skyking162

I have another guest post up about historical fielding, this time about the Yankees over at Steve Lombardi’s WasWatching blog. It’s a fun read, I think, as even a non-Yankee fan would recognize most of the names. Some of the more interesting tidbits include:

• Clete Boyer was a monster at third base, and deserved at least three Gold Glove awards.
• Don Mattingly and Bobby Richardson were extremely overrated at first base and second base, respectively. I’d love to hear some thoughts on why Mattingly doesn’t rate well.
• Wade Boggs did deserve his two Gold Gloves.
• Dave Winfield’s arm had to rival Sid Fynch’s to deserve any of his.
• Scott Brosius’ reputation as a godsend at third base in 1998 isn’t just legend talking. He was a black hole (in the good way).

If you have an interest in fielding numbers, either with today’s players or going back to 1956, it’s a lot easier than you think to find that information. This page has links to simple data tables on range, outfield throwing arms, catcher ratings, and first base scooping ability. I’m happy to answer any questions or point you in the right direction for any request.

Or, if you’re lazy, I’m happy to do the number-crunching for you. I’ll even right something up if you have a blog. Just send me an email at skyking162@gmail.com.

Popularity: 17% [?]

I have a guest post up over at MetsGeek, a popular New York Mets blog. I used the historical fielding data available for the past fifty year to peruse the history of Met fielding. The short story? They’re a perennially awful organization. Want a more interesting story? Here you go:

In 1988, the Mets reached their nadir of -111 runs thanks to such impressive performances as Mookie Wilson (-17) and Lenny Dykstra (-7) in center field, Kevin McReynolds in left field (-29), and Darryl Strawberry in right field (-30). Even the immortal Keith Hernandez was merely average over at first base and didn’t play enough to keep Dave Magadan’s -5 run glove on the bench. The best two fielders were Tim Teufel at second base (+4 runs) and Kevin Elster at shortstop (+7 runs).

What’s amazing about that -111 number is that the ‘88 Mets won 100 games and sported a 2.91 ERA, only allowing 532 runs in 160 games. If not the fielders, who gets the credit for that level of performance? Well, a rotation of Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Bob Ojeda, and David Cone is a great start. Then add in Shea Stadium, which suppressed run scoring by 13%, and an NL run-scoring environment of 4.15 runs per game (as opposed to today’s 4.90). If the team had fielded just a league-average defense, the Mets’ team ERA could have been .70 runs lower, at 2.21—a disgustingly anemic number. Who needs defense when you’ve got an historically great rotation?

Was there something quirky about the ‘88 Mets I don’t know about? Is there some reason fielders can look really bad when the pitching is outstanding? McReynold’s and Strawberry’s seasons rate disturbingly awful. Anyway, head on over and give it a read and leave some fun comments for the Mets’ fans.

Popularity: 10% [?]