Baseball Mogul

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Top 100 Players of the Decade

I'm surprised Shawn Green didn't make it
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1 Albert Pujols

It's not easy to choose between the top two, but by all accounts Pujols is a model ballplayer and model teammate. Plus, his numbers are as good as A-Rod's even though he's played one fewer season.

2 Alex Rodriguez

If he'd stayed at shortstop, he would be No. 1. If he'd been healthier this year or if the Yankees had won another World Series or two, he would be No. 1. On this list, though? No. 2 isn't a bad place to be.

3 Barry Bonds

Yes, he ranks third despite not having played in 2008 or '09. Deal with it. (And if this helps, Bonds was, for five years, probably the most feared hitter in the history of the game.)

4 Derek Jeter

How much credit do we give to the postseason and intangibles? Not a lot, but Jeter has played shortstop throughout the decade and racked up nearly 2,000 hits.

5 Ichiro Suzuki

Has it really been nine years? Because Ichiro seems to play and look exactly like he did when he arrived in Seattle nine years ago. Only major leaguer with more than 2,000 hits in the decade.

6 Carlos Beltran

Beltran excelled in all phases of the game -- hitting, running, fielding -- and gets a couple of bonus points for his brilliant run with the Astros in the 2004 postseason.

7 Chipper Jones

No, he wasn't much of a fielder … but what a hitter! All the silly questions about Chipper's Hall of Fame credentials finally were answered when at age 36 he hit .364 for his first batting title.

8 Todd Helton

With the exception of 2008, Helton just plowed through the decade with impressive production, even accounting for his home ballpark. And he's been underrated with the glove.

9 Roy Halladay

No pitcher until now? There just wasn't a pitcher who was brilliant for the whole decade, as Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens were in the 1990s or Jim Palmer and Tom Seaver were in the 1970s.

10 Johan Santana

Little separates Santana and Halladay, and Santana's best seasons were slightly better than Halladay's. But Halladay pitched more and did all his work in the game's toughest division.

11 Scott Rolen

It's a shame that Rolen wasn't able to stay healthy in the latter half of this decade; otherwise his brilliant defense would have him headed for Cooperstown. (Maybe it should anyway.)

12 Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds, No. 12? Really? Yeah, really. A player who can hit and play Gold Glove-quality center field is immensely valuable … and yet so often undervalued. Just ask Dale Murphy.

13 Manny Ramirez

Ramirez's postseason stats are almost exactly what you'd expect considering his regular-season stats. He has this spot because the next guy on the list has struggled so terribly in October.

14 Vladimir Guerrero

He's been a great player, no question. But it's fair to mention that he's hit only two home runs in 29 postseason games, and that costs him a spot or two here.

15 Jorge Posada

Among the nine catchers with at least 4,000 plate appearances during the 0's, Posada is No. 1 in on-base percentage and slugging percentage and also tops in homers (by a lot) and walks (ditto).

16 Bobby Abreu

It wasn't even one of his best seasons, but in 2009 Abreu finally (if temporarily) lost the underrated tag … he finished just 12th in the MVP ballot, but that was the best he had ever done.

17 Lance Berkman

Berkman has never really gotten his due, even though he's been consistently outstanding; when the Astros were good, he was the only "Killer B" who thrived in the postseason.

18 Randy Johnson

Three of the Big Unit's four straight Cy Young Awards came in this decade; it's amazing considering that he was in his late 30s at the time. It's almost as amazing that he stuck around for the rest of the decade.

19 Jason Giambi

Sure, you know about the power. But in the 0's, when Giambi did most of his best work, he also rang up a .418 on-base percentage, fifth-best in the majors.

20 Andruw Jones

When the end came -- the end of Jones' greatness, anyway -- it came quickly. But in the first eight years of this decade, Jones won eight Gold Gloves and routinely co-anchored the Braves' division-winning lineups.

21 Curt Schilling

Forget about the bloody sock (for a moment, anyway). Schilling won just 117 games in the 0's but also lost only 63 and was uniquely instrumental in three world championships.

22 J.D. Drew

Don't laugh. Drew has averaged only 123 games per season, but when he's played he's hit, fielded and run with great skill. The Red Sox knew what they were getting and don't have any regrets.

