How To Understand Baseball

Transcription

1 The Bill James Handbook 2010 Baseball Info Solutions Published by ACTA Sports A Division of ACTA Publications

2 Cover by Tom A. Wright Cover Photos by Samara Pearlstein Copyright 2009 by Baseball Info Solutions and Bill James All rights reserved. No information contained in this book nor any part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form for commercial use without permission from the publisher. First Edition: November 2009 Published by: ACTA Sports, a division of ACTA Publications 5559 W. Howard Street, Skokie, IL (800) ISBN: ISSN: Printed in the United States of America

3 Table of Contents Introduction Team Statistics...3 Team Efficiency Summary (by Bill James)...9 The Fielding Bible Awards (by John Dewan)...11 Runs Saved and Plus/Minus Leaders...21 Career Register Fielding Statistics The Baserunners (by Bill James) Relief Pitchers (by Bill James) Pitchers Hitting, Fielding & Holding Runners / Hitters Pitching Pinch Hitting Manufactured Runs (by Bill James) The Manager's Record (by Bill James) Park Indices Lefty/Righty Statistics Leader Boards Win Shares Instant Replay Analysis Young Talent Inventory (by Bill James) Hitter Projections (by Bill James) Pitcher Projections (by Bill James) Career Targets Pitchers on Course For 300 Wins (by Bill James) Baseball Glossary Baseball Info Solutions...511

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5 Introduction It felt as if the season didn t quite know how to begin or how to end. Pitchers and catchers hadn t even reported to spring training before New York Yankee All- Star third basemen Alex Rodriguez admitted to having used steroids over a three-year period earlier in his career. It looked as if baseball fans might spend another season arguing over who cheated and who didn t and whether or not the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) could really be called cheating at all. Even the start of a new baseball season provided only fleeting escape. Less than two weeks into April, the tragic death of pitching prospect Nick Adenhart rocked the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Baseball mourned. Four days later, the Philadelphia Phillies, looking to defend their 2008 World Championship, lost beloved broadcaster Harry Kalas. Both teams would wear black patches 34 and HK respectively for the remainder of the season. When May 7 rolled around and Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Manny Ramirez was served with a 50-game suspension for violating MLB s drug policy, many fans found it hard to care. Baseball had rarely seemed less like a game. But by the time the ivy turned green at Wrigley, the season began to take shape. Despite its inauspicious beginnings, 2009 had some great storylines brewing, if fans could just be patient. In the National League Central, the St. Louis Cardinals used spit and elbow grease to assemble a division-winning roster, helped by the return of former Cy Young Award Winner Chris Carpenter, the mid-season acquisition of Matt Holliday, and Albert Pujols, the 2008 and likely 2009 MVP Award winner. The Dodgers shrugged off the absence of Ramirez and claimed the NL West crown, while in the East, the Phillies cruised to their third division title in as many years. The Wild Card provided the only real drama in the National League, as the Colorado Rockies held off a late-season charge from the Atlanta Braves to clinch on October 1. In the American League East, the Yankees finally began to click under second-year manager Joe Girardi and became MLB s only 100-win team. They easily outdistanced their division rival, the Boston Red Sox, who, despite some PED scandals of their own, claimed the Wild Card. In the West, the Angels were slow out of the gate but moved into first place by mid-july and were never seriously challenged again. And then there was Detroit, where the unemployment rate hit 28.9% in mid-summer. The Tigers took possession of first place in the AL Central on May 16 and held a seven-game lead as late as September 7. But Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins had other ideas. The Twins, having just lost 2007 AL MVP Justin Morneau for the year, won 16 of their last 20 games to end the regular season tied with the Tigers for first place. For the third time in as many seasons, MLB needed an extra day to decide a division winner. The one- 1

