The Art of Constructing a Baseball Lineup

[theaub]

Yeah, I really hate the whole "clutch hitting" thing. From all the Jays games that I've gone too, I've come to the conclusion that in the end, it all evens out. When it comes down to it, the biggest factor for clutch hitting is having someone up who doesn't strike out a lot, and that's really it. Usually a game-ending hit occurs with the infield/outfield drawn in, so just being able to put the bat on the ball solidly is the most important thing. That's why a guy like A-Rod who is such a great hitter but strikes out a lot isn't regarded as clutch, while someone like Jeter who is nowhere close to as good of a hitter as A-Rod but rarely strikes out is.

As for the actual article, one thing that I like to do is split up the power in the lineup. I think that having a line drive hitter who will top out at 15-20 HR in the 5/6 hole, and then having a decent 25-30 HR power threat in the 7-spot makes it a lot harder for a pitcher to get through the lineup. That is, if you have the luxury of being able to do so.