23 Roy Oswalt

Oswalt's numbers are practically identical to Roy Halladay's; the difference is that they spent the entire decade in different leagues, and you know what that means.

24 Mariano Rivera

Instead of asking why Mo's not higher on this list, you might ask why he's not lower, having thrown only 713 innings in the 0's. Well, he's not lower because he pitched 86 postseason innings with a 0.94 ERA.

25 CC Sabathia

Didn't become a great pitcher until his sixth season but obviously blossomed into one of the game's most effective and durable starters. And mostly in the American League, no less!

26 Mark Buehrle

He's never won 20 games and has been close just once, but he's pitched at least 200 innings in nine straight seasons and has never had a bad year.

27 Jim Thome

Thome hit 368 home runs during the decade; only A-Rod (who lapped the field) hit more. Thome also ranked fourth in walks, seventh in OPS and first in 500-foot homers to straightaway center field.

28 Pedro Martinez

Martinez went 75-26 with a 2.53 ERA from 2000 through 2004; in five seasons since, he has just 37 wins with 3.86 ERA, thus making the Red Sox look real smart to let him get away.

29 Javier Vazquez

Would you believe that only two pitchers struck out more than 2,000 hitters in the 0's, and Vazquez was one of them? It's true. (Also true: Randy Johnson was the other.)

30 Miguel Tejada

Playing shortstop is a tough job? Nobody played more games in the 0's than Tejada, who successfully fought off every attempt to move him to third base.

31 Tim Hudson

He hasn't won more than 16 games in a season since leaving Oakland but is the only one of the A's three aces to maintain his status as a top starter throughout the decade.

32 Johnny Damon

Closed the decade with one of the greatest World Series at-bats; the Red Sox were right about Pedro but probably wrong about Damon.

33 Jeff Kent

He didn't play in 2009 but still finished the decade with 850 RBIs, easily more than any other second baseman. Wasn't a good fielder … but he was good enough.

34 Gary Sheffield

Devastating hitter through the first six years of the decade -- .309/.408/.564 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) -- but production fell off in later seasons as injuries mounted. He's the closest to Dick Allen that most of us have seen.

35 Mike Mussina

A truly great pitcher for so many years, Mussina answered all the critics by finally winning 20 games in 2008, his last season, and punching his ticket to Cooperstown.

36 Mike Cameron

Exactly the sort of player who's usually underrated: Low batting average, but midrange power, solid baserunning and outstanding defense in center field made Cameron better than you probably thought.

37 Chase Utley

Maybe he should rank higher, but this is a lofty spot for someone who's been an everyday player for only five seasons. The National League's best-fielding second baseman and perennial leader in hit-by-pitches.

38 Carlos Delgado

It's hard to believe that Delgado has been an All-Star just twice; for the decade ranks fifth -- behind future Hall of Famers (probably) -- in both home runs (324) and RBIs (1,045).

39 Eric Chavez

From 2000 to 2005, averaged 30 homers per season, won five Gold Gloves and was perennially underrated. Since then? Not so much, thanks to a sickening series of injuries.

40 Joe Mauer

He's been a regular for only five seasons but might be the most talented baseball player on the planet; just picked up his first MVP award but might deserve three of them.

41 Ivan Rodriguez

Pudge spent the second half of the decade trying (and often failing) to keep his on-base percentage above .300, but five Gold Gloves and early-decade hitting punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame.

42 Roger Clemens

It was an odd decade for The Rocket, but let's not forget that he went 107-50 and won two Cy Young Awards (neither of which he really deserved, but Clemens did pitch well before finally retiring for good).

43 Mark Teixeira

Teixeira didn't arrive until 2003 and didn't play well until 2004, but since then he's been the best-hitting non-Pujolsian first baseman in the majors.

44 Carlos Zambrano

It's easy to remember Zambrano's foibles but maybe not so easy to remember he went 105-68 with some teams that weren't always real great. And if he got into the occasional scrap … well, that's the Bull.

45 Adrian Beltre

Yeah, he squeaks into the top 50 because he hit 48 homers one season. But Beltre has had plenty of good seasons, too, and all the while has played Gold Glove-quality defense at third base.

46 Placido Polanco

Hey, what's he doing here? Well, he's here because he's been a league-average hitter who's played distinctly better-than-average defense just about anywhere they've put him.