6 game tiebreaker, held in the soon-to-be dismantled Metrodome, went twelve seesaw innings. It was as if the regular season wouldn t let go. Until Twins pinch hitter Alexi Casilla smacked a bouncing ball off the Metrodome carpet to score Carlos Gomez from second base and send the Twins off to face the Yankees in New York twenty-one hours later in the ALDS. It was a thrilling finish for a season that saw so many memorable individual performances. Kansas City s Zack Greinke reeled off 24 consecutive scoreless innings pitched to start the season, extending his overall streak to 38. He would go on to win 16 games with a 2.16 ERA for the 65-win Royals. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki set the record for most consecutive seasons with 200 hits (9) and, for what it s worth, finally got himself ejected from a game for the first time in his professional career (including his years in Japan). The San Francisco Giants Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on July 10. Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle joined the immortals by hurling a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23. Also immortalized in the same game on U.S. Cellular Field s left-center field wall was Sox defensive replacement DeWayne Wise, who stole a ninth-inning home run off the bat of Gabe Kapler to preserve the 18th perfect game in MLB history in what forever will be known on the Southside as The Catch. So how does this all play out in the 2010 edition of the Handbook? Instant replay is a little more than a year old, and we have enough data to present our brand new Instant Replay History, showing each time instant replay has been used, what the ruling on the field was, and how the umpires ruled after viewing the video. Also new this year is Pinch Hitting Analysis, where we examine who s best and worst at coming off the bench in a pinch. Park Indices have been updated to include the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. And, as always, we present John Dewan s annual Fielding Bible Awards exclusive to the Handbook. Inevitably, despite our best efforts, it seems that every year we have some Errata, and these will be available beginning February 1, 2010 at RIP Nick Adenhart, Dom DiMaggio, Harry Kalas, et al. It s a game after all. But it s the greatest game. LC Fiore ACTA Sports 2

7 2009 Team Statistics Sometimes it s fun to go back and look at some teams that maybe took us by surprise a little bit. The Florida Marlins have a nasty habit of doing this every sixth season. The 1997 Marlins finished over.500 for the first time and won 92 games, the Wild Card, their first playoff berth, and the World Series. They followed their first title with five consecutive losing seasons, but bounced back in 2003 with a 91-win season and another Wild Card berth and world championship. Here we are, six seasons later, watching the Marlins finish in second place again with their third best win total in the 17-year history of their franchise. In the next few pages, major league teams are evaluated in aggregate against every other team in baseball. For example, you can see that the month of May was not kind to the Fighting Fish. If the Marlins had gone that month, they would have beaten out the Rockies for the Wild Card and probably won the World Series, if history is any guide. Similarly, if you want to know how many times the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds; how many games the Oakland A s won on turf; or how many home runs the Baltimore Orioles allowed, it s all here. Did you know that there were exactly four non-interleague season series sweeps, and the Rockies were responsible for three of them? 3

8 2009 American League Standings Overall EAST CENTRAL WEST Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd New York Yankees / Minnesota Twins /6 1.0 Los Angeles Angels / Boston Red Sox* / Detroit Tigers /5 7.0 Texas Rangers / Tampa Bay Rays Chicago White Sox /1 0.5 Seattle Mariners /5 3.5 Toronto Blue Jays / Cleveland Indians /6 0.0 Oakland Athletics Baltimore Orioles / Kansas City Royals /9 3.0 * Clinched Wild Card Birth on 9/29. Division Clinch Dates: New York 9/27, Los Angeles 9/28, Minnesota 10/6. D1 = Number of days a team had at least a share of first place of their division; LD1 = Last date the team had at least a share of first place; LLd = The largest number of games that a team led their division East Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West NL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post NYY Bos TB Tor Bal Central Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West NL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post Min Det CWS Cle KC West Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West NL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post LAA Tex Sea Oak Team vs. Team Breakdown EAST CENTRAL WEST NYY Bos TB Tor Bal Min Det CWS KC Cle LAA Tex Sea Oak New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles Minnesota Twins Detroit Tigers Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Texas Rangers Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics

