Thursday, December 31, 2009
Mariano Rivera already ahead of Gossage in WAR--Davidoff
- from Ken Davidoff's 2010 Hall of Fame ballot:
"Lee Smith: I think we can all agree that
- saves are a profoundly overrated statistic, so Smith isn't
- going to win my support
on that front, although I did vote for him once (two years ago, I believe). He hung around a long time, yet he wasn't that good, so the No is rather easy.
Interesting note on closers' WAR, by the way:
- Mariano Rivera is already ahead of Hall of Famers
- Not Dennis Eckersley, though, who spent more than half of his career as a starter."...
Although I don't see it stated, it's possible Mr. Davidoff is only using part of the above pitchers' careers, that of regular season, to measure WAR. He does not mention if the stat combines regular AND post season play.
- Post season play is considered for Hall of Fame stats, and part of a player's life work. If it's not being used for Hall of Fame evaluation- and this item makes no mention of its existence- then post season play should be canceled. Or considered exhibition.
- MLB has forced the politically contorted view that post season stats are 'unfair'-- to those who don't have them. (This 'unfairness' angle has been stated by an MLB writer among others). The view assumes that everyone who goes to the post season gets good stats. Which of course is impossible. There are many with post season stats they'd rather people forget. They are greatly helped by the MLB system of not acknowledging the existence of post season stats.
- It is unfair and a joke for one reliever to be sitting on the couch resting up to pad next season's regular season stats while another reliever is working his guts out into November and having that work discounted or ignored. If baseball weren't a monopoly, this wouldn't be happening. On the other hand, if this IS just regular season-then Gossage is right. Rivera is indeed worlds apart from him.
