Postseason Best Batters 1960s

It wouldn't be until the last year of the 1960s that the playoff format of the postseason in baseball would begin, adding another round prior to the World Series. And while this would change, and probably augment the ability to rate a series, in as far as PEVA is concerned, due to the additional games and at bats played, the years before that would provide some stellar moments. One such World Series is the one Carl Yazstremski put together in 1967, number one on the decade list. It was a great year for Yaz, culminating in the seven game stretch in October which saw great hitting (OPS 1.340) and fielding. It's hard to believe that Yaz wouldn't see the postseason again until 1975 and that it would be only other one in his career. But even with only two postseason, Yaz still ranks #34 on the Career Postseason List. Another player who folks tend to forget as being a prime World Series player was Lou Brock. Perhaps it's just the type of player he was and the lack of that type of skill today, but Brock played havoc with the other team when he was on base. And when he was on base, as he was in the 1967 and 1968 World Series, it was a pleasure to watch. 14 Stolen Bases in 14 Games.

Rk Year Name Team Lg G HR RBI Ave. PEVA
1 1967 Yastrzemski Carl BOS AL 7 3 5 0.400 62.624
2 1966 Robinson Frank BAL AL 4 2 3 0.286 62.344
3 1960 Mantle Mickey NYA AL 7 3 11 0.400 59.978
4 1967 Brock Lou SLN NL 7 1 3 0.414 56.032
5 1963 Skowron Bill LAN NL 4 1 3 0.385 54.172
6 1962 Tresh Tom NYA AL 7 1 4 0.321 49.420
7 1962 Hiller Chuck SFN NL 7 1 5 0.269 47.984
8 1964 McCarver Tim SLN NL 7 1 5 0.478 46.461
9 1968 Brock Lou SLN NL 7 2 5 0.464 44.197
10 1965 Fairly Ron LAN NL 7 2 6 0.379 41.621

Postseason Best Batters 1900s

When the postseason bandwagon began again after an eleven year absence, we finally began to see what most baseball fans consider the World Series format for almost all years since, with a few exceptions when there was none, 1904 for one and 1994 for another. But the first decade of World Series play between the American and National Leagues certainly began in an era without the long ball. Of note below, only two home runs hit among the top ten postseasons of the decade. But we do begin to see the names we've come to associate with baseball history and lore. Most notable among them, Honus Wagner, of Pittsburgh. But the best season of the first decade of AL vs NL play was Roger Bresnehan. Although the numbers listed below may not seem too impressive, it's the numbers beneath them that tell the whole story, including a 0.500 OBP, plus a series that saw little offensive production, outside of Roger. Only 18 runs were scored during the 5 games of the series; that's both teams! The SLG% for the series was 0.225 (Roger 0.438) and that OBP for the series, 0.242.

Rk Year Name Tm HR RBI Ave. PEVA
1 1905 Bresnahan Roger NY1 0 1 0.313 61.259
2 1906 Rohe George CHA 0 4 0.333 39.810
3 1908 Schulte Frank CHN 0 2 0.389 38.101
4 1907 Steinfeldt Harry CHN 0 2 0.471 38.023
5 1905 Donlin Mike NY1 0 1 0.263 33.566
6 1909 Wagner Honus PIT 0 6 0.333 29.815
7 1908 Chance Frank CHN 0 2 0.421 29.657
8 1905 McGann Dan NY1 0 4 0.235 26.689
9 1909 Clarke Fred PIT 2 7 0.211 26.084
10 1903 Parent Freddy BOS 0 4 0.290 25.794


Coming Next: The 1960s.

Postseason Best Batters 1950s

It was the decade of Mays, Mantle, Aaron, and the Duke. It was a decade that saw the play of the three teams from New York; those Yankees, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Giants wrest the hearts of the fans away when two of them moved to the west coast. And it would be a decade that many believe was the best of baseball; the first full decade with the integration of the Negro League ballplayer into the major leagues, a decade prior to free agency and long term contracts, and a decade still versed in listening to the game on the radio versus the television and reading the boxscores in a newspaper. By the time the World Series rolled around each October, the entire country still waited with baited breath for the outcome of each game. Just look at the other names on the list below as well; Dimaggio, Berra, and Eddie Mathews, just to name several. What a great decade it must have been to be a baseball fan.