47 Troy Glaus

Like Beltre, Glaus once hit 48 home runs (well, 47 to be precise). Unlike Beltre, Glaus topped 35 homers in three other seasons. Was actually building a (mild) Cooperstown case before missing most of 2009.

48 Barry Zito

Hey, it's not his fault the Giants thought he was worth $126 million. One big plus: Since coming up with the A's in 2000, Zito hasn't spent a single day on the disabled list.

49 Mike Lowell

After joining the Red Sox in 2006, Lowell bounced back brilliantly from the only poor season of his career. Among third basemen in the decade, ranks first in doubles and fourth in home runs.

50 Andy Pettitte


51. Grady Sizemore
52. Jimmy Rollins
53. David Ortiz
54. Brian Giles
55. Brandon Webb
56. David Wright
57. Miguel Cabrera
58. Derrek Lee
59. Magglio Ordonez
60. Rafael Furcal
61. Melvin Mora
62. Jake Peavy
63. Hanley Ramirez
64. Derek Lowe
65. Sammy Sosa
66. Larry Walker
67. John Lackey
68. Josh Beckett
69. Dan Haren
70. Torii Hunter
71. Ray Durham
72. Carlos Guillen
73. Greg Maddux
74. Edgar Renteria
75. Jarrod Washburn
76. Aramis Ramirez
77. Matt Holliday
78. Bartolo Colon
79. Adam Dunn
80. Randy Winn
81. Tom Glavine
82. Nomar Garciaparra
83. Cliff Floyd
84. Victor Martinez
85. Freddy Garcia
86. Vernon Wells
87. Michael Young
88. Jose Valentin
89. Tim Wakefield
90. Kevin Youkilis
91. Carl Crawford
92. Corey Koskie
93. Brad Radke
94. Chone Figgins
95. Jose Reyes
96. Kelvim Escobar
97. Frank Thomas
98. Carlos Lee
99. Kenny Rogers
100. Jamie Moyer

Tom Yawkey was in fact a racist

http://verbplow.blogspot.com/2009/11/tom-yawkey-race-and-smoking-gun.html

"They blame me,” Yawkey says, ‘and I'm not even a Southerner. I'm from Detroit.” Yawkey remains on his South Carolina fief until May because Boston weather before then is too much for his sensitive sinuses. “I have no feeling against colored people,” he says. “I employ a lot of them in the South. But they are clannish, and when that story got around that we didn't want Negroes they all decided to sign with some other club. Actually, we scouted them right along, but we didn't want one because he was a Negro. We wanted a ballplayer."


Read the statement closely, for it tells us everything we need to know.
Yawkey first tries to throw his Southern employees under the bus, by intimating that because he is from Detroit, he is obviously not a racist, and that because they are from the South, they presumably are. But he doesn’t stop there.

He next offers that he has no feelings against African Americans, and as evidence cites the facts that he employs African Americans on his South Carolina estate, a former plantation. But that is hardly the equivalent of putting a ball player on a major league field. After all, in their own way, even slave owners “employed” African Americans.

But then comes the first of two smoking guns: “But they are clannish,” Mann quotes Yawkey as saying of African Americans, “and when that story got around that we didn't want Negroes they all decided to sign with some other club.”

No single sentence could be more revealing – or more pathetic. First Yawkey offers that all African Americans share the same characteristics – in this case, being “clannish.” That kind of stereotyping is damning enough, but when he states that “when that story got around that we didn't want Negroes they all decided to sign with some other club,” he is in fantasy land. Yawkey is making the claim that the reason the Red Sox remained white is the fault of the black ballplayers themselves. He is saying nothing less than “African Americans erroneously thought we were racist so therefore they refused to sign with us.”

The notion that an African American ballplayer in the late 1940s and 1950s would turn down an offer to sign with any major league team over any issue, even money, sounded spurious to me, and in a survey of the Negro League history books that I have in my possession, I could find no such accounting. But I wanted to be sure.

I contacted my friend Lawrence Hogan, a Professor of History at Union College in New Jersey, one of the foremost Negro League historians in the country and the author of Shades of Glory, published by National Geographic and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a book which has been referred to as a definitive history of Black baseball in America. In an e-mail I asked him, “Are you aware of any Negro League players, from the time Robinson signed to the late 1950s, who turned down offers from major league teams to remain in the Negro Leagues?” I asked specifically if he had ever heard of such a claim in regard to a player refusing to sign with the Red Sox.

