The phrase “a walk is as good as a hit” has echoed through our noggins since Little League. Though not exactly true, the ability to reach base without putting the ball in play is a valuable offensive weapon; advances in sabermetrics have enabled us to quantify the value of a walk and hit-by-pitch quite precisely. And while the results have elevated the awareness of their importance in putting runs on the scoreboard, there has always been a fundamental understanding of their value. Baseball’s record books are littered with players who wouldn’t have made the majors except for their ability to draw walks and get hit with errant pitches.
Here are some of the storylines you are bound to read during spring training.
This will probably be the first article–and perhaps the only one all year–where the location of the Expos means next to nothing. As far as team health goes, there’s very little in the way of park effect. I’ll assume that the MLBPA will watch closely to make sure that there are adequate facilities in San Juan, and honestly, it’s not like San Juan is some third world country like most articles make it sound.
If nothing else, Steve Phillips is always busy. I’m sort of surprised at myself, but of the two signings, I’m a lot more positive about Tony Clark. Is he done? Sure, he might be, but he was also useful as recently as 2001. But more importantly, if Mo Vaughn wallows around in noisy mediocrity or worse, gets hurt, the Mets don’t really have another internal alternative, and this is a division where 85 wins will contend.
No Job is Safe in Camp This Year, Manger Declares
As players trickle in to camp, the manager has a message for them: There are no guarantees this season.
Will the two-year deals signed by Junior Spivey and Kirk Rueter blow up in the Diamondbacks’ and Giants’ faces? Kevin Millar and Alex Ochoa swap out in the Japanese leagues exchange program. And Trace Coquillette: utility infielder or rotisserie chicken joint?
The Expos must deal with a limited player budget, backbreaking travel schedule and the loss of a meaningful home-field advantage in 2003. They could shift the odds back in their favor with a healthy season.
While we wait breathlessly for word from Cooperstown about the results of the new Veterans Committee balloting, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame voters have spoken their collective mind here on BP.
Of the million things Cubs fans can blame when they look back on why 2003 wasn’t the year they finally won the World Series, health won’t be one of them.
Between a careful analysis of what data is available, the creative use of proxy variables in estimating injuries throughout time, and the application of some principles of sports medicine, we are at least in a position to make some educated guesses about the nature of pitcher injuries. Our particular focus in this article will be the progression of pitcher injury rates by age.
Pitching is an unnatural act that invites injury. The stress it places on the
bones of the shoulder, arm, and back is immense. The strain it places on the 36
muscles that attach to the humerus, clavicle, and scapula is remarkable. It is
widely accepted by sports medicine practitioners that every pitch causes at
least some amount of damage to the system.
Of the million things Cubs fans can blame when they look back on why 2003 wasn’t
the year they finally won the World Series, health won’t be one of them. In
fact, for at least the last decade, trainer Dave Tumbas has kept Cubs’ health
concerns out of the picture more than most teams in baseball. The one major
injury during that time was Kerry Wood’s arm
trouble; but as much as people look to Wood’s usage during his rookie
season, the more likely culprit was his usage during high school. As far as the
rest of the team, the injuries suffered have been setbacks they could expect and
plan for. It’s fine to have someone like Moises Alou or Rondell White on the
roster if there’s an adequate backup plan. The difference between the Cubs with
Alou and the Brewers with Jeffrey Hammonds is that not only do the Cubs plan on
Alou playing only 120 games, they paid him according to this plan.
While we wait breathlessly for word from Cooperstown about the results of the
new Veterans Committee balloting, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame voters have
spoken their collective mind here on BP.
Mark Shapiro enters his second season as General Manager of the Cleveland Indians, and 12th with the organization, in full rebuilding mode.
While we wait breathlessly for word from Cooperstown about the results of the new Veterans Committee balloting, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame voters have spoken their collective mind here on BP. Well, sort of. The voting patterns on the two ballots (Players and Composite) were rather similar in some respects. On both ballots, only…
Mark Shapiro enters his second season as General Manager of the Cleveland Indians, and 12th with the organization, in full rebuilding mode. Since winning six NL Central division titles in seven years, the Indians have said goodbye to stars Roberto Alomar, Jim Thome and Bartolo Colon and rebuilt the farm system through drafting, development and a series of opportune trades. He recently chatted with BP about the dangers of multi-year contracts, breaking prospects into the lineup, and the pressure of meeting fans’ expectations.