"Year of the Pitcher"? More like "Year of the Defense".

over 1 year ago kindred 3 comments 2 recs |

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This is all very nice

Except the drop in run scoring can be 95% attributing to DIPS skills (strikeouts, walks, homers) and not defense. League BABIP is .297 this year, compared to .303 in 2007, and .293 in 2004.

Leave it to Freaknomics to have an unsupported conclusion.

by vivaelpujols on Oct 8, 2010 10:24 PM EDT reply actions

… just passing it along. My guess is it’s a combination of factors. I don’t think it’s controversial to say that teams are valuing defense much more than they used to, which has led guys like Jermaine Dye without jobs, while the Will Venables of the world play every day. This could also feed back into better pitching performances.

I doubt the two are completely separable, is my point.

by kindred on Oct 9, 2010 3:14 AM EDT reply actions

I guess you'd have to figure out if the defense has been that much better or not

I agree, it’s really hard to tell how much effect

"I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It's only after a get acquainted period that I see what I've been about. I've no fears about making changes for the painting has a life of its own." -Jackson Pollock

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Oct 10, 2010 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions