Where do you hit your "worst hitter?"

The debate about where your worst hitter should hit revolves around hitting them either 8th or 9th.

For years, the worst hitter hit in the 9th spot in national league lineups. That is to say, the pitcher assumed the last spot in the order and it was done this way across the board. However, just recently, Tony LaRussa has experimented with hitting the pitcher 8th. It brings up a great debate among baseball people.

I believe the most salient point in the argument revolves around this idea- "Do you expect your late hitters to be run producers OR table setters."

If you believe the inning still can be salvaged down in the bottom of the order, then your worst hitter should reside in the ninth spot. Move him as far down as he can so you simply have more opportunities to drive in runs.

If you believe that the majority of your runs are driven in by your 3,4,5 hitters then it would go to reason that the 8th hitter should be your worst hitter. This way, your 9th hitter has a better opportunity to get himself on base so he can be driven in by a better hitter.

Where do I stand on the issue? I believe that the worst hitter should hit in the 8th spot. If that spot comes up in a crucial situation you can always pinch hit for him. However, most runs are scored as a result of your better hitters driving the runner in. Why not have the 9th hitter be a table setter rather than an automatic out?

I like LaRussa's idea.