I realize the title of this post sounds like a sequence in an old Western. Don’t blame me for that. Blame the ownership of the Cleveland Indians, a team that I should really start referring to by another name due to the inherent backwardness of its current nickname.
Please send suggestions.
Having said that, I was struck by a quote I saw from Manny “Apocalypse Now” Acta after yesterday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers (that nickname, by the way, sounds incredibly apropos given the season we’ve all witnessed so far). When asked about the Indians committing 2 errors, Acta said, “We’ve had fielding concerns all season.” The team now leads the American League with 93 errors on the year.
As a mid market franchise that spends like a small market franchise, the Indians cannot afford to have poor defense. Great defense, as everyone knows, makes your pitchers better. It is also, I would imagine, far cheaper to acquire than great offense, in part because it’s still somewhat difficult to measure statistically.
Furthermore, the Indians pitchers, as everyone also knows, have not been great this year. In fact, they are last in the AL in strikeouts. The poor fielding is all the more troubling then because a bunch of balls are in play: the Indians lead the AL in Chances (Put Outs + Assists + Errors).
Surprisingly, Indians’ pitchers are tied for third best in the AL when it comes to giving up home runs (only 110 so far). So if the team had better fielding, the quality of their pitching would be greatly improved.
Just how bad is the Tribe’s defense when it comes to other statistical measures besides errors? Obviously, the number of errors committed isn’t a perfect way to look at a team’s defense because it only accounts for those balls that fielders were able to reach. If a team has fielders with lousy range, they may have less errors because they get to less balls. Or if a team has fielders with great range, they might have more errors because they get to less balls. Finally, if a team has fielders with poor range and still a ton of fielders, well, then they’re basically fucked.
Now, advanced defensive metrics in baseball are a labyrinth that I have spiraled helplessly into while in the process of writing this post. For example, I fell down the stairs while contemplating Rdrs/yr or BIS, the number of runs above or below average a fielder is worth per 1200 innings. I walked into a wall while thinking about Rtot/yr or Total Zone, the number of runs above or below average a fielder is worth based on the number of plays made. But if you’re willing to look at some of these advanced defensive metrics, the Indians actual ratings are a mixed bag.
They are second in the AL in Rdrs/yr with 7 (Oakland is first with 9). They are sixth in the AL in Total Zone.
Most telling, perhaps, the Indians are third to last in Defensive Efficiency which is a measure of the percentage of in-play balls that are converted into outs. In other words, the Indians rate low in getting players out who hit the ball … not good when your pitchers are terrible at striking hitters out.
Individually speaking, there are a few bright spots:
Shin Soo Choo is first in Total Zone Runs or the number of runs above or below average a player is worth based on the number of plays he makes. In other words, Choo saves runs by getting to and making a lot of plays better than anyone else in the American League.
Lou Marson is 2nd in the AL in caught stealing percentage. Carlos Santana is tied for 4th.
Matt LaPorta leads the entire AL in Range Factor/9Inn as a 1B.
Asdrubal Cabrera is second in the AL in Range Factor/9Inn as a SS.
Okay, that’s enough. I’ve reached the point where my head might explode - if it hasn’t already - and I’m sure you’re in the same boat. So what’s the takeaway?
A couple things, I think. One, if I’m interpreting Total Zone properly, strong range and performance at the end of that range isn’t saving anyone a whole lot of runs. Secondly, the Indians aren’t getting guys out who hit the ball, which is probably a product of poor pitching and making errors. Really, defense isn’t the issue, in my opinion. What the Indians truly need is pitchers who can strike hitters out. When they get that, the defense will be good enough.
If, of course, the offense can score any runs. Right now, they sure as hell can’t (11th in the AL).
