Bonser has a power build and throws power everythings.

(Original article on WHIFF Rate can be found here.)

When Boof Bonser burst on the scene in 2006, not many could see past the cartoonish moniker and the clunky physique. If you watched him a little more carefully, however, something else became apparent:

This guy had really good stuff.

Throughout the '07 season, Bonser has been among the league leaders in K-rate, and it correlates with his WHIFF rates for all four of his pitches. Bonser throws very hard for a starting pitcher, consistently hitting 93-94mph. His fastball ranks high with a .161 WHIFF, almost into the 70th percentile. But when his fastball gets hit, it has been getting hammered, at least so far in '07. Opposing hitters are slugging .596 against the fastball, including 9 home runs.

His secondary pitches all have above average WHIFF rates as well. His slider, a pitch that can flirt with the 90mph mark, is very tight but still induces misses on 31% of hitters' swings (about the 59th percentile).

HIs change is his least frequent offering, but he still posts a WHIFF of .375, although the sample size is a bit too small.

What's become a devastating out-pitch for Bonser is his power curve, a pitch that would've ranked in the top 5 had it qualified in '06 (it missed by 4 batter swings). Last year Bonser posted a curveball WHIFF of .406, and this year it's .366, which ranks in the 80th percentile.

Boof has the killer out-pitch. The only thing preventing him from becoming a star is inducing weaker contact earlier in the count, which, let's be honest, is a lot easier said than done, especially in the American League.

Boof Bonser WHIFF Rate Breakdown

Fastball -- .161 (MLB Avg .133)
Curve - ..388 (MLB Avg .246)
Slider - .310 (MLB Avg ..273)
Change - .375 (MLB Avg .250)

Posted by Tom Koch-Weser at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

After being held to a single run in a pair of losses to Colorado a month ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks were 9-12 for the month of May and 25-23 on the season. Then the young Diamondbacks reeled off eight straight wins. They had won 19 of their last 28 games before dropping the opener of a key series with division rival Los Angeles Monday night. The Diamondbacks had taken over first place in the National League West during their surge, but saw that lead slip to a half-game by losing to the second-place Dodgers.

If there’s a surprise team more noteworthy than the crash-and-burn White Sox, it’s probably the baby D-Backs, with five players who are 25 years old or younger playing regularly. The hottest bat during Arizona’s 19-10 run belongs to old geezer Eric Byrnes, 31, who has batted .346-6-20 in 29 games. Second baseman Orlando Hudson, 29, is batting .329 with 14 RBIs in this span.

The most productive hitter among the kids in this stretch is first baseman Conor Jackson, who turned 25 in May. After a slow start, Jackson is on a .337-3-16 tear in 24 games. The other youngsters can’t match Jackson’s production, but three of them -- shortstop Stephen Drew (23), right fielder Carlos Quentin (24) and rookie third baseman Mark Reynolds (23) -- have been good for either 13 runs scored or 13 RBIs in Arizona’s 19-10 surge. Reynolds arrived from Double-A Mobile in mid-May and has contributed 20 runs and 19 RBIs in 34 games. Quentin has scored 13 times and driven in 13 runs in his last 25 games. Rookie Chris Young, 23, has four homers since May 24. Only Byrnes (6) has more.

Two 24-year-old right-handers also have aided the cause. Since May 24, rookie Micah Owings is 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA, and Edgar Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 3.50 mark.

The club lacks a big-time slugger or run producer, though a few of the kids may take on those roles as they mature. For the moment, the Diamondbacks are competing by playing as a team and getting contributions from all quarters. What may be most telling is that they are 25-14 in games decided by two runs or less, a .641 winning percentage that tops the majors in these close games. That kind of success under pressure is usually associated with more experienced clubs, ones that have endured pennant races and played October baseball.

The flip side of this stat is that the far more experienced White Sox are 13-15 in games decided by two runs or less. The struggling Yankees rank last in the majors in such contests with a 6-22 record.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Could it be that the Chicago White Sox will be the first anticipated contender to bail on the 2007 pennant race? The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Sox GM Ken Williams is already thinking about blowing up the roster and turning his attention to 2008.

According to Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times, “Williams has all the explosives and wiring in place, with his finger resting on the button.” It’s conceivable that Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi could be wearing something other than the black-and-white of the White Sox by the trade deadline. Cowley speculates that others such Javier Vazquez, Jon Garland and Jose Contreras could be moved, as well.