9 2009 National League Standings Overall EAST CENTRAL WEST Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd Team W-L Pct GB D1 LD1 LLd Philadelphia Phillies /6 8.5 St Louis Cardinals / Los Angeles Dodgers /6 9.5 Florida Marlins /4 5.0 Chicago Cubs /6 0.5 Colorado Rockies* / Atlanta Braves / Milwaukee Brewers /4 3.0 San Francisco Giants /9 0.5 New York Mets / Cincinnati Reds / San Diego Padres / Washington Nationals Houston Astros /7 0.0 Arizona Diamondbacks /6 0.0 Pittsburgh Pirates /8 0.0 * Clinched Wild Card Birth on 10/1. Division Clinch Dates: St Louis 9/26, Philadelphia 9/30, Los Angeles 10/3. D1 = Number of days a team had at least a share of first place of their division; LD1 = Last date the team had at least a share of first place; LLd = The largest number of games that a team led their division East Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West AL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post Phi Fla Atl NYM Was Central Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West AL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post StL ChC Mil Cin Hou Pit West Division AT VERSUS CONDITIONS GAME MONTHLY ALL-STAR Tm Home Road East Cent West AL LHS RHS Day Night Grass Turf 1-Rn 5+Rn XInn April May June July Aug S/O Pre Post LAD Col SF SD Ari Team vs. Team Breakdown EAST CENTRAL WEST Phi Fla Atl NYM Was StL ChC Mil Cin Hou Pit LAD Col SF SD Ari Philadelphia Phillies Florida Marlins Atlanta Braves New York Mets Washington Nationals St Louis Cardinals Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros Pittsburgh Pirates Los Angeles Dodgers Colorado Rockies San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks

10 The Fielding Bible Awards 2009 John Dewan We had two of the closest races in the history of the Fielding Bible Awards this year. They centered around the keystone sack. Aaron Hill, Dustin Pedroia and Chase Utley had 76, 76 and 73 points respectively in the battle for the Second Base award. We had to go to the tie-breaker procedure, and Aaron Hill came out on top for his second Fielding Bible Award. At shortstop, Jack Wilson and Troy Tulowitzki waged war defensively, and Wilson came out on top by just one vote. Joining Hill as repeat winners are: Albert Pujols (four wins in four years of the award), Carl Crawford (his third), Yadier Molina (his third also), Ichiro (two) and Franklin Gutierrez (his second, this one for center field after claiming last year s right field award). First-time winners are Mark Buehrle, Ryan Zimmerman, and Wilson. Here s a short refresher course on how the awards are determined: We asked our panel of ten experts to rank 10 players at each position on a scale from one to ten. We then use the same voting technique as the Major League Baseball MVP voting. A first place vote gets 10 points, second place 9 points, third place 8 points, etc. Total up the points for each player and the player with the most points wins the award. A perfect score is 100. One important distinction that differentiates our award from most other baseball awards, including the Gold Gloves, is that we only have one winner for all of Major League 11

11 Baseball, instead of separate winners for each league. We also name the winners in left, right and center fields, instead of lumping all outfielders together (which has given an unfair advantage to center fielders in the Gold Glove voting). Our intention is to continue to stand up and say, This is the best fielder at this position in the major leagues last season. Here are the Fielding Bible Awards for the 2009 season: First Base Albert Pujols, St. Louis What s left to say? Four Fielding Bible Awards in four years. When Pujols first came up I envisioned him as what Miguel Cabrera is now: a great hitter struggling to find a position he can play well defensively. Albert played left field (not so well). He played right field (not so well). He played third base (not so well). Then he discovered first base and has been the best in baseball, both offensively and defensively, ever since. Second Base Aaron Hill, Toronto It s the second Fielding Bible Award for Hill (he won the 2007 award), and it didn t come easily. The regular voting by the panel ended in a tie between Hill and Dustin Pedroia at 76 points with Chase Utley just three behind. For the second time in the history of the award, we went to the tie-breaker. The first tie-breaker rule is based on the player with the most first-place votes. Hill wins because he had four first-place votes from our ten panelists to only one for Pedroia. Third Base Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Third base is a very strong, deep defensive poistion in baseball right now. I would be comfortable with any of the top nine guys in our voting winning The Fielding Bible Award or the Gold Glove award, for that matter this year. Ryan Zimmerman has broken out of the pack in my estimation, however, by becoming the Defensive Runs Saved leader at third base over the last three years. His first Fielding Bible Award is well deserved. The rest of the best: Adrian Beltre, Chone Figgins, Evan Longoria, Scott Rolen, Brandon Inge, Pedro Feliz, Jack Hannahan and Joe Crede. 12

