Comments on: 2009 recap of Cardinals pitchers hitting eighth http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2009/11/08/2009-recap-of-cardinals-pitchers-hitting-eighth/ Brian Walton's news and commentary on the St. Louis Cardinals (TM) and their minor league system Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:18:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: JumboShrimp http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2009/11/08/2009-recap-of-cardinals-pitchers-hitting-eighth/comment-page-1/#comment-6324 JumboShrimp Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:40:11 +0000 http://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=5373#comment-6324 I assume pitchers will perform the same either in the 8th or 9th slot, at large enough N for at bats. If so, the place to look for an offensive effect from batting pitchers 8th is in the OPS or runs created in the 9th slot. Batting pitchers 8th is intended to put 3 hitters in advance of Pujols, in hopes of having more runners on base when HE bats. If hitters in the 9th slot are more effective than pitchers, then it works. Once the Cards acquired Holliday, Pujols had backup. Also Holliday was a high on base batter, so there were more RBI opportunities lower in the lineup. TLR then wanted a hitter back in the customary 8th position for the added RBI opportunities and gave up the table-setting advantage of a hitter in the 9th slot. I assume pitchers will perform the same either in the 8th or 9th slot, at large enough N for at bats. If so, the place to look for an offensive effect from batting pitchers 8th is in the OPS or runs created in the 9th slot. Batting pitchers 8th is intended to put 3 hitters in advance of Pujols, in hopes of having more runners on base when HE bats. If hitters in the 9th slot are more effective than pitchers, then it works.

Once the Cards acquired Holliday, Pujols had backup. Also Holliday was a high on base batter, so there were more RBI opportunities lower in the lineup. TLR then wanted a hitter back in the customary 8th position for the added RBI opportunities and gave up the table-setting advantage of a hitter in the 9th slot.

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