I don't like the idea of signing Bernie Williams, but it looks like I need not worry about this scenario any ways. The Yankees seem to be hammering out a one-year contract with Williams.

 

Conversations with Bernie Williams' agent, Scott Boras, are ongoing and a one-year deal could be announced soon.

 

Source -- http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball...9p-318157c.html

Funny how a beat writer's opinion turns into 2 pages worth of speculating...

 

Anyways, I just read on MLB.COM that the Marlins are still going after Reggie Sanders. I don't see why he'd come here. This guy somehow always ends up on winning teams, but I'd love to have him. When he was with the Giants, he was considered one of the better guys in the clubhouse.

Funny how a beat writer's opinion turns into 2 pages worth of speculating...

 

Anyways, I just read on MLB.COM that the Marlins are still going after Reggie Sanders. I don't see why he'd come here. This guy somehow always ends up on winning teams, but I'd love to have him. When he was with the Giants, he was considered one of the better guys in the clubhouse.

 

 

Yea, i have read that to and still asking myself WTF would he want to come here?? But I would rather have Sanders then Williams.. but if it came down to signing Bernie for CHEAP I would take a risk just as I would on Sosa.. Cheap veterans doesnt nothing bad but teach the kids

I don't pay much attention to other teams, and I have no idea what the stats show, but isn't there some question about his defense. Or is it a definite that his defense at this point is miserable..

.

Speaking of stats....I love that one about the Marlins ranking very low in defensive efficiency last year. As I understand that stat, it's worthless. If the Marlins play team B. Team B puts the ball in play 4 times. Each time a sharp shot right up the middle for a clean single that's uncatchable by anyone........the Marlins defensive efficiency rates at .000 for this game. In the same game, the Marlins put the ball in play 4 times. Each time a routine groundball to second. Twice it's played for an easy out. Once the second baseman boots the ball into right field. One other time it rolls under his glove. The other team now has a higher defensive efficiency of .500. If that's true, that's some stat.

 

There are thousands of balls put into play against a team per year by a set of players whose skill sets are nearly identical from schedule to schedule. That helps keep the outliers from effecting the result.

Although it's not a surprise that you (and most people) would bring up that example. Two of the four regular Marlins' middle of the field defenders last year have ranked poorly in some of the more advanced defensive metrics which factor in speed and landing spot of batted balls (Easley and Pierre).

I still say that the defensive efficiency stat that said the Marlins were about the worst defensive team in baseball last year, is an example of a bogus stat. The other defensive range stats that you mention and have mentioned before are relevant, and I agree about ex-Marlins Easley and Pierre. This "defensive efficiency" is worthless though.

Not the worst. The Royals and Rockies were by a far margin. And a quick glance at their rosters show why (only DeJesus, Helton, Holliday and Atkins posted decent zone ratings). A quick glance at our own roster shows why we ranked so poorly, and that's even adjusting for Gonzalez' defensive struggles this past year, in comparision to 2004. Maybe you're having a hard time accepting they were as bad as they were because you found more to like about their defense than their woeful hitting?

 

If I had my druthers, I'd rather have access to team zone rating, but I certainly wouldn't call defensive efficiency worthless. It goes a long way towards seperating the ability of the defense from the pitcher than DIPS and BABIP (Batting Avg. on Balls In Play).

Bernie doesnt have the range to play outfield at DS

Not the worst. The Royals and Rockies were by a far margin. And a quick glance at their rosters show why (only DeJesus, Helton, Holliday and Atkins posted decent zone ratings). A quick glance at our own roster shows why we ranked so poorly, and that's even adjusting for Gonzalez' defensive struggles this past year, in comparision to 2004. Maybe you're having a hard time accepting they were as bad as they were because you found more to like about their defense than their woeful hitting?

 

If I had my druthers, I'd rather have access to team zone rating, but I certainly wouldn't call defensive efficiency worthless. It goes a long way towards seperating the ability of the defense from the pitcher than DIPS and BABIP (Batting Avg. on Balls In Play).

 

I'm not going to get into a stat fight with you. You know 1000 times more about stats than I. As baseball is a game of stats, there's some stats that are better than others. You're persistent in defending this particular stat which I call worthless, but you seem to not have much conviction in your opinion. I know that you look at lots of stats. Some you give more weight to than others. Just out of curiosity, what stats would you consider more worthless than "defensive efficiency"? Or does every stat have some worth in your opinion. There would be no such thing as a flawed stat?

This isn't a stat fight. It's true that every stat has some worth in context, but when it comes to team defensive stats, defensive effeciency does a far better effort towards defining overall defensive ability than raw totals, fielding percentage, and those related to DIPS (DIPS, CERA, BABIP). I admit it's not perfect, but team defensive stats are few and far between, and DE gets to the point and is rather easy to calculate.

This isn't a stat fight. It's true that every stat has some worth in context, but when it comes to team defensive stats, defensive effeciency does a far better effort towards defining overall defensive ability than raw totals, fielding percentage, and those related to DIPS (DIPS, CERA, BABIP). I admit it's not perfect, but team defensive stats and few and far between, and DE gets to the point and is rather easy to calculate.

 

 

:blink:

DIPS = Defense Independent Pitching Statistics

CERA = Component Earned Run Average.

Both set different weights for certain pitching stats to help estimate what his ERA would have been under average conditions. Can be adapted to discern pitching from other factors - such as his defense.

BABIP = Batting Average on Balls In Play. Exactly as it says. Essentially the same as Defensive Efficiency, only inverse.

This isn't a stat fight. It's true that every stat has some worth in context, but when it comes to team defensive stats, defensive effeciency does a far better effort towards defining overall defensive ability than raw totals, fielding percentage, and those related to DIPS (DIPS, CERA, BABIP). I admit it's not perfect, but team defensive stats are few and far between, and DE gets to the point and is rather easy to calculate.

 

Do you really believe that the Marlins were the third worst team defensively team in MLB last year? If not, where would you personally rate them based on all of your stats? And if not, then what worth does this stat have, except to use as a small part of the greater context of better stats? What makes it even worth mentioning on it's own merits?

With atleast three starters who'd I rank in the bottom five of their positions (Pierre, Delgado, Cabrera), Easley, a hurt Castillo, a Gonzalez who most considered to have not lived up to his 2004 season, and a Lowell whose range is extremely limited... yes, I can definetly see them as the third worst defensive team in the league.

 

Granted defensive effiency doesn't do teams with groundball staffs (more likely to give up hits, but less extra base hits) any favors, but the Marlins' pitchers were only a tick above league average in ground to flyball ratio and made up most of the difference in the amount of easy infield pop flies (4th best in the NL) they induced for the defense.

 

In any case, I absolutly believe by any measure we will improve on defense next year which was the point I was trying to prove in any of the threads I've brought up DE this offseason.

DIPS = Defense Independent Pitching Statistics

CERA = Component Earned Run Average.

Both set different weights for certain pitching stats to help estimate what his ERA would have been under average conditions. Can be adapted to discern pitching from other factors - such as his defense.

BABIP = Batting Average on Balls In Play. Exactly as it says. Essentially the same as Defensive Efficiency, only inverse.

 

 

Wow dude... I like stats and all, but that's going a bit overboard.