12 Runs Saved and Plus/Minus Leaders For several years we ve listed the Plus/Minus leaders and trailers in this section. The Plus/ Minus System is a way to evaluate defensive range by measuring how often defenders turn grounders and fly balls into outs. A number greater than zero (plus + ) is above average. Below zero (minus - ) is below average. In The Fielding Bible Volume II, we combined Plus/Minus with our analysis of bunts, double plays, outfield arms, catchers earned runs, catchers stolen bases allowed, pitchers stolen bases allowed, and home run saving catches. The end result is Defensive Runs Saved (or Runs Saved for short), which we ve added to this year s Handbook to give you a more complete evaluation of defensive ability. Please see the Glossary (or for a more complete description of Plus/Minus and Runs Saved. A few observations: The three-year leaders clearly identify the best defensive players in baseball. Take a look at the top five at each position on the 3-Year Runs Saved and Plus/Minus Leaderboards and you get an excellent idea of the best defenders at each position. Seven out of the eight 2009 Plus/Minus leaders also led their position in Runs Saved. The exception was right field, where Hunter Pence s arm carried him past Ichiro Suzuki for the top Runs Saved total. Five winners of a 2009 Runs Saved Crown (the highest Runs Saved total) also won the Fielding Bible Award at their position: Albert Pujols, Jack Wilson, Carl Crawford, Franklin Gutierrez, and Mark Buehrle. The Seattle Mariners had the best Runs Saved team total in baseball and featured three positional Runs Saved leaders: Rob Johnson, Jack Wilson, and Franklin Gutierrez. Despite never winning a Gold Glove or a Fielding Bible Award, Chase Utley has the best Runs Saved and Plus/Minus totals over the past three seasons. Add his stellar defense at a premium defensive position to his annual 30 home runs,.300 average,.395 on-base percentage, and.530 slugging percentage and you have one of the most valuable players in baseball. Teammates Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard have won MVPs, but the real Phillies star gets far less attention than he deserves. 21

13 Infield Runs Saved Leaders First Basemen 3-Year Leaders Second Basemen 3-Year Leaders Third Basemen 3-Year Leaders Shortstops 3-Year Leaders Pujols,Albert 56 Kotchman,Casey 35 Youkilis,Kevin 22 Overbay,Lyle 17 Teixeira,Mark 15 Votto,Joey 15 Helton,Todd 14 Berkman,Lance 13 Barton,Daric 10 Gonzalez,Adrian 8 Utley,Chase 61 Ellis,Mark 41 Hill,Aaron 38 Polanco,Placido 29 Kinsler,Ian 23 Pedroia,Dustin 22 Phillips,Brandon 20 Hudson,Orlando 18 Cano,Robinson 16 Barmes,Clint 16 Zimmerman,Ryan 53 Beltre,Adrian 51 Rolen,Scott 38 Figgins,Chone 38 Feliz,Pedro 34 Crede,Joe 30 Hannahan,Jack 30 Inge,Brandon 26 Longoria,Evan 26 Glaus,Troy 12 Wilson,Jack 51 Tulowitzki,Troy 41 Vizquel,Omar 28 Escobar,Yunel 26 Izturis,Cesar 25 Scutaro,Marco 21 Hardy,J.J. 20 Everett,Adam 20 McDonald,John 20 Rollins,Jimmy 19 First Basemen 3-Year Trailers Second Basemen 3-Year Trailers Third Basemen 3-Year Trailers Shortstops 3-Year Trailers Jacobs,Mike -26 Fielder,Prince -22 Giambi,Jason -17 Millar,Kevin -12 Huff,Aubrey -10 Delgado,Carlos -9 Castillo,Luis -30 Uggla,Dan -19 Casilla,Alexi -16 Lopez,Felipe -15 DeRosa,Mark -12 Callaspo,Alberto -11 Encarnacion,Edwin -37 Atkins,Garrett -33 Fields,Josh -24 Wigginton,Ty -20 Reynolds,Mark -20 Young,Michael -18 Betancourt,Yuniesky -39 Jeter,Derek -31 Harris,Brendan -28 Cabrera,Orlando -25 Lugo,Julio -23 Ramirez,Hanley -22 First Basemen 2009 Leaders Second Basemen 2009 Leaders Third Basemen 2009 Leaders Shortstops 2009 Leaders Pujols,Albert 12 Gonzalez,Adrian 11 Murphy,Daniel 11 Ishikawa,Travis 10 Youkilis,Kevin 10 Kotchman,Casey 8 Morales,Kendry 6 Garko,Ryan 5 Loney,James 3 Lee,Derrek 3 Kinsler,Ian 23 Hill,Aaron 19 Zobrist,Ben 18 Utley,Chase 13 Pedroia,Dustin 12 Barmes,Clint 9 Cano,Robinson 7 Polanco,Placido 7 Kendrick,Howie 7 Izturis,Maicer 6 Figgins,Chone 31 Zimmerman,Ryan 22 Beltre,Adrian 22 Longoria,Evan 17 Rolen,Scott 15 Hannahan,Jack 13 Crede,Joe 12 Inge,Brandon 8 Blake,Casey 8 LaRoche,Andy 7 Wilson,Jack 27 Ryan,Brendan 19 Andrus,Elvis 14 Escobar,Yunel 13 Scutaro,Marco 12 Janish,Paul 11 Izturis,Cesar 10 Tulowitzki,Troy 9 Furcal,Rafael 8 Drew,Stephen 8 First Basemen 2009 Trailers Second Basemen 2009 Trailers Third Basemen 2009 Trailers Shortstops 2009 Trailers Dunn,Adam -18 Giambi,Jason -7 Huff,Aubrey -7 Cantu,Jorge -7 Johnson,Nick -7 Pena,Carlos -6 Casilla,Alexi -12 Callaspo,Alberto -11 Castillo,Luis -11 Getz,Chris -8 Schumaker,Skip -8 Uggla,Dan -8 Lowell,Mike -18 Young,Michael -18 Wright,David -13 Teahen,Mark -11 DeRosa,Mark -9 McGehee,Casey -8 Cabrera,Orlando -33 Betancourt,Yuniesky -19 Tejada,Miguel -16 Pennington,Cliff -10 Renteria,Edgar -10 Cabrera,Everth -9 22

