how you make your Lineup?

[jbmagic]

how you make your Lineup?

what ratings you look for each order in the lineup?

leadoff #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
pitcher


and
leadoff #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
DH

[JimboJones]

Here's how I do it (in this order):

Best overall hitter - #3
Best power - #4
Best contact/eye/speed ratings - #1 and #2
Next best power - #5
Next best overall hitters - #6, 7, 8
Pitcher - #9

I don't play with DH, but the same logic would apply, just put the worst hitter in the 9 hole.

[jbmagic]

thanks Jimbo


for #1 and #2 u mention u go by speed rating....you dont look at the steal ability ?

for best overall hitter...do you look at contact rating only?

for best power hitter ...do you look at power rating only

do you go by the player rating or stats when u do the lineup?

[CPAScott]

Here's mine (ideal):

#1 -- best steal guy with plate discipline (eye). If a guy is fast or has great steal ability, but really poor discipline, then his OBP will be too low to be effective at #1; he's likely better as a pinch runner. In the absence of any speed (rare), highest OBP (eye/contact) without power. Essentially, the #1 spot is meant to be occupied by my fastest, best base stealer who manages to get on base the most.
#2 - second best #1 guy OR highest BA guy (contact hitting/eye). I also look to put a good bunter here. Essentially, someone who can move the #1 guy along (hopefully, the #1 guy steals 2nd base, and the #2 guy moves him to 3rd or even home). Ideally, if this guy is a good base stealer as well, that's a bonus in case #1 guy doesn't get on base but #2 guy does.
#3 - highest BA guy (contact)
#4 - highest HR guy (power) -- this guy must have reasonable contact/eye, however. If he hits 30 HRs but carries a .202 average, I'm likely to put him lower in the order.
#5 and #6- second best BA or HR guy. The guy that would sit at spot #3 or #4 if the current guys in those spots weren't there.
OR repeat #1 if possible, otherwise next contact/eye/power guy. I may put the speed guy at #5, and the high BA guy at #6 to set up another #1-#2 scenario, or I may pad #5 to protect my #4 guy (if so, then the next speed guy goes to #6)
#7 - #9 three worst guys of the 9. Perhaps guys playing due to defensive ability rather than batting ability, or guys who are struggling.

I always use the DH. When possible, DH comes from position that I have the most back-up for (e.g. if I only have 2 2Bmen, I'd rather not put one at 2B and one at DH, as then I don't have a defensive replacement at 2nd. Depends on who is on my bench, however. Prefer to use 1Bmen or OFers.)

[JimboJones]

For #1 and 2, steals can also be important. It really depends how much power is in the middle of your lineup. Teams without a lot of power will play "small ball", ie. get runners on base, move them into scoring position by stealing or sacrificing, and then rely on base hits to score them. Teams with a lot of power in the lineup are more content to just get runners on base, and then rely on home runs and extra base hits to score them.

For best overall hitter, I add up the ratings for contact, gap and power.

For best power, I look at power mostly, and also gap, since gap hitters will be more likely to get extra base hits.

I go by player ratings, using a scale of 1-10 for all ratings. I think this gives a good indication of a players ability, without being too precise (ie. a 1 to 100 scale)

Also keep in mind, my rules are just basic guidelines. As I said above, you need to develop your own overall strategy based on the strength and weaknesses of your particular team.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[DiMaggio5CF]

Here are the ratings that I look for in order of importance (using a slash means that they are equal):

1. OBP (contact/walks), Speed, Base-Stealing ability
2. Contact, Speed
3. Contact/Power (best overall hitter)
4. Power, Contact (second best overall hitter or best power hitter)
5. Power, Contact
6. Contact, Power
7. Contact, Power
8. Defense, Contact/Power
9. Defense, Speed/Stealing Ability

For my 2004 New York Yankees (who have acquired 2B Roberto Alomar), this is my lineup:

1. Roberto Alomar, 2B
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
4. Jason Giambi, 1B
5. Gary Sheffield, RF
6. Bernie Williams, DH
7. Jorge Posada, C
8. Hideki Matsui, LF
9. Kenny Lofton, CF

That's the lineup against right-handed pitchers. Against left-handed pitchers, Bernie Williams plays CF, Miguel Cairo plays second base, Ruben Sierra is the DH, and Kenny Lofton and Roberto Alomar sit. Then I lead-off with Jeter and bat Williams second. So it looks like this:

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Bernie Williams, CF
3. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
4. Jason Giambi, 1B
5. Gary Sheffield, RF
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Hideki Matsui, LF
8. Ruben Sierra, DH
9. Miguel Cairo, 2B

Lofton/Sierra sits when there's no DH.

[JimboJones]

Why is defense important in your batting order? What if your best defensive player is also your best power hitter? You wouldn't put him in the bottom of the order. You may put a good defensive player at the bottom of the order because he happens to be a poor hitter, but his defense shouldn't factor into it.

[LAH]

Here is my 2004 Yanks lineup, with Randall Simon added:

vs. Right:

1. Kenny Lofton
2. Derek Jeter
3. Alex Rodriquez
4. Jason Giambi (dh)
5. Gary Sheffield
6. Hideki Matsui
7. Randall Simon
8. Jorge Posada
9. Brandon Phillips

vs. Left

1. Derek Jeter
2. Gary Sheffield
3. Alex Rodriquez
4. Jason Giambi (1b)
5. Jorge Posada
6. Hideki Matsui
7. Bernie Williams (dh)
8. Brandon Phillips
9. Kenny Lofton

I keep Lofton in allt he time because I feel his range in center outwieghs his poor performance at the plate against LHP.

If Bernie Williams was not hitting so poorly against RHP I would have him in CF more often, but as of right now, he;s not hitting worth a damn.

[Bobbo]

One final thing I like to do if possible is make sure I don't have 3 lefties batting in a row. It makes it too easy for the other team to put in a dominant southpaw reliever in late innings.

[mlyons]

I love OPS to sort out players, so the first thing I do is take my top 6 OPS guys -- they'll take up the first six spots in the lineup. I put my top OPS guy at the #3 spot. I then take my best power hitter out of the remaining five and put him in the #4 spot. The best combination stealing/OBP guy out of the remaining four bats leadoff, the best power hitter of the remaining three bats fifth, and the number 2 spot goes to the guy with the highest OBP out of the last two, with the remaining guy batting sixth. 7 through 9 I just fill in without much preference, other than trying to alternate lefties and righties if possible.

[jbmagic]

mylons,


is OPS= contact, eye , avoid k?

[mlyons]

Originally posted by jbmagic
mylons,


is OPS= contact, eye , avoid k?

OPS basically derives from all of the ratings, since it adds OBP (resulting from Contact and Eye) to Slugging Percentage (resulting from Power, Contact, and Gap). I don't use ratings when I play, only stats, so I like OPS because it's a fairly good representation of how effective a player is in one statistic. I guess if I were using ratings I'd come up with some rough mathematical formula like Contact x 2 + Power + Eye + Gap x 1/2 to represent overall offensive ability.