Rank year Name team lg G HR RBI AVG PEVA
1 1956 Berra Yogi NYA AL 7 3 10 0.360 64.000
2 1952 Snider Duke BRO NL 7 4 8 0.345 52.801
3 1950 DiMaggio Joe NYA AL 4 1 2 0.308 52.107
4 1957 Aaron Hank ML1 NL 7 3 7 0.393 50.155
5 1953 Martin Billy NYA AL 6 2 8 0.500 47.498
6 1951 Dark Alvin NY1 NL 6 1 4 0.417 45.968
7 1954 Thompson HankNY1 NL 4 0 2 0.364 43.225
8 1959 Kluszewski Ted CHA AL 6 3 10 0.391 40.658
9 1952 Mantle Mickey NYA AL 7 2 3 0.345 36.978
10 1957 Mathews Eddie ML1 NL 7 1 4 0.227 34.409

Coming Next: Postseason Baseball 1910s.

Postseason Bests

Yes, it took awhile, but they're finally here. Postseason bests for each season and career of position players and batters. And during the month of July, we'll be pushing out the best of each decade every two to three days, starting with those boys of history, the pre-World Series days before 1900. (World Series began in 1903) Okay, so not the most compelling from a today point of view, but for those who know their baseball history, the men who started what we now know as Major League Baseball, deserve a whole lot of credit and more than a little light of day. Some of these folks should be in the Hall of Fame, but due to short regular seasons that hurt their counting stats, they're not. But hey, we can at least show just how great some of their postseasons were, even if they were sporadic, starting in 1884 and ending in 1892. So here goes, the Top Ten Postseason Batting/Position Player Year Prior to 1900. So here's to you Hugh Duffy, Cap Anson, and the rest.

Rank/Name, Team, Year, HR, RBI, AVE. - PEVA
1. Hugh Duffy, BSN, 1892, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 0.462 AVE. - 60.186 PEVA
2. Barney Gilligan, PRO, 1884, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0.444 AVE. - 53.062 PEVA.
3. Tip O'Neill, SL4, 1886, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0.400 - 42.090 PEVA
4. Jimmy Wolf, LS2, 1890, 0, 8, 0.360 - 41.638
5. Cap Anson, CHN, 1885, 0, 0, 0.423 - 38.108
6. Jerry Denny, PRO, 1884, 1, 2, 0.444 - 38.006
7. King Kelly, CHN, 1885, 0, 0, 0.346 - 36.670
8. Paul Hines, PRO, 1884, 0, 1, 0.250 - 35.971
9. Mike Tiernan, NY1, 1888, 1, 6, 0.342 - 27.668
10. Sam Thompson, DTN, 1887, 2, 7, 0.342 - 27.668

PEVA listed above reflects Total Value. Postseason PEVA is 10% of that amount.

Coming Next - Best Postseason Batting 1950s

Pitching and the DEFENSIVE factor

Don't get too offended by this comment, because it's not meant to be derogatory to the entire pitching profession, but nobody really cares how well a pitcher fields his position when they're giving out contracts. That does not, however, mean that a pitcher does not have a DEFENSIVE component within his PEVA Pitching Rating Grade, it's just not the traditional kind. When we're talking about DEFENSIVE factors for a Pitcher Grade, it's not about Errors, Putouts, and Assists. It's about Strikeouts, Walks, and Home Runs Allowed.

Those are three stats in the pitcher's line where he has the most control, where he can defend the outcome, and where his defenders and team don't play much of a part. So in the pitcher venacular for PEVA DEFENSIVE components, it is an average of those two component factors (Strikeout to Walk Ratio and HR Allowed per 9 Innings Pitcher), along the same MAX/AVE/MIN scale, that counts.

But isn't that unfairly giving credit to a strikeout pitcher?

No. It gives credit to a pitcher who has control compared to how many he strikes out. One example, Greg Maddux. Most years Maddux would lead the league in SO/W Ratio despite not being a pure strikeout pitcher. (He did strikeout his fair share, BTW, even though his fastball didn't sit in the 90s)

Why should you give so much credit to a pitcher with a low HR/9IP ratio?