14 Outfield Runs Saved Leaders Left Fielders 3-Year Leaders Center Fielders 3-Year Leaders Right Fielders 3-Year Leaders Crawford,Carl 38 Harris,Willie 26 Rivera,Juan 23 Holliday,Matt 22 Hairston,Scott 20 Byrnes,Eric 19 Soriano,Alfonso 17 Damon,Johnny 9 Lewis,Fred 9 Podsednik,Scott 9 Beltran,Carlos 35 Gutierrez,Franklin 34 Gomez,Carlos 33 Amezaga,Alfredo 27 Granderson,Curtis 24 Jones,Adam 20 Davis,Rajai 20 Crisp,Coco 19 Bourn,Michael 18 Patterson,Corey 17 Rios,Alex 33 Winn,Randy 32 Pence,Hunter 31 Suzuki,Ichiro 26 Francoeur,Jeff 25 Werth,Jayson 25 Markakis,Nick 20 Church,Ryan 19 Upton,Justin 18 Ludwick,Ryan 18 Left Fielders 3-Year Trailers Center Fielders 3-Year Trailers Right Fielders 3-Year Trailers Dunn,Adam -34 Ramirez,Manny -24 Young,Delmon -19 Burrell,Pat -18 Ibanez,Raul -17 Bay,Jason -17 McLouth,Nate -22 Wells,Vernon -20 Matthews Jr.,Gary -15 DeJesus,David -8 Milledge,Lastings -7 Ellsbury,Jacoby -7 Dye,Jermaine -45 Hawpe,Brad -42 Guillen,Jose -18 Griffey Jr.,Ken -14 Abreu,Bobby -11 Giles,Brian -9 Left Fielders 2009 Leaders Center Fielders 2009 Leaders Right Fielders 2009 Leaders Crawford,Carl 24 Rivera,Juan 23 Holliday,Matt 14 Morgan,Nyjer 8 Nix,Laynce 8 Span,Denard 8 Hairston,Scott 7 DeJesus,David 5 Smith,Seth 5 Balentien,Wladimir 5 Gutierrez,Franklin 31 Granderson,Curtis 15 Morgan,Nyjer 15 Gomez,Carlos 14 Davis,Rajai 12 Bourn,Michael 11 Gwynn,Tony 11 Gardner,Brett 9 Hamilton,Josh 9 Pagan,Angel 8 Pence,Hunter 19 Sweeney,Ryan 15 Church,Ryan 14 Suzuki,Ichiro 11 Cruz,Nelson 11 Upton,Justin 11 Bruce,Jay 11 Winn,Randy 11 Werth,Jayson 10 Moss,Brandon 9 Left Fielders 2009 Trailers Center Fielders 2009 Trailers Right Fielders 2009 Trailers Coghlan,Chris -16 Braun,Ryan -15 Quentin,Carlos -10 Lind,Adam -8 Young,Delmon -8 Ramirez,Manny -7 Fowler,Dexter -14 Wells,Vernon -13 Ellsbury,Jacoby -9 McCutchen,Andrew -8 Harris,Willie -6 Victorino,Shane -6 Guillen,Jose -17 Giles,Brian -15 Dye,Jermaine -12 Hawpe,Brad -9 Bradley,Milton -7 Cuddyer,Michael -6 23

