THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Monday, September 24, 2007

Fans’ Scouting Report - Preliminary Results

Here are some category results.  The “All” is the simple average of the 7 traits (50 is average, 70+ is excellent, 30- is terrible).

Least agreement among fans
All Pos Player
54 CF Freel, Ryan
58 RF Upton, Justin
56 SS Castro, Juan
22 C Barajas, Rod
43 CF Hairston Jr., Jerry
38 C Hill, Koyie
52 SS Izturis, Cesar
16 1B Walker, Todd
39 C Olivo, Miguel
55 SS Jeter, Derek

Fans were telling me how tough it was with Upton, since he looked terrible as an infielder and good as an outfielder.

Best/worst…

Instincts Pos Player
93 SS Everett, Adam
92 CF Suzuki, Ichiro
92 3B Zimmerman, Ryan
91 SS Vizquel, Omar
91 CF Jones, Andruw
...
9 LF Ford, Lew
9 LF Brown, Emil
9 RF Sosa, Sammy
9 C Estrada, Johnny
0 RF Pena, Wily Mo
0 LF Gibbons, Jay

I always laugh when I think about Pena going to the Redsox and the fans there thinking they had possibly an above average fielder.  It’s the “seeing is believing”, and, they should have trusted the Reds fans.  That’s why this report is so valuable.  You get a new player on your team, or you want to know about an opponent, it’s all there for you.

Best/worst…
FirstStep Pos Player
92 LF Bourn, Michael
92 CF Suzuki, Ichiro
91 CF Pie, Felix
90 SS Reyes, Jose
89 LF Chavez, Endy
89 RF Victorino, Shane
...
8 C Estrada, Johnny
7 1B Hafner, Travis
7 LF Gibbons, Jay
6 LF Burrell, Pat
6 RF Nixon, Trot

Bourn is a rookie, and it’s stuff like this report that is valuable.  Whatever UZR says, because of it’s small sample, has a huge uncertainty. 

Best/worst…
Speed Pos Player
91 LF Bourn, Michael
91 RF Victorino, Shane
91 CF Davis, Rajai
91 LF Crawford, Carl
90 SS Reyes, Jose
90 CF Patterson, Corey
90 LF Gomez, Carlos
90 LF Gathright, Joey
...
11 1B Casey, Sean
11 RF Nixon, Trot
11 1B Young, Dmitri
9 C Molina, Bengie
9 C Estrada, Johnny

Davis is a rookie.  What the heck is Trot Nixon doing in the outfield?

Best/worst…
Hands Pos Player
91 SS Vizquel, Omar
91 2B Ellis, Mark
91 3B Crede, Joe
90 1B Lee, Derrek
90 LF Chavez, Endy
...
8 1B Wilson, Craig
5 LF Gibbons, Jay
4 1B Walker, Todd
0 RF Pena, Wily Mo
0 RF Cust, Jack

Remember when people were trying to argue with shmancy fancy numbers that Todd Walker was a good infielder?

Best/worst…
Release Pos Player
100 SS Vizquel, Omar
99 C Molina, Yadier
97 3B Rolen, Scott
97 CF Suzuki, Ichiro
97 SS McDonald, John
97 2B Ellis, Mark
...
8 1B Jackson, Conor
8 CF Pierre, Juan
6 C Estrada, Johnny
5 1B Wilson, Craig
5 C Phillips, Jason

Giants fans are still in love with Omar.

Best/worst…
Strength Pos Player
94 C Molina, Yadier
94 RF Young, Delmon
93 RF Francoeur, Jeff
93 RF Hawpe, Brad
93 RF Guerrero, Vladimir
...
1 LF Stewart, Shannon
0 LF Gonzalez, Luis
0 CF Damon, Johnny
0 CF Pierre, Juan
0 LF Podsednik, Scott

No surprise that the big arms are at C and RF, and the weak ones are in LF and CF.  It’s always a race as to who has the weakest arm, and their legend will live on in forever thanks to you guys.  No more, in 20 years, will someone say “it couldn’t have been that bad”.  Yes, it was.

Best/worst…
Accuracy Pos Player
100 C Molina, Yadier
99 C Mauer, Joe
98 3B Rolen, Scott
94 SS Vizquel, Omar
93 3B Beltre, Adrian
93 3B Feliz, Pedro
93 SS Tulowitzki, Troy
93 RF Cuddyer, Michael
...
4 1B Howard, Ryan
3 SS Cintron, Alex
2 C Phillips, Jason
1 1B Jackson, Conor
0 3B Braun, Ryan

Tulowitzki is a rookie.  Not only is he a great fielder (just missing out as being one of the 9 best fielders in baseball), but he’s clutch this year, and having a good season with the bat. 

Worst fielders in baseball…
All Pos Player
10 C Estrada, Johnny
11 C Phillips, Jason
11 LF Gibbons, Jay
12 1B Wilson, Craig
16 1B Walker, Todd
16 RF Cust, Jack
17 1B Hafner, Travis
17 1B Young, Dmitri
17 1B Ward, Daryle
17 3B Helms, Wes

Jason Phillips is a perennial player on this list.

Best/worst by position…
Pos Player
1B Lee, Derrek
1B Loney, James
1B Pujols, Albert
...
1B Young, Dmitri
1B Walker, Todd
1B Wilson, Craig

Pos Player
2B Ellis, Mark
2B Hudson, Orlando
2B Phillips, Brandon
...
2B Gotay, Ruben
2B Blum, Geoff
2B Biggio, Craig

Pos Player
SS Everett, Adam
SS McDonald, John
SS Reyes, Jose
...
SS Clayton, Royce
SS Loretta, Mark
SS Cintron, Alex

(Blue Jays in both.)

Pos Player
3B Rolen, Scott
3B Beltre, Adrian
3B Chavez, Eric
...
3B Ozuna, Pablo
3B Atkins, Garrett
3B Helms, Wes

Pos Player
LF Chavez, Endy
LF Bourn, Michael
LF Johnson, Reed
...
LF Brown, Emil
LF Dunn, Adam
LF Gibbons, Jay

Pos Player
CF Suzuki, Ichiro
CF Beltran, Carlos
CF Pie, Felix
...
CF Finley, Steve
CF Linden, Todd
CF Pierre, Juan

Pos Player
RF Victorino, Shane
RF Markakis, Nick
RF Gutierrez, Franklin
...
RF Pena, Wily Mo
RF Sosa, Sammy
RF Cust, Jack