The answer is no. Wrote Hogan, “I have never heard even the slightest suggestion of either thing you mention happening. I am sure there were players good enough to be signed who were not because of the glacial pace of integration. But I can ot imagine any Negro League player turning down an offer, other than on the normal personal grounds of not enough money being offered, or wanting to get on with life in a non-baseball way.”

But that is not all. Upon examination, Yawkey’s final statement - “We scouted them right along, but we didn't want one because he was a Negro. We wanted a ballplayer," might be the most telling statement of all. For if we follow Yawkey’s logic – “We looked for black ballplayers but we wanted talent first and foremost” – then compare it to the fact that from the time of Robinson’s signing through July of 1959 the Red Sox neither put an African player on the major league field who they signed themselves nor traded for one, the conclusion is inescapable: Tom Yawkey and his organization simply did not believe that any African American ballplayer had the talent to play for the Red Sox. This, despite the fact that they were playing on every other team in baseball, and that by 1959 there were dozens and dozens of African Americans winning championships, winning Cy Young awards and MVP awards and playing on All-Star teams throughout the major leagues, players like Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Don Newcombe and many, many, many more. But none, apparently, were good enough for Boston. “We wanted ballplayers,” indeed.

There is your “smoking gun” - in his own words. Decades after they were first uttered, you can still detect the stench.

Top 50 Free Agents

Top Free Agents
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1. Matt Holliday - Mets. The Mets could grab headlines by signing Holliday to a six or seven-year deal for more than $100MM.

2. John Lackey - Yankees. Last winter's strategy of signing the best two starters and the best hitter available contributed to the Yankees' World Series title. With rotation question marks after C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it makes sense that the Yanks will pursue the best available starter in Lackey.

3. Jason Bay - Red Sox. It's been rumored the Red Sox are willing to offer four years and $60MM to Bay. That seems to be a fair opening bid, given his defensive struggles.

4. Chone Figgins - Angels. The Angels have internal options at third base, but he'd be hard to let go after a career-high .395 OBP and excellent defense at the hot corner.

5. Randy Wolf - Mets. The Mets regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf a year ago. As the best available starter aside from Lackey, Wolf is primed to get a three-year deal worth more than $30MM.

6. Andy Pettitte - Yankees. With all the good vibes surrounding Pettitte's work this year, it's hard to see him anywhere else. The Yankees might have to guarantee more than $5.5MM this time though.

7. Jose Valverde - Phillies. One way to shore up a shaky bullpen: sign the best closer available. Few teams are seeking closers, and even fewer have money, so the Phillies should be able to get a relative bargain.

8. Marco Scutaro - Red Sox. It's difficult to place Scutaro, because not many teams with shortstop vacacies will be willing to pay the three years and $18MM+ he'll likely demand. The Sox would be getting the best available shortstop here, but they could instead choose Jed Lowrie and/or Alex Gonzalez.

9. Adrian Beltre - Twins. The Twins made a large upgrade at shortstop by acquiring J.J. Hardy. Beltre would give them fantastic left-side infield defense and another possible 20 home run bat. The Twins had interest in trading for Beltre a year ago, though the Scott Boras client added them to his no-trade clause.

10. Rich Harden - Red Sox. A one-year deal with a $7MM base salary would be difficult for Harden to resist. His injuries are maddening, but he leads free agent starters with a 10.9 K/9.

11. Mike Cameron - Padres. The Padres are tight on cash, but bringing back Cameron to play center field makes sense on a one-year deal worth $7MM or so.

12. Johnny Damon - Yankees. Most believe the Yankees will re-sign one of Damon and Hideki Matsui. Despite Matsui's World Series MVP award, Damon probably fits better given his ability to play the field more regularly.

13. Orlando Hudson - Nationals. The Nats coveted Hudson last year. Adding him now would help with their stated goal of improving up the middle.

14. Miguel Tejada - Athletics. A one-year deal to bring Tejada back would give the A's security on the left side of the infield, where they have Cliff Pennington at shortstop and Brett Wallace not quite ready at third base.

15. Joel Pineiro - Cardinals. He'd be a big loss for the Cardinals, who have rotation openings after Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Kyle Lohse. Pineiro walked just 27 in 214 innings posted a 60.5% groundball rate due to a newfound sinker.

