By Steve Rhodes
One of the key aspects of sabermetrics that I’ve never been comfortable with is the way it values outs above everything else – that outs are the commodity that so precious they must be preserved in any way possible, which usually translates into an aversion to sacrifice bunts.
Apparently this is because as long as you have an out left, you have a chance to win a game. To my way of thinking, though, runs are the most precious commodity – scoring them and preventing them. After all, runs determine who wins and who loses.
And if you sacrifice an out along the way, that’s an out you may not need at the end of the game to win it.
That’s why this passage in a column by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports caught my eye in today’s coverage of last night’s World Series victory by the San Francisco Giants:
The Giants play small ball. That is both an observation and a compliment. They won 94 games and the National League West despite hitting the fewest home runs of any team in baseball. They did it with pitching . . . and a plucky lineup that produced the most runs on outs in the majors this year.
That doesn’t mean the vast majority of those runs came home on bunts, of course, but most likely mostly on situational hitting – sacrifice flies and infield ground balls – that brought men home from third.
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I was looking at that column, by the way, because it was in part about former Cub favorite Ryan Theriot, a case study in the franchise’s terrible past player development practices.
Remembrance
I didn’t know Reggie Destin but I know several people who did. Every loss is tragic, but some are more nonsensical than others.
R.I.P. Reggie.
Canadian Trucker Killed In Englewood
Toronto TV coverage.
All Day Tire Special
A Chicagoan’s desires and heartaches.
Barack Bush
Fact-Checking Obama’s Misleading Answer About Warrantless Wiretapping On The Daily Show.
Mayor Rahmney
Fact-Checking Rahm: How He Faced The Nation And Lied Through His Teeth.
Barack Cheney
Living Moral Testimony vs. Living Reality.
Bears Go As Panthers
Jay fucking Cutler, I swear to God.
Tree Fee
Don’t tell Rahm.
Meat Loaf vs. Axl Rose
In today’s QT.
The Weekend In Chicago Rock
Jackson Browne, OFF!, Electric Guest, REO Speedwagon, Afghan Whigs, Twerps, The Hush Sound and Diamond Rexx played at venues near you.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: At your service.
Posted on October 29, 2012