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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Roger Maris
On December 11, 1959 the Kansas City A's traded outfielder Roger Maris and shortstop Joe DeMaestri to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielders Hank Bauer, Norm Siebern, first baseman Marv Throneberry and pitcher Don Larsen. Maris had been an all-star the previous year; he had hit 16 home runs and had a .273 batting average with a .464 slugging percentage. His adjusted OPS was 123 which was only the second time in his short career that he had been above average in that category. It was unlikely that anyone could predict what was going to happen next.
In 1960, he hit 39 homeruns which was a career high. It would be easy to say that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. However, it would be quite untrue. Maris hit 13 home runs at home and 26 on the road. His slugging percentage was .581 which led the league. His OPS which was .952 was second in the league. He led the league in WAR which only time travelers had heard about. He won the 1960 American League MVP Award over his teammate and outfieldmate Mickey Mantle. It would be easy to say that Maris was selected the MVP because of his RBI's (he led Mantle 112 to 90). It may very well be true. Maris' value was increased by his defense. Mantle's offensive WAR was ahead of Maris but defensively Maris was on top. This season would be the best of Maris' career, at least, according to WAR.
1961 was the most memorable season of his career and may have been the most damaging to his career. Maris hit 61 homeruns during the season, which most of you know. The previous record was held by the best baseball player of all-time, Babe Ruth. Ruth had hit 60 home runs in 1927. 1961 was the first season in Major League baseball where there was a 162-game schedule. The American League played 162 games, meanwhile, the National League played the 154-game schedule.
After the first 15 games of the season Maris had only hit 1 home run. This was not the start of a record-breaking home run season. In the month of May, Maris had hit 11 home runs. He only had 12 heading into June. Mark McGwire when he broke the record in 1998 had hit 30 home runs at the same time. Maris was on fire in both June and July.
Maris' stat line for the month of June is as follows: 32 Games. 123 At-bats. 15 Home Runs. .276/.375/.707. His OPS+ for that month was 185.
73 games into the season Maris had hit 27 home runs. He was now starting to feel the pressure of possibly challenging the home run record.
In the month of July, Maris was even better. In 28 games in the month of July, he hit 13 more homeruns. His OPS+ that month was 199. In 101 games he had already hit 40 home runs. The pressure was beginning to mount. During this time Maris started lose clumps of hair. His hair was falling out due to the pressure.
In August, he began to slow down, well because he is not the home run hitter Ruth was and continuing at that pace is humanly impossible. Maris' August was 31 games and 11 home runs. His stats slipped all over the board that month. As his stats were falling, so was his hair.
Maris entered September with 51 homeruns.
He hit 9 homeruns and had tied Babe Ruth in less plate appearances. Maris hit his 60th home run in his 684th plate appearance. Ruth had hit 60 homeruns in 689 plate appearances.
In the final game of the season of 1961, Maris finally hit the 61st homerun to break the record.
According to many sources, there was no official asterisk when Maris held the record. Former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, a former Ruth biographer, noted his opinion that if a player broke the mark in the 154 games that they would be considered to be the new record holder but if it took more games it would have to have some mark that it took the new record holder more games to break the record.
Another idea to discredit Maris has been to mention that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch to break the record. He actually hit 30 of his 61 home runs at home and the other 31 were hit on the road. All of his other stats were higher at home than they were on the road but he actually had more home runs on the road. (It should be noted that he had played 3 more games on the road than he did at home). However, if he was taking advantage of the right field porch, we would see Maris hitting way more home runs at home than on the road. We do not see evidence of this.
One of the most interesting things about Maris' record-breaking season is that he did not hit a grand slam the whole year. Maris only had two at-bats the entire season with the bases loaded which seems incredibly low. I never realized how few at-bats Maris had with the bases loaded.
The story of Roger Maris has always intrigued me. Maris who had never hit 40 home runs before or after this season was able to break the single season home run record. The story of a player improving that dramatically has always intersted me. If it wasn't for stories such as Roger Maris I would not be a sports fan, still.
