One of my favorite baseball topics is lineup construction. Studies show that the actual order of the lineup has only a small impact on the number of runs scored. But....well, so what? People have been debating lineups for 120 years and they aren't going to stop now. It is a lot of fun, and I probably used more ink and pencil lead writing up proposed lineups when I was in high school than I did on actual study.
So, let's say you are a manager. Your team is facing right-hander Matt Garza in your home park, which is neutral in terms of park effects. This is the team you have to work with:
Catcher: Victor Martinez
First Base: James Loney
Second Base: Howie Kendrick
Third Base: Ian Stewart
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Left Field: Gerardo Parra
Center Field: Nyjer Morgan
Right Field: Kosuke Fukudome
Designated Hitter: Billy Butler
Everyone is healthy for this game, and don't worry about defense or pitching or anything else. How do you build the lineup with these players?
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