16. Nick Johnson - Giants. A jolt of OBP at first base would do the Giants good. They were involved in talks for Johnson around the trade deadline.

17. Aroldis Chapman - Red Sox. They've been heavily involved with Chapman from the start, and may consider him a long-term investment worth more than $20MM.

18. Marlon Byrd - Rangers. Byrd is one of the better center fielders available, but not too many clubs are in the hunt at the position. The Cubs could be in the mix here after they trade Milton Bradley.

19. Vladimir Guerrero - White Sox. The White Sox would generate attention by signing Vlad as a DH and occasional right fielder. Landing Guerrero would also be a solid baseball move on a reasonable one-year deal.

20. Felipe Lopez - Dodgers. They seem ready to part ways with Orlando Hudson, and Lopez might be a bit cheaper. Lopez's 2009 season ranked fourth among all free agents in WAR.

21. Adam LaRoche - Braves. Did LaRoche's scorching stint with the Braves last year price him out of their range? The Mets, Orioles, A's, Mariners, Giants, D'Backs, and Rangers might also be in the market for a first baseman.

22. Rafael Soriano - Angels. Will the failure of Brian Fuentes prompt the Angels to add another late-inning arm? After missing most of '08, Soriano bounced back with 102 strikeouts in 75.6 innings this year.

23. Jon Garland, Dodgers. Bringing back Garland would be a safe move, though the Dodgers already declined his $10MM option. Garland required a $7.25MM guarantee a year ago, and he had a better season, so this is an iffy prediction. The Twins, Nationals, Mets, and Brewers may be among the other teams seeking an innings-eater.

24. Carl Pavano - Nationals. Back to his original organization? Pavano surprisingly managed 33 starts in '09, and his 4.16 xFIP reveals his 5.10 ERA was misleading.

25. Brad Penny - Mets. Penny is just one of many different arms the Mets might consider as they attempt to bolster their rotation depth. No other free agent starter throws harder, so Penny's upside is still tantalizing.

26. Erik Bedard - Dodgers. If the Dodgers don't want to pony up the cash or prospects for a true ace, they could buy a Bedard lottery ticket instead.

27. Hideki Matsui - Mariners. Matsui joining the Mariners in a DH/left field role will become more likely if Ken Griffey Jr. retires.

28. Bengie Molina - Nationals. Molina is difficult to place, especially if he demands more than $5MM. With Jesus Flores coming off shoulder surgery, the Nats will probably add a veteran on a one-year deal. The Mets also may sign a catcher.

29. Mike Gonzalez - Braves. Gonzalez should be cheaper than Soriano, and the Braves need some kind of relief signing or acquisition. With available closers plentiful, the Braves could wait around until March in hopes of a bargain.

30. Jason Marquis - Diamondbacks. The D'Backs are known to crave a mid-tier veteran starter, and Marquis is one of many options. Many have speculated Marquis would like to play for the Mets, and they are a reasonable match as well.

31. Placido Polanco - Diamondbacks. Second base is another area of need for Arizona. As with the Marquis situation above, Polanco is one of several palatable free agent choices.

32. Tim Wakefield - Red Sox. Wakefield had back surgery in October, but the Red Sox will probably still view him as a bargain at $4MM.

33. Ben Sheets - Rangers. The Brewers and Rangers seem to be the most likely landing spots for Sheets, who had flexor tendon surgery in February and missed the '09 season. That injury caused a two-year deal with the Rangers to fall apart.

34. Doug Davis - Brewers. Davis was claimed off waivers by the Brewers in August, but they couldn't work out a deal with the D'Backs. At the time, Davis liked the idea of returning to Milwaukee. He'll probably have to back off his three-year demand to make it happen.

35. Jarrod Washburn - Brewers. Perhaps the Brewers won't sign these two mid-tier lefties, but they do figure to acquire a pair of starters somehow. Washburn could make it easier on the Brewers by providing a hometown discount. Otherwise, trading Mat Gamel could net an arm.

36. Russell Branyan - Mariners. Interest in a new contract is mutual. There are enough mitigating factors to make another one-year deal likely.