In 1960, he hit 39 homeruns which was a career high. It would be easy to say that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. However, it would be quite untrue. Maris hit 13 home runs at home and 26 on the road. His slugging percentage was .581 which led the league. His OPS which was .952 was second in the league. He led the league in WAR which only time travelers had heard about. He won the 1960 American League MVP Award over his teammate and outfieldmate Mickey Mantle. It would be easy to say that Maris was selected the MVP because of his RBI's (he led Mantle 112 to 90). It may very well be true. Maris' value was increased by his defense. Mantle's offensive WAR was ahead of Maris but defensively Maris was on top. This season would be the best of Maris' career, at least, according to WAR.
1961 was the most memorable season of his career and may have been the most damaging to his career. Maris hit 61 homeruns during the season, which most of you know. The previous record was held by the best baseball player of all-time, Babe Ruth. Ruth had hit 60 home runs in 1927. 1961 was the first season in Major League baseball where there was a 162-game schedule. The American League played 162 games, meanwhile, the National League played the 154-game schedule.
After the first 15 games of the season Maris had only hit 1 home run. This was not the start of a record-breaking home run season. In the month of May, Maris had hit 11 home runs. He only had 12 heading into June. Mark McGwire when he broke the record in 1998 had hit 30 home runs at the same time. Maris was on fire in both June and July.
Maris' stat line for the month of June is as follows: 32 Games. 123 At-bats. 15 Home Runs. .276/.375/.707. His OPS+ for that month was 185.
73 games into the season Maris had hit 27 home runs. He was now starting to feel the pressure of possibly challenging the home run record.
In the month of July, Maris was even better. In 28 games in the month of July, he hit 13 more homeruns. His OPS+ that month was 199. In 101 games he had already hit 40 home runs. The pressure was beginning to mount. During this time Maris started lose clumps of hair. His hair was falling out due to the pressure.
In August, he began to slow down, well because he is not the home run hitter Ruth was and continuing at that pace is humanly impossible. Maris' August was 31 games and 11 home runs. His stats slipped all over the board that month. As his stats were falling, so was his hair.
Maris entered September with 51 homeruns.
He hit 9 homeruns and had tied Babe Ruth in less plate appearances. Maris hit his 60th home run in his 684th plate appearance. Ruth had hit 60 homeruns in 689 plate appearances.
In the final game of the season of 1961, Maris finally hit the 61st homerun to break the record.
According to many sources, there was no official asterisk when Maris held the record. Former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, a former Ruth biographer, noted his opinion that if a player broke the mark in the 154 games that they would be considered to be the new record holder but if it took more games it would have to have some mark that it took the new record holder more games to break the record.
Another idea to discredit Maris has been to mention that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch to break the record. He actually hit 30 of his 61 home runs at home and the other 31 were hit on the road. All of his other stats were higher at home than they were on the road but he actually had more home runs on the road. (It should be noted that he had played 3 more games on the road than he did at home). However, if he was taking advantage of the right field porch, we would see Maris hitting way more home runs at home than on the road. We do not see evidence of this.
One of the most interesting things about Maris' record-breaking season is that he did not hit a grand slam the whole year. Maris only had two at-bats the entire season with the bases loaded which seems incredibly low. I never realized how few at-bats Maris had with the bases loaded.
The story of Roger Maris has always intrigued me. Maris who had never hit 40 home runs before or after this season was able to break the single season home run record. The story of a player improving that dramatically has always intersted me. If it wasn't for stories such as Roger Maris I would not be a sports fan, still.
Monday, June 27, 2011
NBA Draft Review Part 1 of 30: Atlanta Hawks
Disclaimer: I'm not an NBA scout nor an expert on the NBA. I am merely using what other people are saying as well as some of my own thoughts and observations based on what I saw while watching NCAA basketbal and the NBA. I watch way more NCAA basketball than I do in the NBA. When I don't know about the foreign players, I will defer to the experts for the most part.
Atlanta Hawks: They had one pick in the draft and that was in the second round and the 18th pick in the 2nd round. Sports Illustrated listed their needs as a small forward, a point guard, and a center.
2 (18)- Keith Benson C Oakland
(6-11, 230) 17.9 PPG 10.1 RPG
Analysis: Second round picks usually don't pan out mainly because they're not guaranteed contracts when they are selected but also because usually they're not considered to be that good. With that being said, you can easily fill out the last part of your team with 2nd round picks and see where they develop. Chad Ford stated in a podcast that there was a lot of value in this draft after the lottery because there is a lot of players who are similar in the 20's and in the 2nd round.