The Sox, who are in crash-and-burn mode, have lost seven consecutive series. After dropping the opener of their weekend matchup with the Cubs on Friday, they have lost 20 of 25 games during this span. Cowley suggests that another lost weekend could get the ball rolling.

Chicago is 29-40 on the season, 12.5 games behind first-place Detroit in the American League Central. In the course of going 5-20, the White Sox have lost series to four sub-.500 teams -- the Marlins, Pirates, Astros and Jays -- as well as to the Yankees, Phillies and division rival Twins.

The struggles of the White Sox are hard to explain. It’s easy to point to a bullpen that ranks last in the major leagues with a 5.87 ERA and has allowed hitters to bat a robust .289. What is more startling, however, is the offensive decline of the 2007 Sox. This is a team that has been productive at the plate in recent seasons.

White Sox Offense, 2006 vs. 2007 (through games of June 21)
(AL rank in parentheses)

Category. . . . . . . . . . . 2006. . . . . . . . 2007
Runs/G. . . . . . . . . . . .5.36 (3). . . . . . . 4.01 (14)
Avg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280 (5). . . . . . . .236 (14)
OBP. . . . . . . . . . . . . .342 (6). . . . . . . .310 (14)
Slg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .464 (1). . . . . . . .369 (14)
HR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 (1). . . . . . . . .66 (9)
Avg w/RISP. . . . . . . . .307 (1). . . . . . . . .236 (13)

The White Sox need a lot of fixing if they are going to stick around the AL Central race, but the talent is there and it seems awfully early to bail on 2007.

After all, Houston was the White Sox’s opponent in the 2005 World Series despite trailing in the wild-card chase by nine games and having the third-worst record in the National League on June 15. The Astros were 26-38 on that date, but went 63-35-1 the rest of the way to secure the wild-card berth. In 2006, the Twins were 25-33 on June 7, 11.5 games off the pace in the AL Central. A 71-33 finish secured the AL Central crown on the final day of the 2006 season.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin leads the team in runs (41) and RBIs (43), but what may be most surprising about the success of the second-year prospect is that he’s second on the club in stolen bases with 11. Only center fielder Juan Pierre (23) has more, and shortstop Rafael Furcal is third with seven. Martin is on course to steal 25 bases this season, which would push him up the list for the single-season high for catchers in the modern era.

Most Steals in a Season by a Catcher, 1901-2006
(min 100 G that season as catcher)

Catcher. . . . . . . . . . Year. . . . . .SB
John Wathan, KC. . . .1982. . . . . . 36
Ray Schalk, CWS. . . . 1916. . . . . . 30
Jason Kendall, Pit. . . 1998 . . . . . .26
Ivan Rodriguez, Tex. . 1999. . . . . . 25
John Stearns, NYM. . 1978. . . . . . 25

Martin has been caught just twice, good for a stolen-base percentage of 84.6 in 13 tries. If he steals 25 bases and maintains that success rate, it would be the highest percentage among the catchers on the list. Tops among this group is Jason Kendall, who was 26-for-31 (83.9 percent) for the Pirates in 1998.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

McGowan is a superstar when it comes to the JUGS gun. What about WHIFF?

(Original article on WHIFF can be found here.)

Dustin McGowan throws very, very hard. Of MLB starters, only Justin Verlander (95.8mph) and A.J. Burnett (95.2) throw harder than McGowan (95.1).

But everyone knows that just throwing hard doesn't guarantee success at the big league level. And so far in 2007, McGowan's heater has been hittable.

Even before Tuesday's shelling against the Dodgers, McGowan's fastball was both below the MLB average in WHIFF and SLG% (see table below). But what's probably a prescursor to both of these is the fact that McGowan has command issues with the fastball, throwing it in the strikezone only 49.1% of the time (approximately the 34th percentile), well below the major league average of 50.8%.

What's encouraging, however, are McGowan's secondary offerings. His curveball, slider, and splitter all rank in the 75th percentile or above--his curveball being the gem of the group. Establishing the fastball and getting ahead of hitters more frequently could put McGowan in an ideal situation to take advantage of the rest of his repertoire.

