Let me preface my comment by acknowledging that as a dye-in-wool Red Sox fan, I detest the Yankees.
But the one Yankee fan I can tolerate at work sent me a link last month to this Yankee blog he reads.
The blogger wrote the very article for which I’ve scoured the internet in vain for over a year now.
He offers the most intelligent, rational, and lucid critique of defensive metrics I’ve read. And of all examples, he uses the Red Sox decisions this off-season to illustrate.
Adrian Beltre’s recent tear at the plate dims the example’s vividness somewhat, but the analysis applies regardless.
It’s worth the read for all you sabermetric skeptics, especially those of you with doubts about their ability to quantify players’ defense.