Keith Benson does help the Hawks need to get more size. However, Benson needs to fill out more as he is only 230 pounds. If he hits the weight room and all of those cliches he will hopefully be able to give them the size that they need. He was able to rebound and score against lesser opponents but he had problems with defense. I think it is a pretty solid pick because he is the exact type of player you want to select in the 2nd round because he has potential to become much better then he is right now.
Another pick that could have made sense: 1. Josh Selby PG Kansas- I acknowledge that there is certainly some character problems with Selby as well as questions about whether or not he can be less selfish. I think he will be a great pick especially considering that he was a 2nd round pick. 2. Isaiah Thomas PG Washington- I also think Thomas will have a nice career as a point guard. Although, he is a bit undersized so some consider him a liability on defense, if you're looking for offense at the point guard position, you could do a lot worse than Thomas. 3. Jereme Richmond SG/SF Illinois- There is some character issues, as well. Richmond might be able to hit his potential and Sports Illustrated listed him as a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick. I didn't like Richmond that much.
They said it: Sports Illustrated listed center as a need but Sam Amick the NBA draft guru for Sports Illustrated said "And clearly they had laser focus when it came to getting a big man, which is pretty odd for a team that's not lacking in that very category."
Overall: I like the pick more than most and I think Benson has a very good shot of making the roster and sticking on it. I thought Benson had potential as a late 1st round pick, especially in a weak draft class. I thought the Hawks did a good job selecting a center. The only player that I thought might be better than Benson that made sense for them was Josh Selby.
Atlanta Hawks: They had one pick in the draft and that was in the second round and the 18th pick in the 2nd round. Sports Illustrated listed their needs as a small forward, a point guard, and a center.
2 (18)- Keith Benson C Oakland
(6-11, 230) 17.9 PPG 10.1 RPG
Analysis: Second round picks usually don't pan out mainly because they're not guaranteed contracts when they are selected but also because usually they're not considered to be that good. With that being said, you can easily fill out the last part of your team with 2nd round picks and see where they develop. Chad Ford stated in a podcast that there was a lot of value in this draft after the lottery because there is a lot of players who are similar in the 20's and in the 2nd round.
Keith Benson does help the Hawks need to get more size. However, Benson needs to fill out more as he is only 230 pounds. If he hits the weight room and all of those cliches he will hopefully be able to give them the size that they need. He was able to rebound and score against lesser opponents but he had problems with defense. I think it is a pretty solid pick because he is the exact type of player you want to select in the 2nd round because he has potential to become much better then he is right now.
Another pick that could have made sense: 1. Josh Selby PG Kansas- I acknowledge that there is certainly some character problems with Selby as well as questions about whether or not he can be less selfish. I think he will be a great pick especially considering that he was a 2nd round pick. 2. Isaiah Thomas PG Washington- I also think Thomas will have a nice career as a point guard. Although, he is a bit undersized so some consider him a liability on defense, if you're looking for offense at the point guard position, you could do a lot worse than Thomas. 3. Jereme Richmond SG/SF Illinois- There is some character issues, as well. Richmond might be able to hit his potential and Sports Illustrated listed him as a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick. I didn't like Richmond that much.
They said it: Sports Illustrated listed center as a need but Sam Amick the NBA draft guru for Sports Illustrated said "And clearly they had laser focus when it came to getting a big man, which is pretty odd for a team that's not lacking in that very category."
Overall: I like the pick more than most and I think Benson has a very good shot of making the roster and sticking on it. I thought Benson had potential as a late 1st round pick, especially in a weak draft class. I thought the Hawks did a good job selecting a center. The only player that I thought might be better than Benson that made sense for them was Josh Selby.
All-Time Player Rankings: Centerfield #41
I looked up and the random number was selected as 41 so here I am writing about the 41st greatest centerfielder of all-time.
George Gore
Score: 29.34. Career: 8.87. 5 Highest: 4.68. Average: 3.15. 3 Highest: 3.18. 10 Highest: 8.46. All-Star Seasons: 2. MVP Seasons: 0.
Best Season:
1885. .313/.405/.454/.399. 138 Hits 115 Runs 21 doubles 13 triples 5 homeruns 57 RBI's 162 OPS+. wRC+ 151.