Dustin McGowan - WHIFF Rate Breakdown

Fastball - .130 (MLB Avg .131)
Curve - .455(MLB Avg .241)
Slider - .400 (MLB Avg ..273)
Split- .414 (MLB Avg .304)

Posted by Tom Koch-Weser at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

In the last 25 years, only the 1997 Rockies and 1986 Blue Jays have batted .400 or better with the bases loaded. That Rockies team was 42-for-104 in '97, good for a .404 average with the sacks full, the highest mark in the last 25 seasons.

This year's Seattle Mariners threaten to join the club. The Mariners are hitting a major league-high .439 (25-for-57) with the bases juiced, and with five doubles, a triple and two home runs, they also lead the way in slugging at .667.

Eight different Mariners are batting .500 or better with the sacks full. The hits leader in bases-loaded situations is Ichiro, who is 6-for-9 (.667) with a triple. Both he and Raul Ibanez (4-for-8 with a double) have driven in a club-high 13 runs when there's been no room on the bases to put them.

There's a long way to go in 2007, but for now, there are two clubs above the .400 mark at this point of the season. The Tigers also have been trouble for pitchers with the bases loaded, going 27-for-64 (.422) with two doubles, four homers and a major league-high 76 RBIs. The Mariners have delivered 64 runs in those situations.

Five Tigers are hitting at least .500 with the bases loaded, and Craig Monroe, Curtis Granderson, Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Guillen have powered grand slams. The Rangers, Astros and Nationals match Detroit for most slams in 2007, but none of those clubs are within 100 points of the Mariners and Tigers in batting average.

Loading the bases to create a double-play situation against the Mariners or Tigers is a dangerous option for big league hurlers. Pursuing one out at a time may involve less risk, as both clubs are closer to .300 than .400 with runners in scoring position.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With 295 career wins going into his Saturday start against the Yankees, Mets lefty Tom Glavine is poised to reach the 300-win plateau sometime during the second half of 2007. He will join Roger Clemens and former teammate Greg Maddux as the only active pitchers to claim No. 300.

In a recent issue of the Sporting News, managing editor Stan McNeal speculates that not only will the 21-year veteran be the 23rd pitcher to post 300 wins, he may be the last one to ever join the vaunted club. Only Randy Johnson, with 284 victories, is close.

McNeal has a valid point. Clemens, Maddux and Nolan Ryan are the only 300-game winners to reach the milestone in the last 20 years. Ryan, who debuted at age 19 in 1966, pitched 27 seasons before retiring at age 46 in 1993. He recorded his 300th victory in 1990 at age 43.

Ryan also benefited from starting his career 40 years ago, when big league clubs still used a four-man rotation. That was a key factor, as well, for the five pitchers who joined the 300 Club in the early 1980s -- Gaylord Perry, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro and Don Sutton. They all started their careers in the '60s.

Working in a four-man rotation prior to the shift to five starters in the mid-to-late 1970s meant roughly 10 more starts a season for these six Hall of Famers. That translates into more 20-win seasons and a faster track to 300 victories. In the 21-year span of 1965-85, there were 160 20-win performances. In the last 21 years, there have been only 79.

Glavine has enjoyed five 20-win campaigns. According to McNeal, the 41-year-old southpaw also radically revamped his game plan two years ago, after going 20-28 in his first two seasons with the Mets. To stick around, Glavine had to escape the scouting report on him that had stood for more than 15 years. With assistance from Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson, Glavine now pitches inside after a long career of mostly working the outer half of the plate. He throws more curves and works to more locations than ever before. The result? A 20-11 record since the start of the 2006 season.

What Glavine has going for him in his bid for 300 that virtually no other active hurler may have is the success of his teams. He worked for a perennial contender in Atlanta, which won its division in 11 of Glavine’s 16 seasons with the Braves. It’s also worked in his favor that he hasn’t spent a single day on the disabled list. Few pitchers have stuck around into their 40s without an injury.

Those are advantages that suggest Glavine -- and perhaps the Big Unit -- will be the last of the 300-game winners. Here are some of the candidates who will test that theory.

