what my manager is doing with the lineup. Even the difference between an optimized lineup up and a nonsensical lineup(e.g. pitcher batting 4th) is only worth a win or two over the course of a season.