A-Rod and Jeter
I was struck by an interesting stat this weekend: On Friday, July 21, Alex Rodriguez notched his 2,000th hit.
Derek Jeter reached that hitting milestone on May 26, almost two months earlier. I was surprised that Jeter reached 2,000 hits so much sooner ... in fewer at-bats ... and in fewer games. Why? Because A-Rod is generally considered the more effective player.
Let's count some numbers.
Jeter has accomplished four 200-hit seasons; A-Rod, just three. Jeter has eight .300-hitting seasons; A-Rod, just five.
On the other hand, Jeter has one 100-RBI season; A-Rod, nine. Jeter has three 20-home run seasons; A-Rod, 11.
The difference in their stats illustrates the difference in their responsibilities: Jeter is a table-setter, A-Rod a table-cleaner.
Of course, their roles aren't happenstance — the cause and effect are clear: A-Rod cleans tables because he can. He has a baseball skill that separates him from Jeter: He hits a lot more home runs (at the moment, 450 to Jeter's 175).
So how does one judge the true effectiveness of a player? By raw talent? Or by how well he uses his particular skills to help his team win? I'd argue the latter. We can't all be the fastest runner, the most powerful hitter, the guy with the strongest arm. People are different, and in a team game, the sum of those differences is the most important element to winning.
By that definition of effectiveness, Jeter and A-Rod are equally valuable to the New York Yankees because they both (slumps aside) fulfill their roles well. Jeter is consistent and clutch, A-Rod powerful and productive.
One can view RBIs as a team stat. In the case of this pair, Jeter is more often the "R," A-Rod more often the "BI."
Derek Jeter reached that hitting milestone on May 26, almost two months earlier. I was surprised that Jeter reached 2,000 hits so much sooner ... in fewer at-bats ... and in fewer games. Why? Because A-Rod is generally considered the more effective player.
Let's count some numbers.
Jeter has accomplished four 200-hit seasons; A-Rod, just three. Jeter has eight .300-hitting seasons; A-Rod, just five.
On the other hand, Jeter has one 100-RBI season; A-Rod, nine. Jeter has three 20-home run seasons; A-Rod, 11.
The difference in their stats illustrates the difference in their responsibilities: Jeter is a table-setter, A-Rod a table-cleaner.
Of course, their roles aren't happenstance — the cause and effect are clear: A-Rod cleans tables because he can. He has a baseball skill that separates him from Jeter: He hits a lot more home runs (at the moment, 450 to Jeter's 175).
So how does one judge the true effectiveness of a player? By raw talent? Or by how well he uses his particular skills to help his team win? I'd argue the latter. We can't all be the fastest runner, the most powerful hitter, the guy with the strongest arm. People are different, and in a team game, the sum of those differences is the most important element to winning.
By that definition of effectiveness, Jeter and A-Rod are equally valuable to the New York Yankees because they both (slumps aside) fulfill their roles well. Jeter is consistent and clutch, A-Rod powerful and productive.
One can view RBIs as a team stat. In the case of this pair, Jeter is more often the "R," A-Rod more often the "BI."
posted by Chris | 12:10 PM
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