Kevin Kouzmanoff’s third baseman’s mitt became part of the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. The honor came because Kouzmanoff committed just three errors in 2009, the lowest number for a third baseman with just 300 chances.
Kouzmanoff, however, was not the best third baseman in the majors despite his low error rate. Ranked by fielding runs, he finished sixth, with his entire value to the Padres coming from his glove.
Fielding errors remain subjective. Official scorers may not call the same play the same way. An error really is the failure to get an out when the probability of an out is high. Now that we can measure the probability of an out with UZR, PMR and +/-, maybe official scorers should start incorporating those models into their decisions. Right now, for example, it’s tough to get an error if the fielder doesn’t get a glove on the ball. So if an outfielder takes a step in the wrong direction off the crack of the bat, there’s no error when he doesn’t catch the ball, but maybe there should be.
If nothing else, it would a neat new graphic to include in broadcasts. When the shortstop makes a great play in the hole, the announcers could say, “Shortstops only make that play 25% of the time!” Likewise, on an error, “That was a 98% play.” The data is out there.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:57 am | Defense | Permalink | 3 Comments
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October 14th, 2009 @ 9:54 am
David, you’re kidding right? I mean, can you imagine, say, Joe Morgan’s attempts to use this info? I’m not sure he understands BA or ERA….
October 14th, 2009 @ 11:46 am
I’m all for using (not yet acknowledged) stats to make personnel decisions and perhaps in deciding awards, but I really don’t want to watch or listen to a game and hear the announcers shout out things like VORP, ERA+, etc.
I fully understand all those stats that are yet to be found on a baseball card, but I really would prefer to hear the commentators talk about what is currently going on in the field of play and maybe painting a bigger picture in terms of playoffs (when it comes to national broadcasts). On the home networks (YES, for example), I want to hear the broadcasters talk about the team personally, too. I love hearing the YES guys talk about the team like they were still a part of it.
Statistics are cold and they really distance the speaker from the setting. Sure, give me AVG, OBP, and AVG w/RISP… but honestly, I’m not yearning to hear the sabermetrics stats when I want to enjoy a game.
October 14th, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
I agree with Jesse R. Those kind of stats would sound cold on a broadcast. Use them to decide who should win awards like the Gold Glove etc, but don’t add them to the broadcast of the game.