Baseball Statistics Should Not Be Ignored: Fan Opinion

When it comes to baseball, or any other sport for that matter, I believe that there are three types of fans out there: The Casual Fan The casual fan will never pay to go to a game. This fan will check the standings on occasion and may watch a game when it’s on unless their favorite TV show happens to be on at the same time

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When it comes to baseball, or any other sport for that matter, I believe that there are three types of fans out there:

The Casual Fan

The casual fan will never pay to go to a game. This fan will check the standings on occasion and may watch a game when it’s on unless their favorite TV show happens to be on at the same time. They could not name a single person in the minor league system and get confused when someone is brought up. They also pay no attention to stats only worrying if their team is in first place or not.

The Steady Fan

This fan attends games when they can. They might even own a mini-ticket package. The steady fan knows the history of their team and loves getting into debates. They pay attention to stats but not all of the time. They also believe that what their eyes see are just as good as what a computer tells them. They are well informed, but only to a point.

The Die-Hard

The die-hard fan is the one who makes sure they can go to as many games as possible. They are the bloggers. They pore over stats constantly and embrace sabermetrics. They will get into debates as well knowing that they are right. I mean they have the information to back it up. They can also name the top ten prospects in their team’s farm system off of the top of their heads.

Now as a kid I was the casual fan and I soon became the steady fan as I moved into my teens and eventually became the die-hard that I am today. However, I have found that it is becoming difficult to argue with the steady fan over which player is better due to the fact that they base their argument in what they “see” while I base mine on stats or “facts”.

A good argument involves Michael Young. The steady fan is in love with him. Some will say he is the greatest player to ever put on a Texas uniform. Fans were even calling for him to be the AL MVP last season. All they saw was his hits and average and how he played so many positions. I look at all of his stats (WAR, OPS, UZR) and I see an average player whose one great year was 2006. I also see a player who should be traded before Mitch Moreland if not for his salary. No other team would want to pick up his contract.

Another fan favorite of the Texas Rangers is Derek Holland. With the Rangers recently signing Yu Darvish and supposedly in the mix for Roy Oswalt many fans have debated over which pitcher on the current roster is expendable with the consensus being Matt Harrison. The only problem is that statistically he was one of the better pitchers on the staff last season and it is Derek Holland who should be traded. If you don’t believe me then go check out a great piece written by Lincoln Floyd over at shutdowninning.com. You can find it here.

The steady fans either see the good side or the bad side of a player and they use that as the basis for their opinion. Derek Holland had an excellent game in the World Series. That’s the lasting memory. Totally forgotten are the early exits and meltdowns during the season.

The same can be said for Darren Oliver. He blows a couple of games coming out of the bullpen and all of a sudden he should be traded or cut. Never mind the fact that he was statistically one of Texas’ best relievers last season.

The simple fact is that stats do matter. You cannot go by what you “see”. No team in the history of baseball has been fielded by what was seen. Okay maybe when baseball began they put together teams by sight alone by not anymore.

If teams went by sight alone then everybody would be after Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes became an internet sensation last year when videos of him “leaked” onto YouTube. He’s huge and has power and speed. I couldn’t help but watch his videos over and over again. I even entertained the thought that Texas should do what it takes to sign him and trade Nelson Cruz. I am so glad that I don’t work in the Rangers front office. Cespedes is currently playing winter ball in the Dominican league where he is hitting a paltry .130 with six strikeouts in six games. The jury is still out on him.

So, if you don’t already, take five minutes every day to look at some stats starting with your favorite player. Learn them. Love them. It will open your eyes and you’ll feel better for it.

Until next time, I’ll see you in the cheap seats!

James Holland is a lifelong fan of baseball and his hometown Texas Rangers. You can follow him on Twitter @TXRangersJames.

Sources:

http://baseball-reference.com

http://fangraphs.com

http://shutdowninning.com

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