Once he got the contract and was surrounded with other guys who didn’t give a shit his game went in the tank. His defense sucked, he had no arm and only concentrated on stealing bases and playing golf.

He was just one of dozens of expensive couldn’t care less types brought in here by the Wilpon to cash a few years of big checks.

Beltran was in 2007 as well as for his career better on a per AB basis against LHP although he’s no picnic the other way either which helps others in the line up. Green was absolutely dismal against LHP and shouldn’t have faced it as often as he did. Delgado had WAY better power numbers against RHP both in 2007 and for HIS career.

I can’t see why tweaking your line up, if possible, in order to get your best hitters more AB’s against the handed pitcher they hit the best would be a bad idea.

If Beltran was behind Wright the opposing manager would be less likely to bring in a righty especially if Delgado was then behind Beltran. Now they might then bring in a LHP to face Delgado but if he was backed with Alou there’s a great chance that lefty’s out of the game after 1 batter.

Conversely when facing a RHP going Delgado, Beltran, Green, Wright Alou may encourage an opposing manager to bring in a LHP for Delgado, pitch carefully to Beltran and then face the RH platoon partner for Green meaning that if you want the loogy to get 2 outs (Delgado Green) he’s really going to face just one (Delgado) no platoon split/benefit Beltran, RH RF platoon partner for Green and then neutral split Alou so he’s out after Delgado. One and done.

I’m not trying to say by any means that this works all the time or that it’s even possible many times but when your line up features such huge platoon splits you make it easy for opposing managers to match up in LIPS. One of the big reasons Wright fails in these situations the last 2 years is that he never faces a LHP. There is nothing in the line up or bench to encourage a manager to even leave in a LHP (even pitching carefully) against him.

Of course you have to have a well conceived roster as well as a complimentary bench to get your hitters more AB’s in situations in which they thrive and fewer in which they don’t and with the kinds of bench/role players we have had the last couple of years that hasn’t been an available option but with so many hitters having such huge platoon splits it is something that merits consideration and in my opinion trumps OB if it’s an either or scenario.

The Mets almost went to the World Series with LoDuca batting 2nd. Loduca batting 2nd was NOT the reason the Mets did not make the World Series. Didn’t Randolph take LoDuca out of the #2 spot for awhile that season and realized it didn’t work so he put him back?
He was the perfect number 2 hitter that year because he did the job and that’s the way the lineup worked, not because of “statistics”. They know what they’re doing, not some kid studying sabermetrics on a piece of paper and playing fantasy baseball. This is not fantasy baseball.

As much as I agree with your lineup construction according to OBP, research shows that optimizing your lineup doesn’t increase run production from any other lineup by more than 15 runs, so there’s no way lineup construction can have as much impact as improving the team with one of the best pitchers or OF in baseball.

I do like that lineup. Wright and Alou were by far the best hitters on the team that yr. But I don’t think lineup order makes that huge of a deal when you are just talking about flipping a few guys around in the middle.And a big problem with the heavy focus on the impact of moving Alou is that Alou only played about half a seasons worth of games that yr. Him actually playing would have had more of an impact than him just moving up a spot or two in the order.

They’re is WAY more to line up construction then just what guys did in other line ups. For instance the guy with the best platoon split (Beltran) helps keep your bigger platoon split guys from being lefty’d and righty’d to death in the later innings. If he’s hitting 2nd he’s not protecting anyone.