Young Starters Who May Chase 300 Wins

Pitcher. . . . . . . . . .Age. . . . . . . . . . Wins
Mark Buehrle . . . . . 28.2. . . . . . . . . . 100
C.C. Sabathia. . . . . .26.9. . . . . . . . . . . 90
Johan Santana. . . . .28.2. . . . . . . . . . . 84
Carlos Zambrano. . . 26.0. . . . . . . . . . . 71
Dontrelle Willis. . . . 25.4. . . . . . . . . . . 65

Left-handers Mark Buehrle and C.C. Sabathia look like the strongest candidates to approach the 300-win plateau. When Glavine turned 26 near the close of spring training in 1992, he had 59 wins. He had won 20 games for the first time in ‘91, when the Braves recorded their first winning season with the young lefty on the roster and reached the World Series.

Two years later, after celebrating his 28th birthday, Glavine was coming off three consecutive 20-win seasons and opened the 1994 campaign with 95 victories. At age 28, Glavine and Buehrle are at about the same place, with Sabathia still on a better pace than the 295-game winner.

Sabathia and the others, however, will need to enjoy long and healthy careers. And their teams will have to do their part if any of them are going to get as close to 300 wins as the dependable and durable Glavine.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marshall's finishing position is clearly difficult to sustain. But what about his 2007 performance thus far? WHIFF gives Marshall and the Cubs some reasons to be optimistic.

(Original article on WHIFF Rate can be found here.)

Sean Marshall is currently 2-2 with a 2.05 ERA. He's thrown four quality starts in all four of his 2007 outings, has a WHIP of 1.04, and is striking out a batter per inning to boot. This is a far cry from his big league line in 2006, and, statistically speaking, it will be nearly impossible for him to sustain his ERA and BABIP (.257). But is Marshall, at the very least, "legit"?

Well, the reality is this: Marshall's success this season almost certainly coincides with a radical transformation in his pitching repertoire. Last season, Marshall relied on mixing his fastball and changeup, sometimes even officially pitching backwards by throwing more changes than fastballs in single starts. His changeup (82.8mph) lacked a great deal of velocity separation from his fastball (87.8mph). Marshall was essentially at the mercy of whether he could out-finesse hitters.

His approach is much different this year. While he still throws a bunch of elbows and kneecaps at the opposition, something that provides critical deception, he also attacks them, especially righties, with his fastball and a hard slider. In fact, his slider (a pitch that has morphed from a rarely-used and sometimes invisible cutter last year), has become Marshall's second pitch. And his changeup, at least in his last two starts, has been ditched almost completely (only 2 thrown).

But maybe the most important development has been the effectiveness of Marshall's curveball. While his fastball and slider are mostly pitched to contact (even though his fastball ranks high with a .182 WHIFF Rate, well above the .131 MLB average), his curveball has been an outstanding swing-and-miss pitch, producing a WHIFF Rate of .452, well into the upper tier of curveballs in baseball. Only A.J. Burnett (.535), Francisco Rodriguez (.494), Doug Slaten (.469), Justin Duchsherer (.463), and Brett Myers (.460) have better rates than Marshall (using 40 swings as a minimum).

While the sample size isn't ideal, it's substantial enough to conclude that Marshall is capable of achieving an above-average K-rate, and eat up enough innings to be a solid big league starter.

Sean Marshall - WHIFF Rate Breakdown

Fastball - .182 (MLB Avg .131)
Curve - .452 (MLB Avg .241)
Slider - .228 (MLB Avg ..273)
Change - .000 (MLB Avg .250)

Posted by Tom Koch-Weser at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a 10th-inning collision forced backup catcher Eliezer Alfonzo out of the game Friday night, the Giants had to move starting third baseman Pedro Feliz behind the plate. Center fielder Randy Winn made his major league debut at third base, and pitcher Noah Lowry took over in right field. Oakland scored twice in the top half of the inning. Lowry struck out to end the game, a 5-3 win for the A’s.

The lack of an additional position player forced the move. And the Giants aren’t the only team that has had to use pitchers in expanded roles. The Cubs have called on starter Jason Marquis to pinch-hit three times this season. Another 11 pitchers have made pinch-hitting appearances, as well, including Dontrelle Willis, Jake Peavy, Woody Williams and Cole Hamels.

Not having another pinch-hitting option on the bench is a byproduct of the pitching specialization in today’s game. The Giants had 12 pitchers on the active roster when they called on Lowry to play a position more often associated with Babe Ruth, Al Kaline and Roberto Clemente. Some clubs carry 13 pitchers at times.

That contrasts with the makeup of pitching staffs as recently as 30-40 years ago, when teams called on just four starters and pitchers didn’t have seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning roles set by their managers.

The 1965 World Series champion Dodgers and 1970 World Series champion Orioles each used just 12 pitchers all season. Three of those Dodgers hurlers worked fewer than 25 innings, five of them pitched less than 50 innings. The seven workhorses on the team averaged 193 innings pitched in 1965, led by Sandy Koufax (335.2 IP) and Don Drysdale (308.1 IP). Last year’s World Series champions, the Cardinals, had only two pitchers work as many as 193 innings all season: ace Chris Carpenter and Marquis.

A random look at rosters over the last 40 years suggests big league clubs tended to carry nine or 10 pitchers when teams transitioned to the five-man rotation in the 1970s. Staffs tended to be 10 or 11 guys in the 1980s and early ‘90s. A team with a lefty specialist might have had 12.

Today there are 12- and 13-man staffs. Yes, pitchers aren’t groomed to throw 300 innings anymore, and relievers seldom break 80 innings. Then again, they don’t have to with the specialization in today's game.

The other side of this development is the growing importance of players who can man a number of positions in the field. Guys like Chone Figgins, Willie Bloomquist and Cubs rookie Ryan Theriot have become critical to a team’s ability to weather injuries and extra-inning marathons. Last season, Bloomquist played seven positions and made at least one plate appearance in all nine spots in the batting order. He’s manned seven positions again this year, though he's waiting for his first chance to come to the plate in the No. 3 hole.

One could make a case that larger pitching staffs are the answer to the watering down of major league pitching. Roughly half of each team's staff isn't expected to work more than an inning, and relief roles are clearly defined based on a reliever's capabilities.

Or does this specialization contribute to the problem? In 1960, the year before expansion began adding to the majors’ 16 teams, roughly 150-160 pitchers were on big league clubs. There are 30 teams today, and the number of pitchers in the majors on any given day is closer to 360-370, well more than double the number 40 years ago.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mixed Martial Arts is considered a new sport. It is considered especially new by the mainstream sports media. The mainstream sports media loves the numbers that STATS provides. We have some crazy numbers out there too. I mean if you want to know how Clemens does against left handed batters, in June, when it is raining at night, we can tell you. Now transfer that crazy knowledge of numbers to a sport like MMA. What if you wanted to know how many punches Chris Horodecki landed in the second round from the clinch? Or how about how many times during the fight did Horodecki and Lierley change ranges from kickboxing, clinch, to the ground and who was the most dominate in each range.

Well STATS has found a way.

Horodecki did win a unanimous decision in the fight against a very game Shad Lierley. Here is how the live numbers stacked up. In the first round Horodecki, known for his stand up, was actually just as dominate in other areas of the fight. He landed all his strikes from both the clinch and the ground that he threw in round one. Lierley shot four total takedowns in the round, two takedowns from the clinch and two from long range. He was successful on one from each range. He wasn’t as successful with his strikes, with a punching percentage of 31% and landing just 2 of 7 kicks.

The action in the second round slowed a bit, with both fighters picking their shots more carefully. Horodecki threw mostly punches but landed with laser like accuracy on all his strikes going 42 for 49. Shad wasn’t as surgical but he did score a takedown from both the clinch and from long range, with a striking percentage of 83% accuracy from the ground. He also attempted 2 submissions.

The final round was fought with huge heart from both fighters. Horodecki landed shots in both long range and the ground. Standing he threw focused punches for a 81% hit rate and even better on the ground with a 87% hit rate. Lierley was 3 for 5 in takedowns but wasn’t overly busy on the ground. He did land all seven punches he threw. In total Shad landed just 46% of his strikes in the last round, maybe hoping the takedowns would be enough to earn the round.

This is based on live data recorded at the event. After review of the fight tape, if you want to know the types of submissions attempted, the targets of the punches and kicks landed, and the position changes in the intricate ground game, STATS will have the answer.

Posted by Jacob Nuesser at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Boston manager Terry Francona sounded off on interleague play this week, telling Boston Herald sportswriter Jeff Horrigan that American League teams unfairly must play without a key bat in the lineup when they travel to National League cities. The teams play by the home club’s league rules, so either DH David Ortiz or first baseman Kevin Youkilis must sit when the Red Sox take on the Diamondbacks in Phoenix this weekend.

