So, what changes do we need to make for next year?

[Hungary Jack]

So as long as there are those that are equipped with the line, "leadoff isn't a position," there should never be another discussion about who should bat leadoff?

Answer that when the season starts. Don't construct a team with the thought "But who's going to bat leadoff."

Eff that. Who bats eighth?

[InvincibleCakeEater]

So as long as there are those that are equipped with the line, "leadoff isn't a position," there should never be another discussion about who should bat leadoff?

Answer that when the season starts. Don't construct a team with the thought "But who's going to bat leadoff."

Eff that. Who bats eighth?

lol

It's funny, it's just about as important a question as "who is going to be our leadoff hitter," but for some reason nobody ever asks it.

[Hungary Jack]

Being a leadoff hitter isn't so much a position as a state of mind. It lies somewhere between panic and bliss.

[Eephus Speed]

So as long as there are those that are equipped with the line, "leadoff isn't a position," there should never be another discussion about who should bat leadoff?

ICE's last 2 posts sum up my thoughts. Batting order should be, at most, an afterthought.

[cpebbles]

You acquire the best group of players you can, and then construct a lineup that minimizes their individual weaknesses as players. The second you start to think of "leadoff" as a strong point for a player, you're fooling yourself into overvaluing a generally-overvalued skill. People hit leadoff as much for the things they can't do as for the things they do well, and speed has consistently been a very poor buy for teams.

[Popeye_Card]

While a sabermetric argument against a "leadoff hitter" can always be made, typically every winning team has some form of hitter in the first spot which is that classic table-setter and/or speed guy. Given, that is probably because every manager thinks you need one, and every team seems to have a guy that falls into that role, but they're still there.

Regardless, the Cardinals will find one with whoever ends up on the roster. Leadoff production doesn't kill you like lack of production from the bats that follow high-OBP guys (i.e. the 4/5 spots for the Cards behind Albert).

[TGantz]

Everyone needs to go to Mark McGwire this off season to learn how to hit home runs, or at least find some good steroids or something. I know that home runs are overrated but it sure does lift up a team psychologically.

[lukethedrifter]

In the season's final two months, Ryan hit .310, and only Pujols and Matt Holliday had better slugging percentages than Ryan's .432.

Small sample aside, we have to do something about this.

[Faceman]

So as long as there are those that are equipped with the line, "leadoff isn't a position," there should never be another discussion about who should bat leadoff?

ICE's last 2 posts sum up my thoughts. Batting order should be, at most, an afterthought.

I will remember this when I see people slitting wrists over Molina hitting 6th instead of 7th.

[Jocephus]

So as long as there are those that are equipped with the line, "leadoff isn't a position," there should never be another discussion about who should bat leadoff?

ICE's last 2 posts sum up my thoughts. Batting order should be, at most, an afterthought.

I will remember this when I see people slitting wrists over Molina hitting 6th instead of 7th.

not to speak for others, but i think they mean when constructing a team, lineup "isnt important"...once the team has been "built", then you can worry about the lineup...