15 Pitcher/Catcher Runs Saved Leaders Pitchers 3-Year Leaders Buehrle,Mark 20 Cook,Aaron 16 Garland,Jon 14 Duke,Zach 13 Pineiro,Joel 12 Arroyo,Bronson 10 Vazquez,Javier 10 Litsch,Jesse 10 Santana,Johan 10 Greinke,Zack 10 Catchers 3-Year Leaders Molina,Yadier 22 Laird,Gerald 18 Martin,Russell 13 Ross,David 12 Mauer,Joe 11 Kendall,Jason 10 Barajas,Rod 10 Rodriguez,Ivan 9 Ruiz,Carlos 8 Mathis,Jeff 7 Pitchers 3-Year Trailers Cabrera,Daniel -20 Contreras,Jose -13 Young,Chris -12 Lincecum,Tim -12 Jackson,Edwin -11 Penny,Brad -11 Catchers 3-Year Trailers Posada,Jorge -23 Buck,John -20 Napoli,Mike -16 Martinez,Victor -11 Bard,Josh -9 Zaun,Gregg -8 Pitchers 2009 Leaders Buehrle,Mark 11 Bergesen,Brad 6 Pineiro,Joel 5 Duke,Zach 5 Carrasco,D.J. 5 Geer,Josh 5 Marquis,Jason 4 Cook,Aaron 4 Garland,Jon 4 Wolf,Randy 4 Catchers 2009 Leaders Johnson,Rob 8 Hill,Koyie 7 Montero,Miguel 6 Laird,Gerald 5 Martin,Russell 5 Mathis,Jeff 4 Paulino,Ronny 4 Molina,Yadier 4 Ruiz,Carlos 4 Saltalamacchia,J 4 Pitchers 2009 Trailers Penny,Brad -7 Contreras,Jose -5 Wells,Randy -5 Lowe,Derek -5 Lincecum,Tim -5 Jackson,Edwin -4 Catchers 2009 Trailers Martinez,Victor -12 Posada,Jorge -11 Molina,Bengie -9 Kendall,Jason -8 Baker,John -8 24

16 Career Register The Career Register includes complete career statistics through the 2009 season for every major league player who played in We included thirty-two bonus players as well, guys who missed the entire 2009 season, for example Justin Duchscherer and Ben Sheets, or potential foreign imports such as Ryota Igarashi and Hisanori Takahashi. For players who have appeared in fewer than three major league seasons, we included their full minor league statistics. For those players with three or more years in the big leagues who also spent time in the minor leagues in 2009 (for example, if they had a rehab assignment) we included only their 2009 minor league statistics indicated by an asterisk. Those players who split time between the majors and the minors last season but have fewer than three years of major league experience will still have their full minor league stats included. If a player led the league in a particular category, that register total will appear in boldface. The Register also features Runs Created (RC) for hitters and Component ERA (ERC) for pitchers, in addition to the more traditional statistics. Developed by Bill James, Runs Created is a method of measuring every facet of a hitter s strengths and weaknesses, combining those factors into one number, indicative of a player s production. Component ERA estimates what a pitcher s ERA should have been based upon his raw pitching statistics and gives us a good indication of whether or not a pitcher actually deserved his ERA. An explanation of Bill s most-current formulas for both RC and ERC can be found in the Baseball Glossary at the end of the Handbook. A player s total career numbers in the postseason appear on one line above his total regular season career numbers. Note that because we work hard to bring you this publication before November 1, career postseason records are only updated through the 2008 World Series. It s been an entire year since our last edition, so here s a little refresher: Age is seasonal as of June 30, For pitchers, BFP is Batters Facing Pitcher; TBB is Total Bases on Balls (or, Total Walks, intentional and unintentional); OP is Save Opportunities; Hld is Holds. For varying levels of Class-A ball, we have used A+ to indicate High A and A- to indicate Low A. Finally, Bill James decided four years ago that we should start referring to all incarnations of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as LAA. He cited the Philadelphia Blue Jays of 1943 and 1944 as a historical example of a very temporary team name being forgotten and eventually assimilated into the name they were called going forward: the Phillies. 29

