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Like most other people, most of the stuff I know about baseball came from Moneyball, a book that only Top Ten's Phil Barnes found unsatisfactory. From there you learn that stealing is dumb unless you can do it successfully 80% of the time, bunting- and giving up free outs- is even worse, and that nothing is more glorious than the 3-run homer (expect for maybe a grand slam). But when Moneyball was written in the earlier part of the decade, no one was too sure how to quantify the importance of defense. It's obvious that defense was crucial, but without numbers to evaluate, it was impossible to prove how important it was.
Since then, BP has done some fine work on the subject as stats like FRAA (fielding runs above average) and SFR (simple fielding runs) backed up what some have suspected all along: yeah, saving runs is just as important as scoring them.
This is to say this: the White Sox are better team with Brian Anderson in center field and Nick Swisher at first base, than with Swish in center and Paul Konerko at first. Konerko is still sidelined by a strained oblique and the injury is healing slower than expected. Paulie was sucking it up in the first place, so there is no need for the Sox to rush him back until he's fully healthy.
Brian Anderson isn't a great hitter and may never be. But he is a big dude- 6'2, 220- and was a first round draft pick, so he certainly has the potential to hit over 20 homers. He's not there yet though, and if the Sox played him every day, you could probably expect a .250/.300 line from him. Even though that isn't good, it's fine if he hits ninth and continues to play great defense in center field. He may not be creating many runs (though if he did do .250/.300, that really isn't terrible), but he'd be saving a ton.
It's been proven that Swisher is a perfectly average center fielder, which is great when you think about it. How many first basemen can really do that? If the Sox put Konerko in center they'd get absolutely killed. Still, I'd rather have great defenders up the middle.
Here's what I'm proposing: go with Anderson every day until Paulie is 100%. No more of this Dwayne Wise crap. Once Konerko is ready to go, Anderson should still be getting regular playing time, even if he's not in there every day. Let Swisher play every day and alternate between first and center, and then have Anderson, Paulie, and Thome in a rotation.
It'd be one thing is Konerko and Thome were on-pace for .280 with 45 homers. And, yeah, there low batting averages and high on-base percentages probably means both have just been a little unlucky this season. Still, Anderson's defense is too important to let sit on the bench.
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Comments
Ricky-please give me statistical data backing up your claim that Brian Anderson will save more runs in CF than Joe Crede will create via OBP and HRs in the lineup...or are you just going off assumptions? And since when is a .300 OBP not terrible (FYI Anderson's OBP is currently .264)? Both are downright horrible.
Just on OBP alone Paulie will create 17 more chances to score (assuming both would get 300 more PA and Paulie continues hit .215). Would Anderson take away 17 more hits than Swisher in CF. I don't know, maybe?
Phil-Ummm, making a diving play is sweet and adds to his overall range, but he is still not making the routine plays and I will guess he is adding more baserunners than taking away with a diving play every other week. He is on pace to have 30 errors, thus adding 30 baserunners. Does he really take away 30 baserunners with plays he can only make?
Lets be honest he makes nice plays, but I'd say every MLB third basemen will make at least 1/2 of the diving plays he does. So, is he really taking away more than he is creating? But we are both really BSing here, without any real statistical data for both our sides.
About Beachwood: Ricky-I clearly raised the point that Hafner was on steroids (on this site i beleive)...that's all I got...
So did this guy: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=417872 and this guy: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/07/103416.php and this guy: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/fantasyguy/blog/2008/05/position_player_sixpack_2.html and every Indians message board as well...pretty big issue buddy...
I'd like to thank Zack for being the only a-hole to point out my mistakes, all across my web empire.
First of all it is ZacH...and second of all I believe you made me the antagonist, the NWO, the Mike to your Mike, the Ken Tremendous to your Joe Morgan, the Cobra to your GI Joe, etc, etc, ad nauseam...and you are welcome!
Rick, I don't wanna say "I told you so" but please tell me you're starting to think Crede should maybe be shown the door. His act is gettin' a little old and his sub-.100 average against lefties is pathetic. This is just from the hitting side. I am indifferent about his fielding however, for the sole reason that even though he leads the AL 3B in errors, he saves at least one run every two games with some unbelievable glove work. Regardless, he has value (less than he did a month ago) and will be the best 3B in the free agent market. Not to mention he has Boras as an agent so good luck resigning him. Sorry this had nothing to do with Konerko