“Somebody’s going to have to sit who we don’t want to sit,” Francona told Horrigan. “Whoever it is is going to be a really good hitter.” The manager would like to see MLB remedy the situation.

“At some point, somebody in baseball will stand up and go, ‘You know, this isn’t right,’ ” he said. “Hopefully, it will be before I’m an old man getting my pension, because it’s just not right.”

Has Francona somehow forgotten that Boston’s competition for a playoff berth is his AL brethren only? All AL clubs face those DH-free games in National League parks, not just the Red Sox. It’s a scenario that doesn’t give any team in either league an advantage in its own playoff race.

Francona overlooked the other side of the matter, when NL clubs play in AL parks. National League teams aren’t built with that extra everyday player on the roster, which leaves them at a disadvantage when it’s time to employ a DH. It’s a roster spot that AL clubs often pay a premium salary to have one of the game’s top hitters. An NL club isn’t going to have a top-flight player who sits on the bench regularly when his team plays NL opponents.

So, how has the AL fared while going up against the loss of the DH in half of all interleague games? Since the start of the 2005 season, the AL is 314-232, good for a .575 winning percentage against the NL. How unfair.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most of the US now knows the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With cover stories on both SI and ESPN the Magazine, they have picked up national mainstream exposure. I have been lucky enough to have been to a few UFCs and the shows are very well produced and the fights are typically non stop action, unless Tim Sylvia has to defend his belt. Special thanks to Randy Couture for taking the belt away. What some people in mainstream USA might not be familiar with is the International Fight League (IFL). The IFL just started over a year ago and is quickly picking up fan support. They have top level fighters, legendary coaching, and a production/front office second to none.

I was recently at the event in Everett Washington. The fans at that event were literally the best I have ever seen at a MMA event. They came early and were loud from the first bell to the last. I haven't seen fan support of this level since the Chicago Bulls....with Jordan. It was really that loud, with fans cheering their home town Tiger Sharks. Fans got just as loud to show appreciation for tough fighters giving their all in the ring. There is just something about the fan, athlete relationship in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Fans root for these fighters like they are sons or brothers. The athletes appreciate the fans as well. Top fighters often stand by after the fights to talk with fans, take pictures, and give back in general. You would think that the fighters would be tough guys, but quite the opposite is true. Outside the ring, they are well spoken gentlemen void of ego. If the action of MMA isn't enough to fall in love with this sport, then the participant’s humble attitude should be. I would challenge anyone to find a professional sport with as many egoless athletes as MMA.

Posted by Jacob Nuesser at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Those ads suggesting women go for sluggers were a funny byproduct of a time when guys named McGwire, Sosa and Bonds slammed their way past single-season home run totals by Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, which had stood as the major league records for much of a century.

By then, ESPN highlights on a nightly basis had shifted most of the game’s glamour to the home run, and we all got an extra-heavy dose of homer-mania on television when the records fell.

Former stolen-base champ and current Phillies first-base coach Davey Lopes believes the overemphasis on power is making the game and many of its players increasingly one-dimensional.

“Too many teams are sitting back waiting for the three-run homer,” Lopes said recently. “You’ve got a bunch of guys that are slow afoot, go one base at a time, clog up the bases, and that’s pretty much what this game has become. A non-athletic-type game. We’ve got too many DHs.”

Lopes added that today’s game means fewer players with good baseball instincts, defensive skills and baserunning abilities. The move to smaller ballparks over the last decade not only means more home runs, but allows teams to hide slower or less-talented defenders in the outfield. Manufacturing a run is a lost art. Poor baserunning can be seen nightly in nearly every ballpark.

“Baserunning becomes important after the mistake, when you’re walking off the field,” said Lopes, who ranks 25th all-time with 557 career steals. “If you look through the course of the playoffs the past few years, baserunning has been atrocious, and it has played a part in several teams losing in World Series play.”

Lopes isn’t just pointing a finger at the players when it comes to the near-extinction of the running game and the propensity of one-dimensional big leaguers. He noted there are few former speedsters on coaching staffs, and he doesn’t believe that teams are giving adequate instruction on baserunning. He doesn’t go easy on major league organizations.

“Everybody talks about how poor baserunning is, but look at the people teaching it,” Lopes said. “You’ve got guys in the minor leagues that were never basestealers. They read a book and they go out and talk about it. They can’t tell you why this is what you do.”

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)