Averaged WAR: 5.7.
I probably never would of Gore if it wasn't for the New Bill James Historical Abstract which introduced me to more of the history of the game then I ever thought was possible. In 1885 he was 2nd place in WAR for position players in the league. The player that beat him was Roger Connor who had a 9.5 rWAR.
In the 1885 World Series, the Chicago White Stockings tied the St. Louis Browns 3-3-1. Gore only played in one of the games. He went 0-3 with a run and a walk.
In the New Bill James Historical Abstract he talks about how in the early days of baseball ties were quite common. I can only think of a couple of explanations as to why this may be the case. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The first of these explanations would be, I think, the best explanation. This explanation is the time element. I think perhaps the games were going too long and were merely called at a certain point if the players could no longer see the baseball even if there was a tie. This has changed in modern times if a game is tied to a certain point and can no longer be played because of weather the game is suspended and resumed at a different point. I think due to the travel schedule at the time it may have been harder to make up these games. I also think that due to inaccurate reporting that it may not have been possible to resume suspended games but I can't prove that. I have no idea why games could not be suspended until a later time, the only thing I can think of for that is a) hectic travel b) inaccurate record keeping c) apathy.
A second explanation for why there might be ties is the lack of fans really caring about their teams and setting team records such as most wins, highest winning %, etc. I would assume that they cared more about making money then anything else. In order to make money, there had to be fans in the stadium. It would be hard to convince the fans to sit through a three inning game to resolve a tie. Although, I have no idea why they couldn't do it somewhat like a doubleheader or something like that. Any explanation I have does not explain why there was a tie in this World Series. Or maybe there is a better explanation that I cannot find 130 years later.
George Gore
Score: 29.34. Career: 8.87. 5 Highest: 4.68. Average: 3.15. 3 Highest: 3.18. 10 Highest: 8.46. All-Star Seasons: 2. MVP Seasons: 0.
Best Season:
1885. .313/.405/.454/.399. 138 Hits 115 Runs 21 doubles 13 triples 5 homeruns 57 RBI's 162 OPS+. wRC+ 151.
Averaged WAR: 5.7.
I probably never would of Gore if it wasn't for the New Bill James Historical Abstract which introduced me to more of the history of the game then I ever thought was possible. In 1885 he was 2nd place in WAR for position players in the league. The player that beat him was Roger Connor who had a 9.5 rWAR.
In the 1885 World Series, the Chicago White Stockings tied the St. Louis Browns 3-3-1. Gore only played in one of the games. He went 0-3 with a run and a walk.
In the New Bill James Historical Abstract he talks about how in the early days of baseball ties were quite common. I can only think of a couple of explanations as to why this may be the case. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The first of these explanations would be, I think, the best explanation. This explanation is the time element. I think perhaps the games were going too long and were merely called at a certain point if the players could no longer see the baseball even if there was a tie. This has changed in modern times if a game is tied to a certain point and can no longer be played because of weather the game is suspended and resumed at a different point. I think due to the travel schedule at the time it may have been harder to make up these games. I also think that due to inaccurate reporting that it may not have been possible to resume suspended games but I can't prove that. I have no idea why games could not be suspended until a later time, the only thing I can think of for that is a) hectic travel b) inaccurate record keeping c) apathy.
A second explanation for why there might be ties is the lack of fans really caring about their teams and setting team records such as most wins, highest winning %, etc. I would assume that they cared more about making money then anything else. In order to make money, there had to be fans in the stadium. It would be hard to convince the fans to sit through a three inning game to resolve a tie. Although, I have no idea why they couldn't do it somewhat like a doubleheader or something like that. Any explanation I have does not explain why there was a tie in this World Series. Or maybe there is a better explanation that I cannot find 130 years later.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Final Push: National League All-Star Voting
National League:
Catcher:
1. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves: fWAR: 2.8. .305/.380/.523/.386.
2. Ramon Hernandez Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 1.4. .308/.371/.503/.374.
3. Chris Iannetta Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.1. .229/.389/.447/.369.
Notes: This is with my new method of giving points based on places in WAR and the quadruple slash. McCann placed first as he placed either first or second in every category I weighed.
First Base:
1. Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.7. .306/.426/.608/.439.
2. Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 3.2. .318/.440/.489/.406.