37. Billy Wagner - Cubs. The Cubs don't have much payroll space, and they may prefer to go with Carlos Marmol as their closer. Then again, they wouldn't do so a year ago when Marmol was coming off a good season. The Cubs could offer Wagner a chance to close, as could the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Angels, and Braves. Even Wagner's old teams, the Phillies and Astros, have back-end bullpen concerns.

38. Juan Uribe - Mariners. Uribe was quietly very valuable in 2009, playing all around the infield for the Giants. Uribe's shortstop-third base flexibility could fit for Seattle.

39. John Smoltz - Tigers. Smoltz of course came up with the Tigers, and they considered him a year ago. They could sign him and keep an open mind as to his role.

40. Jermaine Dye - Rangers. The Rangers signing both Byrd and Dye might be a stretch, though Dye should be used strictly at DH. Given his second half decline he should be affordable.

41. Mark DeRosa - Phillies. I debated flipping the DeRosa-Beltre predictions, as both the Phillies and Twins have a need at third base. DeRosa, a former Penn quarterback, has been linked to the Phils for years.

42. Coco Crisp - Royals. The Royals already declined his $8MM option. But Crisp likes Kansas City and the Royals still need a center fielder, so an incentive-based deal could happen.

43. Carlos Delgado - Orioles. In Delgado, the Orioles could add a possible 30-home run bat with little risk. And Delgado could benefit from some time at DH.

44. Orlando Cabrera - Blue Jays. O-Cab might find a small market for his services this winter, even without a draft pick cost attached.

45. Gregg Zaun - Rays. Zaun can void his $2MM club option if the Rays exercise it, but he might be swayed by the chance to start.

46. Jim Thome - Athletics. The A's should have their pick of affordable free agent DHs. Thome's not done; he hit .249/.366/.481 this year.

47. Fernando Rodney - Tigers. I have no idea where Rodney will sign. No one will want to pay a premium for his 37 saves. He might be best-served returning to Detroit on a one-year deal worth $6MM or so.

48. Xavier Nady - Diamondbacks. The D'Backs will probably tender a contract to Conor Jackson, but Nady could still be helpful at first base and left field. He's a Scott Boras client, but he missed most of the season due to Tommy John surgery.

49. Kiko Calero - Rays. Calero's a health risk, so he might be cheap despite a 1.95 ERA and 10.4 K/9 in 60 innings this year. He's the type of reliever the Rays figure to add.

50. Rafael Betancourt - Rockies. I think the Rockies will work out a two-year deal to retain Betancourt as their setup man. It could include incentives for closing, should Huston Street depart after '10 or struggle before then.

Honorable mentions: Justin Duchscherer, Troy Glaus, Alex Gonzalez, Randy Johnson, Brett Myers, Vicente Padilla, Chan Ho Park, J.J. Putz, Takashi Saito, Jack Wilson

I would have put these players in a very different order

Clutch Hitting Exists. Bill James Says So

Back in the early days of sabermetrics, when dinosaurs roamed the American League Western Division, we made a very fundamental mistake. A friend of mine wrote an article asserting, essentially, that clutch hitters don't exist. At the time, we lacked any real ability to study the issue. We didn't have access to play by play of the games. No one could plausibly assert that clutch hitting did exist, because we couldn't document it without access to the game accounts, but Dick Cramer had finagled access to a couple of seasons of old data, studied the data and concluded that it didn't. There was nowhere for the discussion to go.

It was about seven years after that before we began to have access to play by play, long before the data began to come on line, the discussion had stalled out at the assertion that clutch hitting did not exist.

In retrospect, this may not have been the best place to begin the discussion. A logical path for the discussion, it seems to me, would have been more like this:

1. Do you think clutch-hitting ability exists?
2. I don't know, what do you think?
3. I don't know. How would we study that?
4. Define a clutch situation and accumulate data on how players perform over a period of years? That would seem to work.
5. How would you define a clutch situation?

We would then proceed to debate the definition of a clutch situation, and gradually we would develop data, and perhaps even an understanding of the data.

Instead, the discussion went more like this:

(A) Clutch hitting doesn't exist.
(B) Umm...OK.
(C) I don't know...I think maybe it could exist.
(A & B in unison) Prove it.
(C) I can't prove it.
(A) OK then, it doesn't exist.
(B) If you can't prove it exists, we have to assume that it doesn't.

