Angels were the best baserunning team in 2006

by Dogman on Jan 11, 2007 12:32 PM PST Comment 24 comments

As a "stat-head," I enjoy Baseball Prospectus and have a subscription to their premium stuff online. They posted an article today with some stats that quantify baserunning. The Angels ranked first last year, adding an estimated 13.64 runs with their baserunning. (This was the highest single-season total by a team since BP started keeping track in 2000.) Interestingly, only three teams helped themselves on the basepaths (the Mets and Phillies being the other two). This is mostly because stealing bases is a high-risk, low-reward proposition and most teams aren't very good at it.

The Angels were led by Chone Figgins who added almost five runs with his legs. Izturis and Cabrera also seem to be particularly good baserunners based on BP's stats.

By the way, the stats are based on:
Advancing on hits
Advancing on fly balls
Advancing on groundouts
Stolen bases (and caught stealing)

I know there is a bias against stats such as this around here, but I thought it might at least open up some discussion as to what our anecdotal observations tell us about the Angels' baserunning.

Any thoughts?

This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.

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BR

Chone Figgins was selected as the best baserunner in all of MLB in this years Bill James handbook, and O-Cab came out as really good too.

It sure seems that Vlad runs himself into a lot of outs, but that's all I have to say about that.

by elricsi on Jan 11, 2007 12:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Best Moment of 2006

Was when Cabrera stole home...I watched that at least 100 times (besides seeing it live). What made it even better was that it was against the Dodgers.

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 11, 2007 3:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i agree!

that was PANTHER

by yeswecan on Jan 11, 2007 3:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely on my highlight reel

along with Vlad's inside-the-parker.

Fire Mickey Hatcher. An entire generation of Angels offense depends upon it.

by scareduck on Jan 11, 2007 5:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Here is the Link....

Now others can watch it 100 times too:

http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/scripts/mediaplayer/mp_tpl.jsp?w_id=503989&w=2006/open/tp/archive0 7/070206_lanana_cabrera_steals_home_tp_350.wmv&pid=mlb_tp&gid=2006/07/02/lanmlb-anamlb-1& ;mid=200607021535376&cid=mlb&fid=mlb_tp350&v=2&mType=w&urlstr=&murl=

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 11, 2007 8:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, yeah...

One of my other best moments this year was Napoli's 470-foot blast at Arizona. Me and the Girlfriend drove out to see the three game series and it was quite a sight to see in person. Might be the longest blast I've seen in person during a game (seen longer during batting practice).

Here is the link to that blast:
http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/scripts/mediaplayer/mp_tpl.jsp?w_id=502491&w=2006/open/tp/archive0 6/062306_anaari_napoli_hr_tp_350.wmv&pid=mlb_tp&gid=2006/06/23/anamlb-arimlb-1&mid=20060 6241520548&cid=mlb&fid=mlb_tp350&v=2&mType=w&urlstr=&murl=

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 11, 2007 8:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

By the way...

For those of us going to Spring Training (I'm going the first weekend), something cool to do is stop by Chase field and eat at the Fridays. There open year-round and you can sit out overlooking the field. It's a cool experience. Maybe they have the ball Napoli hit. I'll see if they do in 51 days and counting...

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 11, 2007 8:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Monster Shot

I was at this game as well - I couldn't believe how far he hit. I live in Phx so I go to DBax games for my baseball fix, and that was by far the farthest ball I've seen hit there. When he hit it - u knew it was out, but imagine your at Friday's eating your JD glazed ribs and WHACK theres a baseball in your french fries.

Please do something good this offseason...

by gorams77 on Jan 12, 2007 10:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Angel Homerun Ball Hit In My Food...

= Panther!

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 12, 2007 12:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Scioscia

should get none of the credit for this - the guys are running to do something because they know his lineup is so pathetic.

by Rev Halofan on Jan 11, 2007 1:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

neither should "See No" Ebel

because nobody saw his stop signs as they rounded third base.

by yeswecan on Jan 11, 2007 1:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Cabrera might be the best baserunner I've seen

Pettis was really good, too; and Beltran seems fantastic from what I see on teevee.

by mattwelch on Jan 11, 2007 6:25 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

And what's this "bias" business?

by mattwelch on Jan 11, 2007 6:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I actually liked Ebel....