3. Todd Helton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.2. .310/.387/.500/.382.
Notes: Fielder ranks first in Slg%, wOBA, and WAR. He ranks second in OBP and 4th place in batting average.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.3. .287/.356/.498/.375.
2. Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies: fWAR: 1.4. .277/.383/.455/.374.
3. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals: fWAR: 2.8. .242/.321/.464/.348.
Notes: Weeks ranked 1st in WAR, Slg%, and wOBA just like his teammate Fielder. He ranked 3rd in OBP. He's a worthy all-star.
Third Base:
1. Chase Headley San Diego Padres: fWAR: 2.0. .295/.389/.402/.357.
2. Ryan Roberts Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 2.1. .258/.345/.458/.354.
3. Ty Wigginton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 1.0. .266/.322/.489/.358.
Notes: Headley is behind by 0.1 WAR but tops him in Average, OBP, and wOBA. So I think he is the worthy choice at 3B this year.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets: fWAR: 4.3. .338/.382/.511/.395.
2. Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs: fWAR: 1.9. .322/.352/.443/.357.
3. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 3.0. .274/.338/.488/.357.
Notes: Reyes got a perfect score. He is the best shortstop in every stat that I look at.
Left Field:
1. Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 3.0. .339/.443/.559/.433.
2. Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.4. .309/.395/.550/.417.
3. Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.405/.523/.415.
Notes: I thought Braun would score higher but Holliday ranks a bit higher.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers: fWAR: 4.2. .328/.420/.620/.452.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates: fWAR: 4.0. .289/.393/.474/.388.
3. Nyjer Morgan Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.365/.514/.379.
Notes: Kemp and McCutchen are both worthy all-stars but Kemp gets the starting nod.
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 2.7. .309/.417/.605/.427.
2. Justin Upton Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 3.3. .301/.382/.521/.397.
3. Seth Smith Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.3. .315/.368/.554/.397.
Notes: Technically Allen Craig is 2nd but he doesn't qualify since he ranked in the top 3 in the left field category.
Catcher:
1. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves: fWAR: 2.8. .305/.380/.523/.386.
2. Ramon Hernandez Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 1.4. .308/.371/.503/.374.
3. Chris Iannetta Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.1. .229/.389/.447/.369.
Notes: This is with my new method of giving points based on places in WAR and the quadruple slash. McCann placed first as he placed either first or second in every category I weighed.
First Base:
1. Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.7. .306/.426/.608/.439.
2. Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 3.2. .318/.440/.489/.406.
3. Todd Helton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.2. .310/.387/.500/.382.
Notes: Fielder ranks first in Slg%, wOBA, and WAR. He ranks second in OBP and 4th place in batting average.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.3. .287/.356/.498/.375.
2. Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies: fWAR: 1.4. .277/.383/.455/.374.
3. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals: fWAR: 2.8. .242/.321/.464/.348.
Notes: Weeks ranked 1st in WAR, Slg%, and wOBA just like his teammate Fielder. He ranked 3rd in OBP. He's a worthy all-star.
Third Base:
1. Chase Headley San Diego Padres: fWAR: 2.0. .295/.389/.402/.357.
2. Ryan Roberts Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 2.1. .258/.345/.458/.354.
3. Ty Wigginton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 1.0. .266/.322/.489/.358.
Notes: Headley is behind by 0.1 WAR but tops him in Average, OBP, and wOBA. So I think he is the worthy choice at 3B this year.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets: fWAR: 4.3. .338/.382/.511/.395.
2. Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs: fWAR: 1.9. .322/.352/.443/.357.
3. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 3.0. .274/.338/.488/.357.
Notes: Reyes got a perfect score. He is the best shortstop in every stat that I look at.
Left Field:
1. Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 3.0. .339/.443/.559/.433.
2. Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.4. .309/.395/.550/.417.
3. Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.405/.523/.415.
Notes: I thought Braun would score higher but Holliday ranks a bit higher.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers: fWAR: 4.2. .328/.420/.620/.452.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates: fWAR: 4.0. .289/.393/.474/.388.
3. Nyjer Morgan Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.365/.514/.379.
Notes: Kemp and McCutchen are both worthy all-stars but Kemp gets the starting nod.
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 2.7. .309/.417/.605/.427.
