Congratulations to Ryne Sandberg on his election to the Hall of Fame. This is good news, Astros fans, because it means that in a few years, Craig Biggio will look REALLY good.
sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I wrote a VERY long post explaining why Biggio is so much better than Sandberg it isn’t funny, but it vanished into the internet black hole when MVN went down. So I guess I’ll hafta regather the facts and do it again… In a few days….
Also, congratulations to Wade Boggs. I can not understand how anyone who claims to be a baseball writer could vote for someone like Rice, Murphy, Sutter, Smith, etc but not Boggs. Time for the Hall to get some input from those of us of the geekier persuasion…..
Tags: Cubs, Hall of Fame, Houston Astros, MLB
Lisa – Craig Biggio and Ryne Sandberg are awfully close. I like both players; I’d want either one of them playing second base for me. But how close are they, really?
Offence: Biggio has a slightly better lifetime on base average than Sandberg, but you actually should expect this considering Biggio spent all those years as a leadoff hitter, whereas Sandberg–with the skills of a number three hitter but batted mostly in the number two hole (for a couple of seasons he was batted third…and his seasonal RBI numbers took a jump accordingly)–could be expected to show a slightly lower number. They are almost identical in runs produced per 162 games, Biggio producing 175 per 162 through the end of 2004 and Sandberg, 178 per 162. But I calculate that Biggio through 2004 has put 902 more balls into play than Sandberg and produced two less runs. That’s not exactly getting what you should for your effort, even if you account for Sandberg outslugging Biggio by 17 points. (They’re actually near equal, too, as baserunners, both with excellent stolen base percentages and Biggio averaging one more stolen base per 162 than Sandberg, 27-26, while both got caught the same amount–eight–per 162. Both men have been intelligent as well as swift baserunners who made you work to get them off the bases.)
Defence: No contest. Biggio has played 390 fewer games at second base than Sandberg yet committed fifteen more errors while turning 221 fewer double plays. Biggio’s range factor at second base is 49 points higher than his league…but Sandberg’s was 63 points higher.
You’d want either man in his prime playing second base for you if you’re trying to build a winner, but my nickel goes to Sandberg.
Jeff
Rino v. Biggio:
Black Ink (Average HoFer ~ 27)
Rino 14
Biggio 17
Grey Ink (Average HoFer ~ 144)
Rino 134
Biggio 104
HoF Standards (Average HoFer ~ 50)
Rino 42.7
Biggio 49.5
HoF Monitor (Likely HoFer >100)
Rino 157.5
Biggio 125.0
Jaffe’s JAWS (Average HoFer ~70.4)
Ryno 78.9
Biggio 82.2
(For those of who you don’t know, JAWS is an average of a player’s peak and career value using Baseball Prospectus’ Wins Above Replacement Player.)
Sure looks like Biggio has got what it takes. What about the other great 2B of the past ten years, Roberto Alomar and Jeff Kent?
Black Ink (Average HoFer ~ 27)
Alomar 3
Kent 0
Grey Ink (Average HoFer ~ 144)
Alomar 95
Kent 64
HoF Standards (Average HoFer ~ 50)
Alomar 56.8
Kent 39.1
HoF Monitor (Likely HoFer >100)
Alomar 193.5
Kent 89.0
JAWS (Average HoFer ~70.4)
Alomar 91.3
Kent 66.2
Despite the fact Biggio’s a good comp for Sandberg, I think the emergence of 2B sluggers like Kent and Boone will create a lot of white noise to obscure Biggio’s value. That and the fact he’s still not as good as Alomar. Don’t think that matters? Ask Alan Trammell how his road to Cooperstown is going.
Damn my careless HTML!
BTW, my point about Trammell is that despite the fact his numbers look very good for a would-be HoF SS, they pale in comparison to his peers (well, Ripken specifically) and our current superstars (well, Rodriguez specifically). Your competition matters when it comes to HoF voting.