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Thursday, November 06, 2008

Miklasz: Pujols Gets Ripped Off … Again

This is a biggest travesty to hit St. Louis since Enos Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off!

As usual, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols wasn’t given the proper respect by people who supposedly have the most knowledge of the game. San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez won the Gold Glove at 1B, and while I am a fan of the way the guy plays, he’s not in Pujols’ class as a defender.

Zone Rating (ranking) from STATS LLC:

1. Pujols, 935.
3. Gonzalez, .882

Revized Zone Rating (RZR) from Hardball Times:

1. Pujols, .840
10. Gonzalez .697

(Additional note: despite playing roughly 200 fewer innings than Gonzalez, Pujols made more plays than Gonzalez according to RZR. And Pujols made 52 plays out of his zone — balls that he shouldn’t have gotten to, but did — compared to 35 by Gonzalez).

...It’s one thing for baseball writers to screw up the award voting; I’ve come to expect that. But how can the managers and coaches — who presumably know better — be so far off base?

Repoz Posted: November 06, 2008 at 12:39 AM | 18 comment(s)
Related News: General, Sabermetrics, St Louis

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1. Craig K Posted: November 06, 2008 at 12:53 AM (#3004167)

Eh.

Just getting used to him getting jobbed before the NL MVP comes out.

2. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: November 06, 2008 at 01:02 AM (#3004171)

...It’s one thing for baseball writers to screw up the award voting; I’ve come to expect that. But how can the managers and coaches — who presumably know better — be so far off base?

That's Bernie's first mistake. Managers, coaches and players are generally not better at making any kind of awards selections.

But don't fret. I'm sticking by my belief that Albert will win the MVP rather comfortably.

3. Barca Posted: November 06, 2008 at 01:13 AM (#3004174)

Why doesn't Glaus ever seem to get consideration for the GG?

4. Biff. You know, for kids! Posted: November 06, 2008 at 01:45 AM (#3004179)

Yeah, Miklasz should really save his venom for if Pujols gets robbed of the MVP.

5. cardsfanboy Posted: November 06, 2008 at 01:55 AM (#3004181)

Great article by Bernie, It's funny watching Molina win the gold glove in his unarguably worse defensive season. And Pujols has just now joined Musial as an underappreciated player in his time. Seriously, has there been a better defensiver first baseman in the game since Pujols became a full time first baseman?

6. Guts Posted: November 06, 2008 at 02:41 AM (#3004187)

Pujols Gets Ripped Off ~~Again~~ As Usual.

If he doesn't win the MVP, I will be upset and will probably post something drastic.

7. Jeff K. Posted: November 06, 2008 at 02:58 AM (#3004190)

Am I misremembering Bernie Miklasz as the throwback ######### guy in St. Louis? The kind that I should be floored that he used Zone Rating, much less Revised Zone Rating?

8. DCW3 * Posted: November 06, 2008 at 03:16 AM (#3004193)

Am I misremembering Bernie Miklasz as the throwback ######### guy in St. Louis?

Yes. Miklasz uses VORP. He's mentioned BTF in his column. He's one of the more sabermetrically savvy mainstream sportswriters you're likely to find. You might be thinking of Dan O'Neill. Or Bryan Burwell. Or Jeff Gordon. Or...well, there's a lot of them.

9. Jeff K. Posted: November 06, 2008 at 03:26 AM (#3004194)

Hmm...no, I'm pretty sure the guy had a Polish-y name.

10. Portia Stanke Posted: November 06, 2008 at 03:42 AM (#3004197)

Bernie is aware of VORP and OPS and plenty of other metrics, but he generally restricts himself to those that portray Cardinal players in the best light. He's a homer, but a solid columnist and an interesting foil to TLR on occasion.

11. TOLAXOR Posted: November 06, 2008 at 08:04 AM (#3004209)

Why doesn't Glaus ever seem to get consideration for the GG?

BECAUSE HE'S AVERAGE???!!!

12. Barca Posted: November 06, 2008 at 09:18 AM (#3004226)

<<Why doesn't Glaus ever seem to get consideration for the GG?>>

"Glaus scored higher than Wright in Zone Rating. And Glaus was a plus 7 in the Dewan-James Plus-Minus system; Wright was a plus 3. And Glaus (7) committed fewer errors than Wright (16)."

Now I noticed that it is a St. Louis writer.

13. Tim Lincecum doesn't Wang Chung tonite (GGC) Posted: November 06, 2008 at 09:41 AM (#3004235)

That's Bernie's first mistake. Managers, coaches and players are generally not better at making any kind of awards selections.

14. Mike Emeigh Posted: November 06, 2008 at 10:01 AM (#3004243)

"Glaus scored higher than Wright in Zone Rating. And Glaus was a plus 7 in the Dewan-James Plus-Minus system; Wright was a plus 3. And Glaus (7) committed fewer errors than Wright (16)."

And the Cardinals have a staff of groundball pitchers.

-- MWE

15. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: November 06, 2008 at 10:09 AM (#3004248)

Mike, are you're alluding to the notion that a higher volume of grounders faced is correlated with facing easier ones?

16. Marty Winn Posted: November 06, 2008 at 10:24 AM (#3004253)

Chipper should have gotten the 3B gold glove.

17. kubiwan Posted: November 06, 2008 at 10:28 AM (#3004256)

In one of the early Bill James Abstracts, Bill said something like this, comparing MVP selections to whichever award the players voted on. IIRC, it was the Sporting News awards that the players vote on.

I remember that one of Bill's comments was something to the effect that, based on their voting patterns, the players had apparently never even heard of the concept of defense.

18. Mister High Standards Posted: November 06, 2008 at 10:43 AM (#3004273)

I don't believe zone based defensive metrics are as meaningful for 1b as they are for other infield or outfield positions, simply because it doesn't measure how good a reciever a 1b is. I'm not really weighting in on Puljos vs Gonzalez as I don't see Gonzalez enough to know how good he is. Though I will say quoting there respective zone metrics doesn't convince me at all.

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Miklasz: Pujols Gets Ripped Off … Again

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