17 David Aardsma Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-73 Ht: 6 4 Wt: 205 Born: 12/27/1981 Age: 28 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2004 SF NL ChC NL CWS AL Bos AL Sea AL ML YEARS Bobby Abreu Bats: L Throws: R Pos: RF-126; DH-14; LF-10; PH-2 Ht: 6 0 Wt: 210 Born: 3/11/1974 Age: 36 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 1996 Hou NL (0 0) Hou NL (3 0) Phi NL (10 7) Phi NL (13 7) Phi NL (14 11) Phi NL (13 18) Phi NL (8 12) Phi NL (11 9) Phi NL (13 17) Phi NL (15 9) Tms (8 7) NYY AL (10 6) NYY AL (14 6) LAA AL (7 8) Phi NL (5 3) NYY AL (3 4) Postseason (1 0) ML YEARS ( ) Tony Abreu Bats: B Throws: R Pos: PH-4; 2B-1; 3B-1 Ht: 5 9 Wt: 200 Born: 11/13/1984 Age: 25 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 2003 Ddgrs R (- -) VeroB A (- -) Clmbs A (- -) VeroB A (- -) VeroB A (- -) Jaxnvl AA (- -) Jaxnvl AA (- -) LsVgs AAA (- -) Chatt AA (- -) Albq AAA (- -) LAD NL (0 2) LAD NL (0 0) ML YEARS (0 2) Winston Abreu Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-5 Ht: 6 2 Wt: 170 Born: 4/5/1977 Age: 33 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 Drham* AAA Bal AL Was NL Tms AL TB AL Cle AL ML YEARS Jeremy Accardo Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-26 Ht: 6 1 Wt: 192 Born: 12/8/1981 Age: 28 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 LsVgs* AAA SF NL Tms Tor AL Tor AL Tor AL SF NL Tor AL ML YEARS

18 Alfredo Aceves Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-42; SP-1 Ht: 6 3 Wt: 220 Born: 12/8/1982 Age: 27 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2008 Tampa A Trntn AA S-WB AAA S-WB AAA NYY AL NYY AL ML YEARS Manny Acosta Pitches: R Bats: B Pos: RP-36 Ht: 6 4 Wt: 170 Born: 5/1/1981 Age: 29 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 Gwnntt* AAA Atl NL Atl NL Atl NL ML YEARS Mike Adams Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-37 Ht: 6 5 Wt: 204 Born: 7/29/1978 Age: 31 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 SnAnt* AA Portlnd* AAA Mil NL Mil NL Mil NL SD NL SD NL ML YEARS Russ Adams Bats: L Throws: R Pos: LF-5; DH-2; PH-2 Ht: 6 1 Wt: 197 Born: 8/30/1980 Age: 29 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 2009 LsVgs* AAA (- -) Portlnd* AAA (- -) Tor AL (1 3) Tor AL (5 3) Tor AL (2 1) Tor AL (2 0) Tor AL (0 0) ML YEARS (10 7) Nick Adenhart Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: SP-1 Ht: 6 3 Wt: 200 Born: 8/24/1986 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2005 Angels R Orem R CRpds A RCuca A Ark AA Salt Lk AAA LAA AL LAA AL ML YEARS Jeremy Affeldt Pitches: L Bats: L Pos: RP-74 Ht: 6 5 Wt: 226 Born: 6/6/1979 Age: 31 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2002 KC AL KC AL KC AL KC AL Tms Col NL Cin NL SF NL