Look at Curt Schilling, he'd often give up solo homer or two, but that would be about it. That's true, but since Schilling often was near the top in SO/W ratio (thus being the reason they were only solo homers), his lower HR/9IP factor did not injure the overall PEVA Pitching Rating.

Does this or any other pitching factor play a moderating factor like Run Production does to a position player or even Field Value for that matter?

No. But it all works out in the wash. And that wash is how a pitcher, whether relief or starting, whether playing for a good team or a bad one, is valued when comparing his PEVA to contract terms. And that's where RAVE and EXPEQ comes in, ... but we won't bore you with those Explaining RAVE blog series right now. We'll clue you in on those at a later date. Pennant races are starting to heat up and the All-Star game is coming soon.

Field Value - The Most Controversial Component

Well, let's just get right into it. In this 5th installment of Explaining PEVA, we're going to try and tackle the questions surrounding Field Value, the DEFENSIVE component for Position Players, and how it works in context with the other five categories.

Is Field Value equal to the other components of the index (i.e. the 2 DURABILITY Factors and the three DEPENDENT and INDEPENDENT production factors discussued earlier) or does it have special value like that of Run Production?

Field Value is one of the six components and in its original incarnation counted the same as any of the other five factor components, however, it became apparent, perhaps one third of the way through the development process, that that would not be accurate. As most sabermetrics fans or proponents know, the position you play has an awful lot to do with your value, and should be weighted differently. But then another question popped into play.

Okay, so a 1st baseman with a gold glove year isn't nearly as valuable as a Shortstop with a gold glove, but what about a 1st Basemen who's pretty bad in the field, but nobody cares because of how valuable he is with the bat? How would the Field Value of that player be adjusted to reflect his true value to a team?

That's where the RPR (Run Production Factor) adjustment comes into play, raising the level of a poor fielder with exceptional production in the overall PEVA factor. While he actual Field Value will remain what it is, when calculating the overall PEVA Player Rating, it will be moderated according to the level of RPR.

Okay, I'm lost. How is the Field Value calculated in the first place, and which positions does the system value the most highly?

Field Value is calculated in the same manner as the other factors, placing a top factor for the player with the MAX value in a category and grading all players between that MAX, the AVERAGE, and the MIN. The MIN is not 0, but a MINIMUM grade we have determined as appropriate within the PEVA system. Unlike other categories, the MAX and AVE change with each position, and the final PEVA Field Value is calculated using the Field Value for each position a player plays and weighted to how many innings a player plays that position.

The system weights the MAX in this way: Catcher 2.10, Shortstop 1.75, Third Base/Outfield 1.70, Second Base 1.50, 1st Base 1.40. The value for a pitcher can be as high as 1.00, depending on the amount of Innings Pitched, but not his value in the field.

I understand why Catcher and Shortstop would be that high, but why is an Outfielder MAX higher than Second Base?

For an outfielder to reach the 1.70 figure, he would most likely have to be a Gold Glove level centerfielder. We don't really know why the Second Base figure calculated with such a low MAX, but suffice it to say, that is how Payroll values the position with a top level fielding 2nd baseman. And you know, just from a subjective point of view. 2nd base is the position many infielders default to in their careers, but it's unlikely that a poor fielder ends up in center field. He may end up in left, but not center.

But what are the components that make up those MAX/AVE/MIN factors for each position? Do you get into Range Factors and newer Zone Ratings, etc? We do use Range Factor due to its objective stats, and even though we think Zone Ratings and other such data is valuable, we have not included it in the calculation for two reasons; its subjectivity and the fact that such data does not have a long historic past for comparing older era players.

Field Value Component Factors (Position, Stat, Weight)

Catcher - IP/GP 25%, Fielding PCT 25%, Range Factor 25%,Caught Stealing % 25%

Infield - IP/GP 33%, Fielding PCT 33%, Range Factor 33%
Outfield - IP/GP 25%, Fielding PCT 25%, Range Factor 25%
Assists Per 9 IP (or Games Played) 25%

Note 1: Prior to 2000, using Games Played.
Note 2: For Catchers, the Caught Stealing Percentage used from 1960-2006. Prior to 1960, other factors reflect 33%.