2. Justin Upton Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 3.3. .301/.382/.521/.397.
3. Seth Smith Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.3. .315/.368/.554/.397.
Notes: Technically Allen Craig is 2nd but he doesn't qualify since he ranked in the top 3 in the left field category.
All-Star Voting: the final push American League
These are the players I would vote for if I was voting today (which I am). I am just doing the top 3 at each position (except where there is a tie).
American League:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 2.5. .300/.373/.532/.390.
2. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians: fWAR: 1.8. .232/.360/.414/.341.
3. Russell Martin New York Yankees: fWAR: 1.8. .233/.342/.407/.344.
Notes: Not that it matters since Avila is so far and away the best catcher in the American League but I have Santana ahead of Martin because of his edge in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
In case you don't like WAR: minimum 100 at-bats: Avila ranks 2nd in average behind Victor Martinez who primarily plays DH. He ranks 2nd in OBP behind Victor Martinez. He ranks 1st in slugging percentage. He's also tied for 1st in RBI's with Victor Martinez and tied for 3rd in home runs. Since Victor Martinez is primarily DH'ing I give the nod to Avila.
First Base: 1. Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 4.4. .359/.410/.609/.437.
2. Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 3.2. .327/.449/.580/.434.
3. Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.4. .327/.398/.603/.425.
4. Mark Teixeira New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.4. .246/.357/.522/.382.
Notes: Konerko is ranked ahead of Teixeira because he beats him on each offensive category that I look at. I primarily look at the quadruple slash. I'll be free to admit that Teixeira is the better defensive player and it's possible that I underrate defense especially at first base. Not that it matters, I don't think any amount of defense makes up for Adrian Gonzalez's overall dominance.
In case you don't like WAR: Adrian Gonzalez leads all 1B in RBI's, Runs, Hits, Batting Average, Slugging Percentage, and wOBA. He is second in OBP.
Second Base: 1. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.5. .274/.390/.397/.360.
2. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 3.5. .264/.341/.475/.359.
3. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: fWAR: 3.2. .305/.362/.481/.374.
Notes: I guess it depends on how you feel about defense and on-base percentage. I have Pedroia as the starter because he has the best On-Base Percentage of all second basemen. His K% is also a little bit lower and has more stolen bases. I like Zobrsit as well, but I feel like he should make the team to be a utility player.
In case you don't like WAR: With the quadruple slash, here are your leaders at second base (minimum plate appearances 100). Batting Average: Howie Kendrick .305. On-Base Percentage: Dustin Pedroia .390. Slugging Percentage: Robinson Cano .520. wOBA: Robinson Cano .377. Why isn't Cano higher? His on-base percentage is a .344 which is lower than Zobrist's and he doesn't play as good as defense as Zobrist. If we were to give out points for top 5 so far in the quadruple slash (5 for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, etc.) This is how it shakes out: 1. Howie Kendrick 16 2. Robinson Cano 14. 3. Dustin Pedroia 9. 4. Maicer Izturis 6. 5. Ben Zobrist 5. So, you could argue Kendrick, Cano, or Pedroia. I just like Pedroia the best.
Third Base:
1. Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.6. .296/.375/.510/.389.
2. Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.8. .279/.395/.506/.395.
3. Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers: fWAR: 2.3. .259/.306/.439/.325.
Notes: A-Rod has a higher slugging percentage and a higher batting average than Youkilis but Youk has a higer on-base percentage and a higher wOBA. A-Rod is also playing better defense than Youk, as well.
In case you don't like WAR: A-Rod leads American League third basemen in homeruns, slugging percentage, and batting average for third basemen with a minimum of 100 plate appearances.
Left Field:
1. Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers: fWAR: 1.3. .297/.360/.513/.373.
2. Brennan Boesch Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 1.8. .300/.359/.485/.364.
3. Brett Gardner New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.8. .286/.363/.432/.347.
Notes: see In case you don't like WAR.
In case you don't like WAR: To get to this point I awarded points similar to how I did it in the second base section but this time I also included WAR. This was the result, actually Boesch and Hamilton tied so I gave the tie to Hamilton based on higher OBP, slugging percentage, and wOBA.
Center Field:
1. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.9. .278/.356/.584/.401.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.1. .310/.372/.465/.374.