19 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 06 KC AL Col NL Postseason ML YEARS Jonathan Albaladejo Pitches: R Bats: R Pos: RP-32 Ht: 6 5 Wt: 260 Born: 10/30/1982 Age: 27 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 S-WB* AAA Was NL NYY AL NYY AL ML YEARS Matt Albers Pitches: R Bats: L Pos: RP-56 Ht: 6 0 Wt: 205 Born: 1/20/1983 Age: 27 HOW MUCH HE PITCHED WHAT HE GAVE UP THE RESULTS Year Team Lg G GS CG GF IP BFP H R ER HR SH SF HB TBB IBB SO WP Bk W L Pct Sh Sv-Op Hld ERC ERA 2009 Norfolk* AAA Hou NL Hou NL Bal AL Bal AL ML YEARS Eliezer Alfonzo Bats: R Throws: R Pos: C-30; PH-7; PR-1 Ht: 5 11 Wt: 218 Born: 2/7/1979 Age: 31 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 2009 Portlnd* AAA (- -) SF NL (3 9) SF NL (1 0) SF NL (0 0) SD NL (1 1) ML YEARS (5 10) Brandon Allen Bats: L Throws: R Pos: 1B-32; PH-1 Ht: 6 2 Wt: 235 Born: 2/12/1986 Age: 24 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 2004 Bristol R (- -) Gr Falls R (- -) Knapol A (- -) Knapol A (- -) WinSa A (- -) Brham AA (- -) Brham AA (- -) Charltt AAA (- -) Reno AAA (- -) Ari NL (1 3) Alfredo Amezaga Bats: B Throws: R Pos: CF-15; PH-9; SS-5; RF-3; LF-2; PR-1 Ht: 5 10 Wt: 182 Born: 1/16/1978 Age: 32 BATTING BASERUNNING AVERAGES Year Team Lg G AB H 2B 3B HR (Hm Rd) TB R RBI RC TBB IBB SO HBP SH SF SB CS SB% GDP Avg OBP Slg 2009 Jupiter* A (- -) LAA AL (0 0) LAA AL (0 2) LAA AL (0 2) Tms NL (0 0) Fla NL (0 3) Fla NL (1 1) Fla NL (2 1) Fla NL (0 0) Col NL (0 0) Pit NL (0 0) Postseason (0 0) ML YEARS (3 9)

20 2009 Baserunning Bill James Chone Gone Figgins was on first base when a single was hit 43 times in 2009, and he made it to third 23 times. Prince Fielder was on first base when a single was hit 45 times, and he made it to third only once 1 for 45. Not that that s a bad thing. Chone Figgins was on second base when a single was hit last year 31 times. He scored 26 times. David Ortiz was on second base when a single was hit 16 times. He scored only twice. In part this was because it is very difficult to score from second base on a single to left in Fenway Park, since the left fielder is just behind the shortstop. In part it is because David Ortiz is not nearly as fast as Chone Figgins, who led the majors in both of these categories. Emilio Bonafacio was on first base when a double was hit 10 times in He scored all 10 times. Mike Lowell was also on first base when a double was hit 10 times. He didn t score any of those times. Denard Span in 2009 moved up a base 31 times on a Wild Pitch, a Passed Ball, a Balk, a Sacrifice Fly, or Defensive Indifference. Geoff Blum of the Astros appearing in 120 games, and going to the plate more than 400 times never advanced a base on any of those plays. Juan Rivera and Carlos Lee in 2009 were thrown out 8 times each attempting to go first-to-third on a single, or attempting to stretch a hit. Many major league players, including dozens of major league regulars, went through the season without ever being thrown out trying to take a base too far. Rookie Elvis Andrus was doubled off base on a line drive caught by an infielder or a fly ball caught by an outfielder 7 times in Almost one-half of major league regulars or near-regulars were not doubled off base at all during the season. We are attempting to measure base running here not just base stealing, but base running. We measure it by looking at all of these things. And then, because these events are also obviously a part of the baserunning equation, we also consider stolen bases, caught stealing, and grounding into double plays. 311

21 1st to 3rd 2009 Team Baserunning 2nd to Home 1st to Home Bases Out Doubled BR GDP BR SB Net Team Moved Chances Moved Chances Moved Chances Taken Adv Off Outs GDP Opps Gain Gain Gain Philadelphia Phillies Los Angeles Angels Toronto Blue Jays Tampa Bay Rays Oakland Athletics Arizona D-Backs San Francisco Giants Colorado Rockies Texas Rangers Minnesota Twins Los Angeles Dodgers St Louis Cardinals Florida Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Boston Red Sox Washington Nationals Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Cleveland Indians New York Mets Seattle Mariners New York Yankees San Diego Padres Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Pittsburgh Pirates Atlanta Braves Houston Astros Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals MLB Totals