The discussion has been premised upon an assertion, rather than flowing from the question itself. What I have been trying to do for the last couple of years is to back up, define a clutch situation, begin accumulating data, and gradually go down the other path.

Some people find this confusing. "Why are you publishing this clutch data," they will ask, "when you don't have any reason to believe that there is such a thing as a clutch hitter?" But that's the thing: We're publishing the data because we don't know.

The other question everybody asks now is "How do you determine what is a clutch at-bat?" I'll have to stiff you on that one for right now. I'll explain it generally and leave the details for some other time.

"Clutch" is a complicated concept, containing at least seven elements:

1. The score,
2. The runners on base,
3. The outs,
4. The inning,
5. The opposition,
6. The standings,
7. The calendar.

Sometimes people look at things like batting average with runners in scoring position, batting average with runners in scoring position and two out, batting average in the late innings of close games. Those things are all interesting, but Tampa Bay playing Texas in April is not the same as San Diego playing Los Angeles in September.

We made up a system giving weight to each of these seven factors; not saying it's perfect, but you have to start somewhere. Baseball's most famous clutch hitter is David Ortiz, so let's start with him. The Big Papi's batting record in clutch situations, over the last six years.

David Ortiz and Mike Sweeney have been fantastic in the clutch from 2002-2007

Clutch Hitting Exists. Bill James Says So

Back in the early days of sabermetrics, when dinosaurs roamed the American League Western Division, we made a very fundamental mistake. A friend of mine wrote an article asserting, essentially, that clutch hitters don't exist. At the time, we lacked any real ability to study the issue. We didn't have access to play by play of the games. No one could plausibly assert that clutch hitting did exist, because we couldn't document it without access to the game accounts, but Dick Cramer had finagled access to a couple of seasons of old data, studied the data and concluded that it didn't. There was nowhere for the discussion to go.

It was about seven years after that before we began to have access to play by play, long before the data began to come on line, the discussion had stalled out at the assertion that clutch hitting did not exist.

In retrospect, this may not have been the best place to begin the discussion. A logical path for the discussion, it seems to me, would have been more like this:

1. Do you think clutch-hitting ability exists?
2. I don't know, what do you think?
3. I don't know. How would we study that?
4. Define a clutch situation and accumulate data on how players perform over a period of years? That would seem to work.
5. How would you define a clutch situation?

We would then proceed to debate the definition of a clutch situation, and gradually we would develop data, and perhaps even an understanding of the data.

Instead, the discussion went more like this:

(A) Clutch hitting doesn't exist.
(B) Umm...OK.
(C) I don't know...I think maybe it could exist.
(A & B in unison) Prove it.
(C) I can't prove it.
(A) OK then, it doesn't exist.
(B) If you can't prove it exists, we have to assume that it doesn't.

The discussion has been premised upon an assertion, rather than flowing from the question itself. What I have been trying to do for the last couple of years is to back up, define a clutch situation, begin accumulating data, and gradually go down the other path.

Some people find this confusing. "Why are you publishing this clutch data," they will ask, "when you don't have any reason to believe that there is such a thing as a clutch hitter?" But that's the thing: We're publishing the data because we don't know.

The other question everybody asks now is "How do you determine what is a clutch at-bat?" I'll have to stiff you on that one for right now. I'll explain it generally and leave the details for some other time.

"Clutch" is a complicated concept, containing at least seven elements:

1. The score,
2. The runners on base,
3. The outs,
4. The inning,
5. The opposition,
6. The standings,
7. The calendar.

Sometimes people look at things like batting average with runners in scoring position, batting average with runners in scoring position and two out, batting average in the late innings of close games. Those things are all interesting, but Tampa Bay playing Texas in April is not the same as San Diego playing Los Angeles in September.

We made up a system giving weight to each of these seven factors; not saying it's perfect, but you have to start somewhere. Baseball's most famous clutch hitter is David Ortiz, so let's start with him. The Big Papi's batting record in clutch situations, over the last six years.

