Pitchers as a lineup

[Willihammer]

What would happen if a team treated its pitching staff as a lineup, with the best pitcher leading off, 2nd best going 2nd, etc. with no regard for score, inning, "save situations," matchups, etc. If each man went until he ran out of gas, then the next guy in line took over..

Would that allow more/less frequent appearances by the best pitchers, and more/fewer appearances by the worst?

Would it allow for a more/less efficient distribution of rest days and workload? Would it require a team to carry more/less pitchers?

Would pitchers be happier/sadder?

Would it lead to more/less wins?

 

edit: just realized this should probably be in the Other Baseball forum, sorry.

[ashbury]

edit: just realized this should probably be in the Other Baseball forum, sorry.

Your wish is granted.

 

Were there any responses already in this thread? If so, they seem to have been lost - if someone speaks up then I'll have to look into it.

[spinowner]

We had a thread similar to this a few months ago, talking about essentially having a staff of relief pitchers, letting each one go 2 or 3 innings and continuing that all season. The problem with this idea is that if you have a very good pitcher who you want to leave in for 6 or 7 innings whose turn in the lineup comes up in the 8th inning of a game you use him up. I don't think you'd want him to turn around and start the next game.

[bluechipper]

Brian Kenny likes this idea.

 

I think guys like to have routine and know their role, and that would be a huge hurdle to overcome.

[nicksaviking]

Not my cup of tea but I like the outside the box thinking.

 

I still don't think your best pitchers end up throwing more innings this way.

[Willihammer]

 

Brian Kenny likes this idea.

 

I think guys like to have routine and know their role, and that would be a huge hurdle to overcome.

Would knowing your place in the lineup make up for that though? Should have a pretty good idea of when you'll probably pitch and when you'll probably rest.

[Shane Wahl]

It sorta occurs in ST games with guys scheduled to pitch and they often, of course, know the order.

 

Whatever it is, I am waiting for some team to figure something out about that first inning offensive burst that teams have.

[Willihammer]

The big draw for the pitcher-lineup, if there is one, is that it would improve rest efficiency by eliminating the starter and reliever role, while at the same time eliminating appearances on back to back days. So the season would be a steady stream of 1-3 days rest. Coaches could (theoretically) balance workload further by shortening/lengthening pitches per appearance depending on how many days rest the guy has and how effective he's throwing before moving onto the next pitcher and doing the same with him.

[Willihammer]

With the obvious drawback that sometimes the best pitcher would have his turn to do mop up duty and likewise, the worst pitcher due up in high leverage situations. This would theoretically be offset by having your best pitchers in more than 33 appearances per season.

[ashbury]

Whatever it is, I am waiting for some team to figure something out about that first inning offensive burst that teams have.

Particularly by the home team.

 

Home teams on average score more runs per game than the visitors. What recently came to light is that this advantage is almost entirely composed of a first-inning difference.

[diehardtwinsfan]

The problem, as I see it is that I suspect there may be an issue with durability... or perhaps there is a strength there.  Not sure if injury is the problem or the solution here. If it solves the injury problem, then this is the right answer.... If it doesn't, then at the end of the day, you still need that ace that goes 4/5 vs. 6/7. 

[mnfireman]

It is very much thinking outside the box and could work in the minors but I don't think it would work in the majors for many reasons:

• I don't think an owner would hire a manager who advocates this
• The team would have to change how it drafts pitchers (and those draft choices may not want to go to that team, not to mention that the manager who started this system may be fired before these prospects make it the majors)
• I don't think free agent pitchers would sign with that team 
• Based on a strict 1 - 12 pitcher line-up could set the team up for some bad innings (i.e. your 12th pitcher facing Toronto's 3,4,5, etc batters)

It is a very interesting outlook, but I think a team would have to implement it in the low-minors first and see how things work out over 3 or 4 seasons.