3. Denard Span Minnesota Twins: fWAR: 2.8. .294/.361/.385/.338.
Notes: Granderson has been having a fantastic year and is far and away the best centerfielder in the American League even despite his mediocore onbase percentage. His slugging percentage and wOBA are by far the best in the league at his position.
In case you don't like WAR: see Granderson's slugging percentage and wOBA.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays: fWAR: 4.5. .325/.470/.654/.474.
2. Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 2.4. .309/.372/.534/.388.
3. Carlos Quentin Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.2. .256/.358/.535/.389.
Notes: It doesn't matter where the other two rank. Bautista is the best player in the American League this year.
In case you don't like WAR: look at every other stat basically.
DH:
1. David Ortiz Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.6. .313/.391/.586/.421.
2. Billy Butler Kansas City Royals: fWAR: 1.6. .332/.381/.500/.381.
American League:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 2.5. .300/.373/.532/.390.
2. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians: fWAR: 1.8. .232/.360/.414/.341.
3. Russell Martin New York Yankees: fWAR: 1.8. .233/.342/.407/.344.
Notes: Not that it matters since Avila is so far and away the best catcher in the American League but I have Santana ahead of Martin because of his edge in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
In case you don't like WAR: minimum 100 at-bats: Avila ranks 2nd in average behind Victor Martinez who primarily plays DH. He ranks 2nd in OBP behind Victor Martinez. He ranks 1st in slugging percentage. He's also tied for 1st in RBI's with Victor Martinez and tied for 3rd in home runs. Since Victor Martinez is primarily DH'ing I give the nod to Avila.
First Base: 1. Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 4.4. .359/.410/.609/.437.
2. Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 3.2. .327/.449/.580/.434.
3. Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.4. .327/.398/.603/.425.
4. Mark Teixeira New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.4. .246/.357/.522/.382.
Notes: Konerko is ranked ahead of Teixeira because he beats him on each offensive category that I look at. I primarily look at the quadruple slash. I'll be free to admit that Teixeira is the better defensive player and it's possible that I underrate defense especially at first base. Not that it matters, I don't think any amount of defense makes up for Adrian Gonzalez's overall dominance.
In case you don't like WAR: Adrian Gonzalez leads all 1B in RBI's, Runs, Hits, Batting Average, Slugging Percentage, and wOBA. He is second in OBP.
Second Base: 1. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.5. .274/.390/.397/.360.
2. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 3.5. .264/.341/.475/.359.
3. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: fWAR: 3.2. .305/.362/.481/.374.
Notes: I guess it depends on how you feel about defense and on-base percentage. I have Pedroia as the starter because he has the best On-Base Percentage of all second basemen. His K% is also a little bit lower and has more stolen bases. I like Zobrsit as well, but I feel like he should make the team to be a utility player.
In case you don't like WAR: With the quadruple slash, here are your leaders at second base (minimum plate appearances 100). Batting Average: Howie Kendrick .305. On-Base Percentage: Dustin Pedroia .390. Slugging Percentage: Robinson Cano .520. wOBA: Robinson Cano .377. Why isn't Cano higher? His on-base percentage is a .344 which is lower than Zobrist's and he doesn't play as good as defense as Zobrist. If we were to give out points for top 5 so far in the quadruple slash (5 for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, etc.) This is how it shakes out: 1. Howie Kendrick 16 2. Robinson Cano 14. 3. Dustin Pedroia 9. 4. Maicer Izturis 6. 5. Ben Zobrist 5. So, you could argue Kendrick, Cano, or Pedroia. I just like Pedroia the best.
Third Base:
1. Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.6. .296/.375/.510/.389.
2. Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.8. .279/.395/.506/.395.
3. Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers: fWAR: 2.3. .259/.306/.439/.325.
Notes: A-Rod has a higher slugging percentage and a higher batting average than Youkilis but Youk has a higer on-base percentage and a higher wOBA. A-Rod is also playing better defense than Youk, as well.
In case you don't like WAR: A-Rod leads American League third basemen in homeruns, slugging percentage, and batting average for third basemen with a minimum of 100 plate appearances.
Left Field:
1. Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers: fWAR: 1.3. .297/.360/.513/.373.
2. Brennan Boesch Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 1.8. .300/.359/.485/.364.
3. Brett Gardner New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.8. .286/.363/.432/.347.
Notes: see In case you don't like WAR.
