Genius
Joe “Put ‘im in the 8-hole” Maddon has yet to make out a lineup for the Cubs
where the pitcher bats ninth. No, the
worst hitter on the team jumps up to eighth in order to—and we’re speaking
theoretically here—give the team two leadoff hitters, a strategy that
sabermetrics says will generate an extra two runs a year. And we wouldn’t dare question the wisdom of
Maddon or sabermetricians, now would we?
But,
just for fun, take the case of Cubs’ pitcher Jon Lester. Over the course of ten years, Lester has
managed 0 hits in his first 59 at-bats, a major-league record. During that stretch, Lester has recorded one
walk, one rbi, five sacrifices and 35 strikeouts. How does the number-nine hitter feel about
following Lester? Could it affect his
hitting? The numbers say No, and numbers
don’t lie, just the people citing them.
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