As A Saber Geek, Whose Jersey Would You Buy?

by Sky Kalkman on May 29, 2009 6:00 AM EDT Comment 53 comments

More photos » by Charles Dharapak - AP

Because this isn't a team blog, we miss out on many of the team-specific discussions that go on at sites. Often, that's a good thing -- think Who's our clubhouse leader? or Who has more WINZ?!? -- but there are a few topics I wish popped up. One is which jersey I should buy. Or, more theoretically, which jersey lets people know that I'm a stathead?

As my buddy Frank would argue, you don't want to make it too obvious. For example, if you're a Yankee fan, buying the Derek Jeter jersey is a bit too mainstream (and makes it look like you just came from your Sweet Sixteen party.) Instead, you might opt for an up-and-comer like Brett Gardner or Austin Jackson, although that's high risk move. You might go with a Free-Erubiel-Durazo approach, like Nick Swisher before the Xavier Nady injury. Or you might go old school, like Clete Boyer, who was an awesome defender but never won a Gold Glove.

In saber-speak, the analogy is that going with a Mark Ellis or Kevin Youkilis jersey is a little too obvious. Here are some ideas I had, if the goal is to be a bit more subtle:

Albert Pujols -- Nothing wrong with celebrating the fact that the best player in the game is underrated. This is like hiding in plain sight.
Javier Vazquez -- This one's for people who like to get into arguments.
Jeff Francoeur or Carlos Lee -- Two of the many options if you have money to spend on a joke.
Adrian Gonzalez -- For you park effects fans.
Antonio DeJesus -- Check out the walk rate, slugging percentage, and TotalZone numbers in AA.
Russell Branyan -- Bonus points if you have the Cleveland version.

What other ideas can you come up with to subtly show off your saber-geekdom on a baseball jersey?

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Carlos Lee only makes sense if...

…you could get “6/$100m” as the number. Otherwise you’ll just blend in with the crowd. But speaking of Astros, I’d say a Houston Adam Everett jersey would probably be my pick.

I wonder how many people have done a Mario Mendoza jersey… seems too obvious yet still kind of funny.

Marlins Stadium: When It's Raining, The Roof Will Happen!

by dan 2.0 on May 29, 2009 7:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mike Jacobs,

naturally.

Space.

It's a problem we face.

So we never go anywhere.

We just stay in one place.

by hazel on May 29, 2009 7:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Other obvious saber ones

Jack Cust
Adam Dunn
John Mabry, but only if you can get it as John F’n Mabry
Craig Biggio (old school Astros uni)
Tim Raines
Bert Blyleven

My top choices of current players if my wife actually let me get a baseball jersey (saber but also mainstream):
Chase Utley
Roy Halladay
Tim Lincecum

My top Yankee choices:
Bernie Williams
Wayne Tolleson

by Dan Turkenkopf on May 29, 2009 7:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I have a Chad Bradford jersey somewhere in the back of my closet.

I bugged the Brewers store employees about Russell Branyan t-shirts until they finally caved and made some, so I have one of those. I plan on doing the same for Mark DiFelice.

by richardhkirkando on May 29, 2009 7:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mike Crudale?

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on May 29, 2009 9:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Joe Morgan

by philadelphiacub on May 29, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd.

WBULTV - BDale TV Prod

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on May 31, 2009 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the sad thing is...

he was actually a great sabermetric friendly player

St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008

by vivaelpujols on Jun 1, 2009 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bill Pecota?

I actually saw a Bo Jackson 1989 Royals retro jersey for sale on line once and thought “I wonder if they could make one for Pecota (he was there at the same time) because that would be funny.”

Then I realized that while it would be funny to me, there are only about 10 people who would get the joke.

http://statspeak.net

by pizzacutter on May 29, 2009 10:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Jack Hannahan

oh wait, he sucks and his glove doesn’t make up for it.

"If Bowden was a general contractor, he'd build houses with nine bedrooms, six garages, no bathrooms, and half a roof."

by DyeLongJustice on May 29, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

ROY HALLADAY

He is not man, but machine.

Guys, I’m new to this blog, just want to say I’m glad I finally found it. Keep up the great work.

Sports And The City

A Toronto sports blog, where unabashed homerism is alive and well...

PLAYOFFS!!!!1

by eyebleaf on May 29, 2009 10:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks! And welcome.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on May 29, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kevin Youkilis, of course

and then:
Jack Cust
Bert Blyleven
Tim Raines
Grady Sizemore and
Billy Beane

by chuckb on May 29, 2009 10:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Randy Winn

duh

Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.

by oldjacket on May 29, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking of picking these up

by Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) on May 29, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

need a throwback Expos one for Tango

and probably number “30,” too

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by devil_fingers on May 29, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Willie Harris

by VictorW on May 29, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Scott Hatteberg

Otherwise, I’d just check the Three True Outcomes Leaderboard.

by MatthewA on May 29, 2009 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mike Cameron.

If there was any justice in the world people would be talking about his HOF chances.

by acblue on May 29, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

43 career WAR

http://www.baseballprojection.com/war/c/camem001.htm

Hell of a center fielder.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on May 29, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Mariners non-tendered him and replaced his glove with Raul Ibanez!

by acblue on May 29, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, the only two years he's been below 3 WAR (since 2002)

were the year he was injured for over half the season and the only year he’s put up a strongly negative UZR. He’s only been under 4 WAR one other season in that span. His only year with a below average wOBA was his second full season, when his BABIP was about 60 points below career norms. He is underrated by damned near everyone.

by acblue on May 29, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Edmonds

St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008

by vivaelpujols on May 29, 2009 4:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

have one

godfather of futureredbirds.net

by erik on May 29, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

half-shirt?

by Harry Pavlidis on May 31, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ryan langerhans

does his minor league team have custom jerseys?

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by devil_fingers on May 29, 2009 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Brad Hawpe

Because we all know fielding doesn’t matter

The artist formerly known as "mlbnotebook".
MLB Notebook.com
Inside the Majors

by Zach Sanders on May 29, 2009 5:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you'd have to make sure to put his 2008 UZR on the Jersey

St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008

by vivaelpujols on May 29, 2009 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would it fit?

by acblue on May 29, 2009 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you'd have to use scientific notation

St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008

by vivaelpujols on May 30, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he's awesome

Perhaps the “Brad Hawpe Memorial” would be a good name for this?

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by devil_fingers on May 29, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

SABR faves

Bert Blyleven
Kevin Youkilis
Carlos Beltran
Franklin Gutierrez
Jayson Werth
Ben Zobrist
Marco Scutaro
Mark DeRosa

by myersb68 on May 29, 2009 6:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Frenchie

Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all

If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.

by baetown415 on May 29, 2009 8:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My friend has Juan Pierre and Jeff Francoeur.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 29, 2009 11:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

David DeJesus

super underrated

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by devil_fingers on May 29, 2009 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt Stairs

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by devil_fingers on May 29, 2009 11:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mauer

because until he started hitting home runs this year I had to deal with other Twins fans whining about how a .320 hitting gold glove-caliber catcher with a rocket arm, eagle eye, and solid gap power was overrated.

Some others I hadn’t seen yet:
Jeremy Brown
Larry Walker
Edgar Gonzalez
Jim Rice

by JopeX37 on May 30, 2009 1:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs