Bill James Mailbag - 10/3/12 - 10/4/12

Infields… The 2003 Rangers had an IF of Tex, Michael Young, ARod, and Hank Blalock. ARod was the old man at 27. Tex was a budding star, Blalock was the next George Brett, Young was beginning a string of 200 hit seasons, ARod was an MVP. Funny how thing work out.

At least they came out of it with a baseball team.  The 1999 Kansas City Royals had an outfield of Jermaine Dye, Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon, which I believe is the only time in baseball history a team has ever had three young outfielders who went on to careers of that quality.  The Royals parlayed this into a string of 100-loss seasons.

The Mariners announced they are moving the left field fences in at Safeco. While it will probably increase home runs in general, does a move like this ever matter much for the home team?

... It would be interesting to know whether there is a study of this issue.  Still, based on what little I know, if I were the Mariners I would be doing something to make the park more normal.  I think the extreme pitcher-friendly conditions of that park have been making it difficult for their young hitters to find their place in the sun.

Hey Bill! The O’s and the A’s both came out of nowhere this year to have big seasons and make the playoffs. Which team do you think has the better chance of sustaining that success over the next few seasons?

Well, in 2004 the Detroit Tigers were playing Alex Sanchez and Nook Logan in Center Field.  I asked Josh Byrnes which one of them he liked, and he said “Is neither an option?”...

Regarding a pitcher starting a post-season game after having no wins in the regular season, Virgil Trucks started two games for the Tigers in the ‘45 Series, after winning no games during the regular season because he had been in military service the entire season.  He had pitched in one regular season game, getting no decision…

Thanks.

Who would you vote for if you had a vote for NL MVP?

McCutchen, but I think it is close between McCutchen and Posey.  I don’t see Braun as having had similar value.

Assuming nothing crazy happens, is Miguel Cabrera’s triple crown the “worst” triple crown season ever?

... By my reckoning. . .article published some time in the last two months. ...Cabrera’s Triple Crown score is right in the middle of Triple Crown Seasons.  It is less impressive than Hornsby, 1922, Foxx (1932. . .disputed inclusion), Hornsby, 1925, Gehrig, 1934, Foxx, 1933, Mantle, 1956, Medwick, 1937 or Ted Williams, 1942, but more impressive than Yaz, Frank Robinson, 1966, Chuck Klein, 1933, Lajoie, 1901, Tip O’Neill, 1887, Ted Williams, 1947, Ty Cobb, 1909, or Paul Hines, 1878.

Bah… Hines easily beats Cabrera in terms of the number of “girls badly ‘gone’ on his shape”.