In case you don't like WAR: To get to this point I awarded points similar to how I did it in the second base section but this time I also included WAR. This was the result, actually Boesch and Hamilton tied so I gave the tie to Hamilton based on higher OBP, slugging percentage, and wOBA.
Center Field:
1. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.9. .278/.356/.584/.401.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.1. .310/.372/.465/.374.
3. Denard Span Minnesota Twins: fWAR: 2.8. .294/.361/.385/.338.
Notes: Granderson has been having a fantastic year and is far and away the best centerfielder in the American League even despite his mediocore onbase percentage. His slugging percentage and wOBA are by far the best in the league at his position.
In case you don't like WAR: see Granderson's slugging percentage and wOBA.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays: fWAR: 4.5. .325/.470/.654/.474.
2. Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 2.4. .309/.372/.534/.388.
3. Carlos Quentin Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.2. .256/.358/.535/.389.
Notes: It doesn't matter where the other two rank. Bautista is the best player in the American League this year.
In case you don't like WAR: look at every other stat basically.
DH:
1. David Ortiz Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.6. .313/.391/.586/.421.
2. Billy Butler Kansas City Royals: fWAR: 1.6. .332/.381/.500/.381.
Monday, June 20, 2011
2012 Hall of Fame Ballot: Brad Radke
The case for and against Brad Radke:
3 All-Star seasons according for averaged WAR. 3 All-Star seasons according to rWAR and 4 according to fWAR. 1 Top 10 finish in WAR (2004). Four top 10 seasons in WAR for pitchers (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004). Two top 5 finishes in ERA (1999 and 2004). One top 5 finish in wins (1997). 6 top 10 finishes in WHIP (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005). One top 10 finish in strikeouts (1997). 8 top 10 finishes in shutouts (1995, 1997, 2000-2005). Two top 10 finishes in ERA+. Ranked #103 in my top pitchers of all-time. ERA+ of 113, not too far ahead of Jack Morris. Twice led the league in Home Runs Allowed. One All-Star Game. 4.22 career ERA.
Radke was one of my favorite pitchers. He pitched for the Twins when I was getting back into baseball. He also pitched through a severe shoulder injury that made him eventually retire. He wasn't noted as a big game pitcher because the Twins didn't win the World Series and only advanced to the ALCS once. Radke pitched six games and had an ERA of 3.60 much better than his career ERA.
I don't think Radke is a Hall of Fame player but he ranks higher on my ranking system than Jack Morris. The only things Jack Morris has over Radke is post-season heroics which doesn't amount to a whole lot when you look at Morris' failures, as well.
I would sooner put Radke in the Hall of Fame than Jack Morris but nevertheless I have to say that Radke would not get my vote for the Hall of Fame. Although he certainly warrants a little bit of consideration.
3 All-Star seasons according for averaged WAR. 3 All-Star seasons according to rWAR and 4 according to fWAR. 1 Top 10 finish in WAR (2004). Four top 10 seasons in WAR for pitchers (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004). Two top 5 finishes in ERA (1999 and 2004). One top 5 finish in wins (1997). 6 top 10 finishes in WHIP (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005). One top 10 finish in strikeouts (1997). 8 top 10 finishes in shutouts (1995, 1997, 2000-2005). Two top 10 finishes in ERA+. Ranked #103 in my top pitchers of all-time. ERA+ of 113, not too far ahead of Jack Morris. Twice led the league in Home Runs Allowed. One All-Star Game. 4.22 career ERA.
Radke was one of my favorite pitchers. He pitched for the Twins when I was getting back into baseball. He also pitched through a severe shoulder injury that made him eventually retire. He wasn't noted as a big game pitcher because the Twins didn't win the World Series and only advanced to the ALCS once. Radke pitched six games and had an ERA of 3.60 much better than his career ERA.
I don't think Radke is a Hall of Fame player but he ranks higher on my ranking system than Jack Morris. The only things Jack Morris has over Radke is post-season heroics which doesn't amount to a whole lot when you look at Morris' failures, as well.
I would sooner put Radke in the Hall of Fame than Jack Morris but nevertheless I have to say that Radke would not get my vote for the Hall of Fame. Although he certainly warrants a little bit of consideration.
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