batting order

[mikeinsa]

Seems like the conventional wisdom is for the batting order to be

Bourn
Matsui
Tejada
Berkman
Lee
Pence
Wiggington
Towels

It should be

Bourn
Matsui
Berkman
Lee
Pence
Tejada
Wiggington
Towels

Here is the rationale for the switch around in 3-6

Pitches per plate appearance

Berkman 4.62
Lee 3.96
Pence 3.83
Tejada 3.82

Seems to be if you got speed merchants at the top of the order you would want someone patient enough to let them get a chance to run batting right behind them.

Also when you look at the number of abs per grounding into a double play it rates out like this;

Berkman 51 abs per gidp
Pence 45.6 abs per gidp
Tejado 23.36 abs per gidp
Lee 23 abs per gidp

So if you got speed merchants and you want to use the speed let a patient player bat behind them and give them a chance to run. You also would want someone who will not ground into a double play hitting so early in order to kill a rally before it gets a good chance to get going.

So at the very least Berkman should stay at three, Lee at 4, Tejada at 5 and Pence at 6.

[jbarron]

If Berkman produces like he did the first half of last season, 8th or 9th would be a good place for him.

[mikeinsa]

If he produces at his average level third in just about any line up is about right.

[hembo36]

you never thought you would see the day berkman lost his batting spot....

the first battign order is a good one

[hembo36]

keep in mind that bourne hasnt proven chit at this level and kaz played at coors field....this lineup sounds good now but who knows...the only truly proven bats are tejada, berkman, lee and pence..still good though...better than the Dodgers

[mikeinsa]

If Berkman did not have the best stats to bat third he should not bat third. If anyone wants to make a case that he does not have better stats to hit third please do so.

[03flht2]

his slow blundering base running skills, and only that. That is what Cooper and Wade have said in print

[mikeinsa]

I have read where Lance has been berated for being slow and not reacting quickly enough. Those things are true.

Answer me this though why would you go out and get two speed merchants that you look to for stolen bases and then put someone hitting behind them who swings early in counts thereby not allowing them to pick their spot to steal, or by swinging grounding into a double play.

As far as Lance clogging up the basepaths, I doubt that Lee could catch Lance if Lance has a 90 foot head start and if he could what would be the difference between batting Lance third and Lee 4th, or Lance 4th and Lee fifth.

[Ken]

hembo36 said:

...the only truly proven bats are tejada, berkman, lee and pence..

How good will Tejada be without the juice?

[WarningTrackPower]

ken said:

How good will Tejada be without the juice?

Who says he's going to be off the juice? As far as I know HGH is still undetectable, isn't it? If anything, I hope he gets back on the juice.

[vega51]

Last year, with a bad wrist he hit .296.

[crashtest]

Bourn and Matsui have really crappy on base percentages. Why would you give the most at bats to the guys who are some of the least likely to get on base in the entire line-up? I'd have Pence batting1, 2 or 3. How many times are we going to be starting the game with 26 outs since Bourn will be nothing more than an Omar Moreno or Tony Scott. All we have done is taken the black-hole from 7-8-9 to 9-1-2. This isn't 1980 Astrodome small ball where Puhl-Reynolds-Cruz might manufacture one run and have Nolan Ryan hang on to win 2-1. It ain't gunna work pissin' away worthless outs with Bourn and Matsui going 1-2. That is just pathetic. I'd probably go

Pence
Matsui
tejada
Berkboy
Lee
Ty
C
Bourn
P