So there you have it, an overview of the most controversial aspect in the PEVA factor universe. But while it is controversial, and requires that deviation away from a static max, it is important, and allows a light hitting shortstop with spectacular defensive abilities to warrant the salaries they earn while allowing that lunk hands 1st baseman with the RBI potential to warrant the multi-year $100 million dollar contract.

Sosa and the PED story

PED. Performance enhancing drugs. Well, now, after all the suspicions and denials by Mr. Sosa, his name has surfaced as one of the 104 players who tested positive in 2003, and if that's true, is another one of the star players of this steroid era to have bitten the infield dirt, or outfield grass in Sammy's case. Hall of Fame. Gone. Reputation. Sullied. Still rich as all get out though, ... isn't that just great.

The thing is, Mr. Sosa was not a special player even with the PED assistance. I know. I know. He hit all those home runs. 609 dingers. And knocked in all those runs. 1682 RBI is one heck of a total. Sure is. Well, okay, he was pretty good. But pretty good in ranking #82 all-time in Total PEVA Player Rating @ 232.726. That's just below Brooks Robinson and only a couple ahead of Dale Murphy, Tim Raines, Edgar Martinez, and Jimmy Wynn. The point being, Sammy was only in the "maybe they'll get in category" when you look at the totality of his career, including the fact of the parks he played in, the fact he didn't really play defense, or get on-base that much with a 0.344 career OBP. Oh, but he could smile. And he could lie. And he could make money. To bad Sammy doesn't speak English well enough to lie to Congress on his own, otherwise he could ask for membership.

And if all these allegations of PED use are actually true, and you start to factor in the assistance they probably gave him in reaching those totals. Que lastima. Just look at Sammy's stat line. If you accept the fact that he was a PED user in 2003, and that the home run chase between he and McGwire was a PED chase in 1998, then that covers the six best, and only great years, in Sammy's career.

Let's do some quick math deductions.

1996 - 36 HR, 119 RBI, 0.268 Ave. - 16.064 PEVA Rating
1997 - 40 HR, 100 RBI, 0.273 Ave. - 9.113 PEVA
1998 - 36 HR, 119 RBI, 0.251 Ave. - 13.226 PEVA

Ave. Three Years Prior
37.3 HR, 112.7 RBI, 0.263 Ave. - 12.801 PEVA

Ave. Probable Steroid Years (1998-2003)
55.3 HR, 134.7 RBI, 0.302 Ave. - 24.155 PEVA

2004 - 35 HR, 80 RBI, 0.253 Ave. - 6.719 PEVA
2005 - 14 HR, 45 RBI, 0.221 Ave. - 2.214 PEVA
2007 - 21 HR, 92 RBI, 0.252 Ave. - 3.971 PEVA

Ave. Three Years After (2004, 2005, 2007)
23.3 HR, 72.3 RBI, 0.243 Ave. - 4.358 PEVA

So here's what we'll deduce. Sammy Sosa may have been the player who most benefited, in his stats, from the PED era, if the allegations are true. Even if you say that his performance in those six years would have equaled that of his previous three years, that means a loss of ...

108 HR, 132 RBI, and 68.124 PEVA.

And that leaves Sammy with 501 HR, 1550 HR, and 164.602. And what player neighborhood would that be in ... #218 Best Player according to PEVA Ranking, a drop from that #82, just behind Robin Ventura, Roy White, and ahead of Joe Start, Tommy Leach, and Lave Cross.

But that would likely be giving Sammy too much credit, when you look at what happened in his career after the 2003 season. If you say his performance during that six year stretch would have equaled that average year of his previous three and three years after, that means a loss of ...

150 HR, 253.2 RBI, and 93.453 PEVA.

And that leaves Sammy with 459 HR, 1429 HR, and 139.273. And what neighborhood would he be playing in in that more likely scenario ... #307 PEVA Best Player, just behind Cy Williams and Cy Seymour, and ahead of Ken Caminiti, Roger Maris, Denny Lyons, and Garret Anderson. Do you see Hall of Fame next to any of those names?

But what might be the most insidious of the losses that would have occurred, is the one that would have occurred in his pocketbook. SPRO calculation of the lost earnings in the second, and more likely scenario, would be nearly $75,000,000. Yes, that's $75,000,000.

Geez, even in baseball, that's what most would call real money.