Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Celtics, Heat Score On Purpose In Super Sunday Wins

Saber-Friendly Blogging 101: Best Position Players In Franchise History


BtB reader and Rangers' fan philkid3 has a cool post up at LSB about the best players in Rangers history (well, since 1955, at least).  He included pitchers via a different method, which you can tackle if interested, but here's how to come up with a neat list of the best position players for your own team.  As always, feel free to throw links to your own post in the comments of this one.

  1. Jot down 25 or so names that you think might be in the top 10.  Don't skimp on slick fielders, 2B/SS/CA, or people born before you.  For some help, generate a list of the top OPS+ in franchise history using B-Ref's PI tool
  2. Look up those 25ish players in Sean Smith's historical WAR database.  Why use this source?  Because Sean accounts for basically all significant aspects of a player's context-neutral on-field production: hitting, baserunning, GIDPs, range, position, turning DPs, catcher defense, etc.
  3. Add up their WAR for all seasons as a member of your team.  These players did the most to help your team win games since 1955.
  4. Add up the WAR of their best five consecutive seasons for your team and divide by five.  This is one way find the average production of a player's peak.
  5. Add up the WAR of their best three season for your team and divide by three.  This is another way to find the average production of a player at his peak.
  6. Rank the players you looked up by any or all of the three metrics outline in points 3 to 5 above.  Maybe think about only presenting the top ten and provide some interesting words about each, such as where they derived most of their value (offense, defense, baserunning, whatever -- Sean lists it all at his site.)
  7. Don't do any of the above, and wait for Sean to create leader boards for his WAR data.  ETA: anywhere from one day to one year.

Update: Brew Crew Ball is taking this position by position, which is even cooler.

Comment 10 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Cardinals

might not be a complete list but: Career as a Cardinal / 5yr average / Best 3 years

Pujols: 67.9 / 9.04 / 10.03
Edmonds: 45.5 / 7.26 / 7.7
Ken Boyer: 52.1 / 5.96 / 6.7
Ozzie Smith: 61.1 / 6.2 / 6.6
Stan Musial: 32.6* / 4.7* / 6.667*
K. Hernandez: 35 / 5.43 / 6.533
Ted Simmons: 46.6 / 4.98 / 6.06
Rolen: 29 / 4.52 / 6.36
Lankford: 39.1 / 5.08 / 5.86
Brock: 41.3 / 4.52 / 5.26

  • Stan Musial’s career started in 1941, he was just that good

by thoran85 on Mar 6, 2009 10:22 AM EST reply actions  

Stan Musial was arguably the most consistent hitter in history

1815 hits at home, 1815 hits on the road. I think that stat is amazing.

by pedalpusher on Mar 6, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions  

Considering that the stat only starts in 1955

Stan was 34 in 1955 so the stats only include one season of OPS+ of 170+

From 1941-1954 Stan had 6 seasons of 170+ OPS+ and averaged OPS+ of 170.3

by thoran85 on Mar 6, 2009 12:49 PM EST up reply actions  

It wouldn't be hard to figure out his overall WAR

You would just take his wOBA from each – the league average wOBA/1.2 * plate appearances. For defense you could just use TucsonRoyal’s true UZR prediction with his recorded TZR data.

vivaelbeñsheets

by vivaelpujols on Mar 6, 2009 2:38 PM EST up reply actions  

Cool but,

Unfortunately, I don’t think I am going to have time to do that. Would be cool though. I figure he would easily average at least 8WAR/year and that conservative estimation would put his career total around 130 WAR

by thoran85 on Mar 7, 2009 10:18 AM EST up reply actions  

FWIW

The Senators began play in 1961, and they’ve only been the Rangers since 1972 (and we only included Rangers). So the 1955 cut off is no issue.

by philkid3 on Mar 6, 2009 6:01 PM EST reply actions  

Thanks for the suggestion

It was interesting to go through the best players of the team – there were a couple of surprises. I went by position and overall for the O’s.

C: Chris Hoiles
1B: Eddie Murray
2B: Bobby Grich
3B: Brooks Robinson
SS: Cal Ripken Jr.
LF: Brady Anderson
CF: Paul Blair
RF: Frank Robinson
P: Jim Palmer

#10: Paul Blair (32.3 wins above replacement)
#9: Brady Anderson (33.4)
#8: Bobby Grich (33.1)
#7: Frank Robinson (33.1)
#6: Boog Powell (38.1)
#5: Mike Mussina (50)
#4: Eddie Murray (57.1)
#3: Jim Palmer (64.5)
#2: Brooks Robinson (70.4)
#1: Cal Ripken Jr. (91.2)

by KakesForROY on Mar 6, 2009 7:55 PM EST reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

We use numbers and stuff.
Community Guidelines
Why be a member?

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
Free Agent Compensation
Img_0001_small
Value of Various Plate Approaches
Strike_three2_small
Effect of Foul Area on Strikeouts: AL 1954-68: Erratum
Small
Baseball on a stick
Small
Player Evaluating Statistic
Baseball_small
Rays Outfield: Cheap but Extremely Productive
Small
A new xBABIP
Small
Jack Morris "pitching to the score"
Strike_three2_small
Foul Area and Differences in SO: AL vs NL
Baseball_small
Is there a Kuroda and Oswalt Alternative?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter!

SaberGraphics

MLB Daily Dish

Get the latest MLB Trade Rumors, Transactions, and News at MLB Daily Dish!


Managing Editor:

Jbopp-kc_small Justin Bopp

Columnists:

Adam_small adarowski

Dme_small Satchel Price

Closeup4_small J-Doug

Carlosicon_small Julian Levine

Billy_and_daddy_4th_of_july_small Bill Petti

Featuring:

Dayton_small Jeff Zimmerman

12475953_small Jacob Peterson

Picture-6_small Chris St. John

Btbpro_small Dave Gershman

229331_10150183361996591_674441590_6760167_6637860_n3_small Lewie Pollis

Img_3830_small David Fung