Baseball Season 2011

[The Minsky Moment]

Eddie Matthews.  Actually, I might rank him #1 ahead of Schmidt.  Their stats are pretty close.  I think that Schmidt ranks ahead because Matthews best seasons were in 50's, which was a much better era for hitters than Schmidt's era, and Schmidt's defense was probably better, too.  But OTOH, Matthews latter years were in the 60's, which were even worse for hitters than Schmidt's time, and I'm not really sure about the defense.

I recently finished a book called Wizardry, which uses regression analysis to try to concoct statistical measurements of defense using available historical data that roughly matches in accuracy the best of the defensive evaluation systems currently in operation that use hit ball data and game charting.  The book rates Mathews as slightly above average defensively, but it rates Schmidt as outstanding, more than 100 runs better then Mathews over the course of their career.  That is a big difference.  Not sure if I buy the magnitude, but directionally it does accord with the raw fielding stats and the anecdotal evidence including GG awards (schmidt won 10).

[stjaba]

Eddie Matthews.  Actually, I might rank him #1 ahead of Schmidt.  Their stats are pretty close.  I think that Schmidt ranks ahead because Matthews best seasons were in 50's, which was a much better era for hitters than Schmidt's era, and Schmidt's defense was probably better, too.  But OTOH, Matthews latter years were in the 60's, which were even worse for hitters than Schmidt's time, and I'm not really sure about the defense.

I recently finished a book called Wizardry, which uses regression analysis to try to concoct statistical measurements of defense using available historical data that roughly matches in accuracy the best of the defensive evaluation systems currently in operation that use hit ball data and game charting.  The book rates Mathews as slightly above average defensively, but it rates Schmidt as outstanding, more than 100 runs better then Mathews over the course of their career.  That is a big difference.  Not sure if I buy the magnitude, but directionally it does accord with the raw fielding stats and the anecdotal evidence including GG awards (schmidt won 10).

How does it rate Brooks Robinson?

[The Minsky Moment]

How does it rate Brooks Robinson?

Basically dead even with Schmidt.  Slightly behind but well within the margin for error.
IIRC Belanger is the highest rated SS in the modern era.

[derspiess]

IIRC Belanger is the highest rated SS in the modern era.

  How many backflips did he do?

[The Minsky Moment]

  How many backflips did he do?

Turns out that is a very inefficient way to make plays . . .
Ozzie rates very high but not as high as one would think.  There is a short essay to address him.  There are stretches in his career where his year-on-year performance is off the charts.  But there are other years where he rates out much lower - and it turns out some of those are years where he suffered injury problems.  The author speculates that the Cards may have been sticking him back in before he was 100% and just as playing with nagging injuries can harm hitting performance, so they can affect fielding.  This impacts on a few years for Ozzie. 

Another point that is made throughout is that correct positioning and other "invisible" skills are important contributors to defensive outcomes, particularly for SS, 2B and CF.  Because those are difficult to see, there is a tendency to rate very athletic players whose defensive skills are easily visible vs those who strengths lie elsewhere.  Also Ozzie's rep has been burnished by incredible gross fielding numbers (e.g. total assits) which  throughout his career tended to be inflated by playing behind pitching staffs that had high ground ball, low-moderate strikeout tendencies.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the results are presented as runs above average not replacement, which benefits Belanger in comparison to Ozzie (who has a lot more playing time).

[sbr]

So how does LaRussa stack up against the top managers of his era?
Candidates being: Lou Piniella, Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Tom Lasorda, Jim Leyland, Sparky Anderson, Davey Johnson, (anyone important I missed?)

I think he stacks up pretty well although I don't entirely approve of the 1 batter pitching change strategies he pioneered.

Not sure.  His Oakland teams underachieved based on their talent, they should have won more than one World Series, but his Cardinal teams definitely overachieved according to their talent.  I am as big a Cardinal fans as you will find but I don't think either the '06 or '11 team were in the Top 5 of most talented teams of that year and both may have been considerably lower than that.

[dps]

So how does LaRussa stack up against the top managers of his era?
Candidates being: Lou Piniella, Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Tom Lasorda, Jim Leyland, Sparky Anderson, Davey Johnson, (anyone important I missed?)

As far as missing anyone, it depends on how you define his era.  At the start of his career, guys like Gene Mauch and Earl Weaver were still active. 

I think he stacks up pretty well although I don't entirely approve of the 1 batter pitching change strategies he pioneered.

Agree on both parts.  Overall, I'd rather have Cox.

