[quote]Originally posted by sporr:
<strong>Ok, I just found the study and I was slightly wrong. The worst batting order (order of ascending on-base) finished 6 games behind a "standard" order. The best batting order (descending on-base), though, was less than one game different than the "standard" order. Here's the study:
<a href="http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~raj/writing/BattingOrder.html" target="_blank">http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~raj/writing/BattingOrder.html</a></strong><hr></blockquote>
Baseball is "a game of inches"- these types of decisions distinguish the great managers. One win can clinch a wild card. Two wins might win a division. Consider the fact that the *best* hitter in baseball hits safely only once more every 2-3 games than the *worst* hitter in baseball.