David Ortiz and Mike Sweeney have been fantastic in the clutch from 2002-

Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart

The Blue Jays have called up quite a few prospects so the picking are slim in the minor leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart

Arizona League

Lots of Los Angeles Angels

1. Mike Trout, of, Angels
2. Fabio Martinez, rhp, Angels
3. Allen Webster, rhp, Dodgers
4. Rymer Liriano, of, Padres
5. Randal Grichuk, of, Angels
6. Julio Morban, of/dh, Mariners
7. Adys Portillo, rhp, Padres
8. Rafael Rodriguez, of, Giants
9. Jonathan Garcia, of, Dodgers
10. Jon Bachanov, rhp, Angels
11. Maverick Lasker, rhp, Brewers
12. Richard Alvarez, rhp, Rangers
13. Edward Concepcion, rhp, Giants
14. Jesus Brito, 3b, Indians
15. Hector Sanchez, c, Giants
16. Tomas Telis, c, Rangers
17. Rolando Gomez, ss, Angels
18. Jonathan Galves, ss/2b, Padres
19. Danny Danielson, rhp, Dodgers
20. Max Walla, of, Brewers

GCL Top 20 Prospects

1. Christian Bethancourt, c, Braves
2. Kelvin De Leon, of, Yankees
3. Reymond Fuentes, of, Red Sox
4. Jarred Cosart, rhp, Phillies
5. Carlos Perez, c, Blue Jays
6. Adrian Salcedo, rhp, Twins
7. Jonathan Singleton, 1b, Phillies
8. Destin Hood, of, Nationals
9. Tanner Bushue, rhp, Astros
10. Domingo Santana, of, Phillies
11. B.J. Hermsen, rhp, Twins
12. Roman Mendez, rhp, Red Sox
13. Billy Hamilton, ss, Reds
14. Eury Perez, of, Nationals
15. Brooks Pounders, rhp, Pirates
16. Yorman Rodriguez, of, Reds
17. Caleb Brewer, rhp, Braves
18. Jonathan Villar, ss, Phillies
19. Melvin Mercedes, rhp, Tigers
20. Daniel Tuttle, rhp, Reds

Top Prospects

The Top Baseball Prospects are listed on this website

Rene Tosoni

Could it be that Rene Tosoni will replace Delmon Young in the outfield.
Could he play centerfield ahead of non-hitting underachieving Carlos Gomez

The Future of Baseball

This site shows the many possible depth charts of the 30 major league baseball teams
mlbaseballdepthcharts.com/

Toronto Blue Jays Crossword

New Toronto Blue Jays Crossword

It features Halladay, Rolen, Wells, Rios

St Louis Cardinals Depth Chart at mid-season

I disagree with Baseball America about St Louis top prospects

The Cardinals dont have a very strong depth chart

Heres what baseball America has:

1. Brett Wallace, 3b
He's an elite hitting prospect, though it remains to be seen whether he can stick at third.
2. Shelby Miller, rhp
The 19th overall pick in June had the best fastball among the draft's high schoolers.
3. Daryl Jones, of
He's building on a breakout 2008 performance with a steady season in Double-A.
4. Wagner Mateo, of
Dominican power hitter signed for a club-record $3.1 million last week.
5. Jess Todd, rhp
Don't be surprised if he emerges as St. Louis' closer of the future.
6. Clayton Mortensen, rhp
Currently filling a bullpen role in the majors, he has the stuff to be a No. 3 or 4 starter.
7. Pete Kozma, ss
Tends to start slow, then make adjustments every time he reaches a new level.
8. Jaime Garcia, lhp
Needed Tommy John surgery shortly after reaching St. Louis last July.
9. Lance Lynn, rhp
Sinkerballer has gone 7-2, 4.05 in Double-A in his first full pro season.
10. Adam Reifer, rhp
Reliever pitches in the high 90s but lacks command, gets hit more than he should.

I think Anderson still is good enough

MLB Baseball Depth Charts

MLB Baseball Depth Charts

This site has all 30 MLB Baseball Depth Charts
It covers the amjor leagues as well as AAA, AA, A and rookie leagues.

Here for example is the Depth Chart for the New York Mets

It also has a Top 200 Prospects list

It has been updated regularly in 2009

Fantasy Baseball Depth Charts

This fantasy baseball depth chart site has many products
You can buy a book about Tony LaRussa or Tommy Lasorda

This guy invests much time into baseaball

This baseball blog is updated regularly
Its full of good baseball information about the minor leagues
Its not really focussed on depth cahrts

Baseball Depth Charts

There are many types of baseball depth charts
Here are baseball depth charts that show diffrent colours for each level
So MLB, AAA and AA players all look diffrent