Comments on: The Best Defensive Team Of The Decade? http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/ Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:42:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeff K http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100804 Jeff K Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:50:19 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100804 Jack Z just talked about this article. Jack Z just talked about this article.

]]> By: mo http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100623 mo Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:19:14 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100623 go mariners go go mariners go

]]> By: AMusingFool http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100359 AMusingFool Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:04:25 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100359 I have some skepticism on this for two reasons: one, I wonder about park effects; two, how can the best defensive team of the decade not have even the highest DER of the year (dodgers are a hair ahead of them)? I have some skepticism on this for two reasons: one, I wonder about park effects; two, how can the best defensive team of the decade not have even the highest DER of the year (dodgers are a hair ahead of them)?

]]> By: Teej http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100249 Teej Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:29:31 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100249 Wobatus, I believe a replacement-level team can be expected to win about 49 or 50 games. So I guess the answer to your last question is something like 31 or 32 WAR. Wobatus,

I believe a replacement-level team can be expected to win about 49 or 50 games. So I guess the answer to your last question is something like 31 or 32 WAR.

]]> By: wobatus http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100244 wobatus Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:32:24 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100244 But wins above replacement level is a lot different than wins above .500, no? A team full of replacement players isn't going to play .500 ball. That's a team made up of the 751st-775th best players, roughly, right? How much team wide WAR do you need to get to .500. But wins above replacement level is a lot different than wins above .500, no? A team full of replacement players isn’t going to play .500 ball. That’s a team made up of the 751st-775th best players, roughly, right? How much team wide WAR do you need to get to .500.

]]> By: Paul Thomas http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100204 Paul Thomas Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:21:45 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100204 The Mariners' real problem is that once you subtract out the impact of that great defense from their pitching numbers... their staff frankly stinks. Even with Hernandez. The Mariners’ real problem is that once you subtract out the impact of that great defense from their pitching numbers… their staff frankly stinks. Even with Hernandez.

]]> By: Kincaid http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100194 Kincaid Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:33:26 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100194 That is true of Win Shares (Bill James' stat). WAR, on the other hand, are based only on production and not made to fit actual wins. Two teams with the same UZR, wOBA, FIP, league, and playing time but different win totals will still have the same WAR. There are cases where a team's WAR will vary from its actual record as much as Pythagorean record can vary from actual record. That is true of Win Shares (Bill James’ stat). WAR, on the other hand, are based only on production and not made to fit actual wins. Two teams with the same UZR, wOBA, FIP, league, and playing time but different win totals will still have the same WAR. There are cases where a team’s WAR will vary from its actual record as much as Pythagorean record can vary from actual record.

]]> By: Bookbook http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100180 Bookbook Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:25:30 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100180 Michael, Adding up a team's WAR to see how well it reflects their win total is an exercise in redundancy if I don't misunderstand the stat. Bill James' stat takes the number of actual wins and divides it to figure out who to attribute the credit for them. What you've done is reverse the process. Michael,
Adding up a team’s WAR to see how well it reflects their win total is an exercise in redundancy if I don’t misunderstand the stat. Bill James’ stat takes the number of actual wins and divides it to figure out who to attribute the credit for them. What you’ve done is reverse the process.

]]> By: Michael http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100174 Michael Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:52:10 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100174 As of tonight, the Mariners' position players account for 20.1 WAR, while the pitchers account for 14.5 WAR. A replacement level (.300 win%) team should win around 47 games by this point in the season, so if you tally up the totals, the Mariners should be at right around 81-82 wins. Lo and behold, they're at 80 wins. Not bad for this methodology. For what it's worth, BtB's Power Rankings have them at around 74 wins, and that methodology is far more thorough than what I just did. As of tonight, the Mariners’ position players account for 20.1 WAR, while the pitchers account for 14.5 WAR. A replacement level (.300 win%) team should win around 47 games by this point in the season, so if you tally up the totals, the Mariners should be at right around 81-82 wins. Lo and behold, they’re at 80 wins. Not bad for this methodology.

For what it’s worth, BtB’s Power Rankings have them at around 74 wins, and that methodology is far more thorough than what I just did.

]]> By: Pat http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-defensive-team-of-the-decade/#comment-100172 Pat Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:08:41 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9783#comment-100172 Indeed, I agree with lincolndude. The only way this would possibly work is if there was a correlation to range and a person's willingness to reach for the ball (i.e. defenders with greater range are more athletic and therefore make riskier attempts at the ball). Not claiming this to be true, but I don't see another way the theory works. Indeed, I agree with lincolndude. The only way this would possibly work is if there was a correlation to range and a person’s willingness to reach for the ball (i.e. defenders with greater range are more athletic and therefore make riskier attempts at the ball). Not claiming this to be true, but I don’t see another way the theory works.

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