"I looked it up. Vosmik made more plays in the same number of games (153) as the Indian centerfielder Earl Averill. Vosmik was 22, 8 years younger than Averill. It is especially odd because the Indian starting rotation was exclusively right-handed."

Most fly balls go the other way. We just remember the HR, which are pulled.

Citing Retrosheet one year ago I wrote:
14. Paul Wendt Posted: January 23, 2007 at 02:57 PM (#2285264)
"Career" voters at least should consider that Nettles was platooned, apparently in Minnesota and the NL, not in Cleveland or New York; that is, 1968-69 & 1984-89, not 1970-83. It appears that he averaged only 111 games, NY 1980-83, for other reasons.


Graig Nettles, at bats vs left- and right-handed pitchers, 1980s (past prime)
1980 140 184 : big drop in playing time but not platoon tactic
1981 137 212 : 39% full-time play, strike season
1982 156 249 : 39
---- left right &#xlh;p
1983 161 301 : 35 New York, more than 33% lhp
1984 _77 318 : 19 San Diego
1985 _97 343 : 22 "
1986 _53 301 : 15 "
1987 _48 129 : 27 Atlanta
1988 __5 _88 : _5 Montreal

Column four ("lh;p") is percent atbats vs left-handed pitchers

Nettles was 39.1 years old when he completed his American League career in 1983.
This year I don't care about his NL career.

I'd just like to note that Win Probability Added suggests that Graig Nettles was one of the greatest clutch performers of the last 35 years: the timing of his hits added a full six wins above what we would have expected with an average distribution. That increases his career value by about 10%. I have not yet decided whether I will give him credit for this, but voters who are convinced by the Win Shares approach most definitely should.