Astros fans

[Jack of Arcades]

Yes, when you move someone up into the order, they get approximately 20 more PA. Plus, the better hitters consume less outs, to keep innings going.

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
So Bonds, Pujols, Beltran, etc., should hit second? Please.

And what about speed. When Piazza was the Mets' best hitter you would have argued for him to hit second? And clog up the bases?

[/ QUOTE ]

1) Yes. This gets them more plate appearances. Why would you want your best hitter hitting #4 and getting 40 less PA? The only reason you don't bat them leadoff is to cut down on solo home runs.

Last year Bonds batted fourth, behind three mediocre hitters. Unsurprisingly, there were many 1-2-3 first innings, and Bonds was IBB'd to leadoff the second.

2) Would you rather have Jose Vizcaino batting #2? He won't clog up the bases. He won't reach base, either. Yes, Piazza should've been batting 2nd (Edgardo Alfonzo should've been batting first).

Tell me why you shouldn't bat your best hitter 2nd so I can deconstruct everyone of your points with maniacal glee.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So Bonds, Pujols, Beltran, etc., should hit second? Please.

And what about speed. When Piazza was the Mets' best hitter you would have argued for him to hit second? And clog up the bases?

[/ QUOTE ]

1) Yes. This gets them more plate appearances. Why would you want your best hitter hitting #4 and getting 40 less PA? The only reason you don't bat them leadoff is to cut down on solo home runs.

Last year Bonds batted fourth, behind three mediocre hitters. Unsurprisingly, there were many 1-2-3 first innings, and Bonds was IBB'd to leadoff the second.

2) Would you rather have Jose Vizcaino batting #2? He won't clog up the bases. He won't reach base, either. Yes, Piazza should've been batting 2nd (Edgardo Alfonzo should've been batting first).

Tell me why you shouldn't bat your best hitter 2nd so I can deconstruct everyone of your points with maniacal glee.

[/ QUOTE ]

You obviously have figured out what thousands of people haven't in more than 100 years of baseball. Evidently everyone has been putting a lineup together wrong, from John McGraw, to Leo Durocher, Gil Hodges, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa. Congratulations. When is your interview for the Kansas City job.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So Bonds, Pujols, Beltran, etc., should hit second? Please.

And what about speed. When Piazza was the Mets' best hitter you would have argued for him to hit second? And clog up the bases?

[/ QUOTE ]

1) Yes. This gets them more plate appearances. Why would you want your best hitter hitting #4 and getting 40 less PA? The only reason you don't bat them leadoff is to cut down on solo home runs.

Last year Bonds batted fourth, behind three mediocre hitters. Unsurprisingly, there were many 1-2-3 first innings, and Bonds was IBB'd to leadoff the second.

2) Would you rather have Jose Vizcaino batting #2? He won't clog up the bases. He won't reach base, either. Yes, Piazza should've been batting 2nd (Edgardo Alfonzo should've been batting first).

Tell me why you shouldn't bat your best hitter 2nd so I can deconstruct everyone of your points with maniacal glee.

[/ QUOTE ]

The response actually is quite simple. You said it yourself pretty much. I'd rather have my 3 and 4 hitters have 40 fewer total plate appearances if a significant % more of the total appearances are with men on base, than have 40 additional plate appearances but the overall % of them being with the bases empty being much lower.

Would you rather have a single and then a home run or a home run and then a single?

[Jack of Arcades]

Who got over 100 PA in the #2 hole last year for the Yankees? A-Rod, who also hit 2nd in one of his best seasons (1996).
Who bats second for the Cards? Larry Walker, who, as a Card, had a higher OPS than either Jim Edmonds or Albert Pujols last year. That worked out well, didn't it?
Who batted second for the Braves in 2002? Their best hitter, Marcus Giles.
Who batted second for nearly his entire career with the Cubs? I'll give you a hint: he's a going into the Hall of Fame, and he's one of the best second basemen ever.

[jakethebake]

Jebus you're a moran.

[Jack of Arcades]

I'm rubber and you're glue.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm rubber and you're glue.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dammit! Everyone knows there's no legitimate comeback to that. I'll get you next time, you bastard! [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[tbach24]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you rather have a single and then a home run or a home run and then a single?

[/ QUOTE ]

The first, which is what you get out of getting a guy with OBP 1st and then the best hitter 2nd.

[ QUOTE ]
Who got over 100 PA in the #2 hole last year for the Yankees? A-Rod, who also hit 2nd in one of his best seasons (1996).
Who bats second for the Cards? Larry Walker, who, as a Card, had a higher OPS than either Jim Edmonds or Albert Pujols last year. That worked out well, didn't it?
Who batted second for the Braves in 2002? Their best hitter, Marcus Giles.
Who batted second for nearly his entire career with the Cubs? I'll give you a hint: he's a going into the Hall of Fame, and he's one of the best second basemen ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, no, no. Don't go changing what you said. You said put the best hitter second. Larry Walker is the best hitter on the Cards? Please. He may be the most appropriate #2 hitter, I don't disagree. But he's not the best hitter on that team, you know that. And you think Marcus Giles is the best hitter on the Braves? Again no. He had 8 HRs in 550 ABs last year. The best hitter on that team is Chipper Jones, even with his off-year last year (and if you thought Cox hits his best hitter #2, then he should have moved Jones up there this year, no?). Oh and PS, A-Rod is hitting mainly 5th this year. Who's hitting second? Future hall of famer Tony Womack.