Let's talk line-up

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So where do you put your best power hitter? Most consistent hitter? highest OBP? Slapper? Worst Batting average (besides the bench)? Do you put the girl with decent speed and a consistent bat in the 9 hole? Where do you put your slowest runner? Do you let your pitcher hit? Do you sub your pitcher and catcher on the bases, if so, how do you position them in the order so that you are putting speed on the base?

 

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All that is Top Secret. I'd tell you but then I'd have to... well, you know. ;&

 

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Be prepared for a ton of different answers.

And none of them are 100% gospel, nor 100% wrong...

 

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Just looking for discussion, not looking for strategy. I have my own opinions.

 

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Seriously though - I believe this is one aspect of the game that somewhat parallels baseball. The object of the game is to score runs, to score runs you have to maximize your on-base occurances and maximize your RBIs.
1.) Highest OB% if not the highest slugger avg
2.) Great bunter/slapper if you have one (sac bunters don't count)
3.) Best contact hitter (highest avg)
4.) Best slugger
5.) (Start over) Highest OB% remaining
etc etc.

That would be one way. As Lou said, many many different ways and ALWAYS depends on the horses you have to play with.

 

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My dd catches, when she gets on they sub in a runner. Shes OK with that, the fact of the matter is she doesn't have great speed. I always tell her if you just jack it out of the park you don't have to run fast! Honestly though unless your catcher runs the bases well, and you have speed to spare why not sub her out? Gives her a chance to get geared up especially with two outs in the inning. Jmo

 

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Seriously though - I believe this is one aspect of the game that somewhat parallels baseball. The object of the game is to score runs, to score runs you have to maximize your on-base occurances and maximize your RBIs.
1.) Highest OB% if not the highest slugger avg
2.) Great bunter/slapper if you have one (sac bunters don't count)
3.) Best contact hitter (highest avg)
4.) Best slugger
5.) (Start over) Highest OB% remaining
etc etc.

That would be one way. As Lou said, many many different ways and ALWAYS depends on the horses you have to play with.

OK except with 5 hole need to protect 4 hole with nexxt best power hitter

 

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Don't you change the line up almost every game depending on how well players batted last game?

 

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Generally agree with TR ... to oversimplify it, on base percentage is always a key, and even more so in time limit games. You want the people at the top of the lineup who get on the most, and the people at the bottom of the lineup who get on the least. Keep in mind that not everyone gets up to bat the same # of times in a game, so you wouldn't want a good on-base percentage person at the bottom of the lineup who might only get up twice in a game while the top of the order gets up 3 times. Here's another way to look at it, though I'm not saying you should base your whole line up on this ... if it comes down to the last inning and there are 2 outs and the winning run is on 2nd or 3rd, who would you rather have up ... player A or player B? If it's player A, she should probably be batting ahead of player B, especially as you look at the bottom half of your lineup.

 

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Don't you change the line up almost every game depending on how well players batted last game?

That would really shake the confidence in a hitter. Maybe after a couple bad games, but not 1. JMHO

 

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OK except with 5 hole need to protect 4 hole with nexxt best power hitter

If you've got one. This goes to my "ALWAYS depends on the horses you have to play with."

 

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That would really shake the confidence in a hitter. Maybe after a couple bad games, but not 1. JMHO

I think Sparty winked when he said that but, I'm a huge proponent of YTD stats as the starting point and POSSIBLY adjusting based on recent performance. I think that it is very easy to make a situation worse by "getting in their heads" by moving them down the lineup. I like to make certain that I will actually gain an advantage that will outweigh the possible detriment to moving a player before I do it.

 

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Agree with the 3 and 4 .... 4 protects 3,s back, if they walk 3 they have to contend with 4. But in saying that if you do not protect 4 they will walk 4 to get to 5. Something that is getting old real fast this season.

Tim

 

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With regard to the above, you protect your best hitter as best you can. Your second best hitter won't get as much protection and so on, but a team that leaves its best hitter without its second best hitter behind her is asking for dozens of intentional walks.

 

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Generally agree with TR ... to oversimplify it, on base percentage is always a key, and even more so in time limit games. You want the people at the top of the lineup who get on the most, and the people at the bottom of the lineup who get on the least. Keep in mind that not everyone gets up to bat the same # of times in a game, so you wouldn't want a good on-base percentage person at the bottom of the lineup who might only get up twice in a game while the top of the order gets up 3 times. Here's another way to look at it, though I'm not saying you should base your whole line up on this ... if it comes down to the last inning and there are 2 outs and the winning run is on 2nd or 3rd, who would you rather have up ... player A or player B? If it's player A, she should probably be batting ahead of player B, especially as you look at the bottom half of your lineup.

I believe TR's approach is breaking the line-up into 2 mini-lineups and you're building 1 large line-up. Both approaches can work depending on the personnel involved.

OBP is important, but bunching up players that get on base primarily via free passes and singles won't generate a lot of runs. You have to look beyond the basic percentages to see how they're getting on base, ability to steal bases, how often they strike out and how many extra-base hits they get. Line-ups that mix high OBP and hitters that drive the ball are typically more productive.

Also, don't get hung up on insignificant differences in averages - especially with small samples. A .300 hitter is only 1% better than a .290 hitter.

When it comes to the last 2 spots in the line-up, put the one with a better OBP in the last spot.

 

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If you've got one. This goes to my "ALWAYS depends on the horses you have to play with."

Then use next best hitter

 

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Mental or softball IQ partnered with OBP power and situational stability is proven overtime and can be used to critique the lineup. Using others words....using the horses chosen is the key and batting average is a major factor, probably the starting point for most. I've seen players hit .550 as a number 7 or 8 batter but melt down as a #3....so chose the spot in the race for the horse such that she can be successful.

I'm a fan of a first four and second four and using pinch runners to eliminate foot speed issues when building a lineup in this manner.

 

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On my team my best hitter is my fastest baserunner as well so I like to lead her off set the tone.

 

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So Cal ... I agree both about insignificant differences in OBP's, as well as mixing in the power to drive baserunners in. I didn't mean to imply that I would literally line them up based on their OBP. But if I have a hitter with .500 OBP and .600 slugging pct. and another with a .400 OBP and a .700 slugging pct., I am probably going to bat the .500 OBP higher in the order. And as others have implied, a lot depends on on the rest of your batters.

 

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My leadoff would be high OBO, with speed and usually wouldn't swing at a first pitch ;&.
2nd, someone who can execute and does not strike out too often.
3rd hitter is my best hitter, if I didn't have speed on my team this player may be my leadoff hitter.
4th- my power hitter
5th. Combination of 3rd and 4th but obviously she is not the player 3rd and 4th hitters are.
6-8th interchangeable, depending on who is hot and what type of pitcher we are facing.
9th speedy player.

of course this is luxury we would all love to have.