[Syt]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7246443/houston-astros-sale-approved-mlb

MILWAUKEE -- Baseball owners unanimously approved the sale of the Houston Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane on Thursday, which will lead to the team moving from the NL Central to the AL West for the 2013 season.

The decision will give each league 15 teams, baseball's first realignment since the Milwaukee Brewers switched from the AL to the NL after the 1997 season.

As part of the Astros' agreement to switch leagues, the sale price was cut from $680 million to $615 million, a person at Thursday's meeting told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details weren't announced,

Major League Baseball will make up part of the $65 million difference, paying McLane $35 million over three years, the person said.

Commissioner Bud Selig said owners also approved two additional wild-card teams for the postseason, meaning 10 of the 30 teams make the playoffs. Selig said he hopes the expanded playoffs can start next year, but he said the specifics are being worked out. The players' association favors the move.

"You do things for a long period of time. The addition will really help us in the long run," Selig said.

Owners also approved longtime San Francisco Giants executive Larry Baer to replace Bill Neukom as the team's controlling owner.

In addition, MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said progress was made on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the deal that expires Dec. 11.

Selig saluted McLane, who bought the team in 1992 for about $117 million. The Astros struggled mightily on the field last season, losing 106 games.

"Drayton should have a wonderful legacy of what he did for the Astros, got them a new ballpark and did all these things," Selig said. "He sure left a much better franchise than we he came in."

Crane founded a Houston-based logistics company in 2008. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Crane Capital, a private equity fund company. Two years ago, he was attempting to buy the Chicago Cubs and last summer he tried to purchase the Texas Rangers.

In September, Crane expressed frustration at how long it was taking MLB to move on the sale and noted there is a Nov. 30 deadline.

In 1997, employees of Crane's former company, Eagle USA Airfreight, filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saying there was discrimination. Eagle settled the case in 2005 for about $900,000.

Selig acknowledged the long vetting process.

"I'm very comfortable today telling you he has put together a good group in Houston," the commissioner said.

Finally, the leagues will be symmetrical again. Of course it'll increase chances for the Bucs to finish last in the NL Central.

OTOH, maybe a decent Rangers-Astros rivalry will develop.

Sucks about the additional wild cards, though.

[The Minsky Moment]

Agree on both parts.  Overall, I'd rather have Cox.

I think that's right, although Cox benefitted from being a piece in a very high quality organization across the board.
I think both Johnson and Piniella were among the most talented, but both had a tendency towards volatility and had a difficult time sustaining success.  Weaver is a classic example of that managerial "type" but who also maintained consistency.  I don't consider part of this generation though.

Torre, Lasorda and Anderson were all successful managers of talented veteran teams, but without the supporting cast, their records were less than impressive.

Jim Leyland never really impressed me with his in game management skills but it's hard to argue with the results - he has succeeded in many places, often under difficult circumstnaces.

[jimmy olsen]

Mark Buehrle signed by the Marlins.

Dude's are just straight printing cash!

[alfred russel]

Mark Buehrle signed by the Marlins.

Dude's are just straight printing cash!

The Marlins are going to have a killer roster, at least until they go bankrupt around the all star break.

[sbr]

The Marlins have supposedly pulled their offer to Pujols off the table, now the Cards' 10 year $220 million deal is the only one out there.  I love Albert put I don't want to see the Cards pay any 32 year old that kind of money for that period of time.

[Sophie Scholl]

Mark Buehrle signed by the Marlins.

Dude's are just straight printing cash!

The Marlins are going to have a killer roster, at least until they go bankrupt around the all star break.

I'm really, really hoping karma comes and demolishes Loris for all of his bullshit in terms of the SEC investigation looking into him and the financing of the Marlins' new stadium.  The guy is trash, from running the Expos into the ground and his antics with Marlins' firesales and running the infamous 16m payroll that even his boy Selig called him on as awful.

[CountDeMoney]

How does it rate Brooks Robinson?

Basically dead even with Schmidt.  Slightly behind but well within the margin for error.

Oh, that's bullshit.

IIRC Belanger is the highest rated SS in the modern era.

That is not bullshit.

[CountDeMoney]

The Marlins have supposedly pulled their offer to Pujols off the table, now the Cards' 10 year $220 million deal is the only one out there.  I love Albert put I don't want to see the Cards pay any 32 year old that kind of money for that period of time.

My brother-in-law's father is close to several members of Card ownership, and there is a substantial number of them didn't even want to offer that, as the prevailing opinion on the inside is that he's not as young as he says he is. 

Do not expect the Cards to counter any bigger offer.  He's incredibly lucky they're offering what they are, as there was apparently a great wailing and gnashing of teeth to even get to that point.