It seemed like Roenicke was needlessly running our guys into outs all the time. I think Ebel was somewhat smartly agressive, if that makes sense.

by thewebb on Jan 11, 2007 6:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

fair enough

but the problem is, nobody pays attention to Ebel's signs! how many times did we see vlad or cabby run through his stop signs? it was hilarious when he was wrong and embarrassing when he was right.

by yeswecan on Jan 11, 2007 8:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No bias here

Go STATS!

I think that the causal fan is represented in high numbers here, and stats represent research and time that would take away form their other casual activities. Also there is a "radio show call in" aestitic to a lot of posts... But I'm in college and drink excessively, which makes my opinions invalid. Excuse me while I hit the beer bong.

Response from Rev "No, your blankity blank makes your comments invalid"

i have sloppy handwriting

by rjcicc on Jan 12, 2007 2:29 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I miss college

Your experience sounds very similar to mine. I spent a lot of time studying baseball stats instead of cost accounting.

And, I know not everyone here is anti-stats, but I just feel like I need to put the disclaimer before certain individuals (you know who you are) start mocking anything that resembles Neyer-esque analysis.

I agree with those that have mentioned Cabrera as being a good baserunner. I've always thought that and the numbers seem to back it up.

by Dogman on Jan 12, 2007 8:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Stats Are Useful...

Stats are useful, just are other aspects of the game. They have been kept for over a hundred years in baseball. I love stats as well. While I may be partial to the oldies: BA, HR, RBI; I still like the new ones as well: SLG, OBP, OPS, RF, etc.

Where I think that people differ is in this: stats do not tell the whole story. Some people evaluate players only on stats, and that is what erks people. Where is Eckstein's heart and hustle in the stats? It's hard to find, but easy to see on the field. Thus stats for me is just ONE tool among many to evaluate players.

One more thing about stats--I wish there were better defensive stats. The old ones like errors and fielding percentage hardly tell you anything about a players defensive ability. Same goes for some of the new ones like range factor. I'd like to see some new/better stats for defensive ability--but I guess it's hard to quantify.

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jan 12, 2007 8:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Heart & hustle?

Yeswecan has managed to quantify them. Look out for this season's PHIL previews...

by Higz on Jan 12, 2007 10:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i will have to license PHIL to AN

despite the rev's misgivings, PHIL will make another appearance next season. and i have a feeling that AN will suddenly see the highly complex science behind such a compelling stat such as PHIL.

by yeswecan on Jan 15, 2007 3:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

forcing me to run

D O O F U S to show readers who has been smokin' PHIL's wacky tabbacky...

by Rev Halofan on Jan 15, 2007 4:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

go for it

PHIL can stand on its scientific merits, whereas DOOFUS just sounds silly.

by yeswecan on Jan 15, 2007 4:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

you're right about the defensive stats

Stats don't tell all, nor do they claim too. There thigns like personality, attitude, and work ethic that can be just as importnant when evaluating player with few stas. Here's my two cents about the X-Factor. Heart and hustle are cool atributes to point out to your son or daughter while at the game. You tell them that because he hustles down the base paths after EVERY ground out to short he's been able to overcoem being %-foot nothing. How even though he's just a little guy and it takes all the might he can muster, he's abel to thtrow that heavy ball all the way to first base, all by himself Plus he's white, which makes him "scrappy" and an "everymans man" The guys at FJM.com have already made this argument, but he's just an OK leadoff hitter and and a below average fielder. And for all his heroics in the WS his playoff stats are still pretty crappy, coming in at 278 .333 .335

i have sloppy handwriting

by rjcicc on Jan 12, 2007 11:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics

My favorite is when someone rants about how the stats one person is referencing are totally stupid and stats stink, then they go trot out the wrong stats.

Range factor is from the early 80's, so not really new. It was thought to be the bomb back then, now we know you have to at least adjust the hell out of it.

Zone ratings are actually very good (I think), especially when you adjust for park. ZR works very nice when comparing players on the same team. Fielding Win Shares are not bad too.

One of my favorite stats is actually runs scored, because it is based on OB%, baserunning ability and extra base hits. Of course no stat is perfect.

by elricsi on Jan 12, 2007 10:19 AM PST reply actions 0 recs