Drooker: Converting the old-school fan

From SABR member Don Drooker at Rotisserie Duck on August 10, 2017:

Back in the day, baseball writers who voted for the MVP award used their eyes but not very much statistical analysis. This same stubbornness exists with baseball fans of the 1950’s & 60’s when you talk to them about advanced metrics determining the value of a player. They still cling to the stats on the back of baseball cards and have a hard time with OPB (On-Base Percentage), OPS (On-Base + Slugging) WHIP (Walks + Hits divided by Innings Pitched) and especially WAR (Wins Above Replacement).

In an effort to somewhat convert a few of these old-school fans, let’s look at WAR in the era from 1954 (when most major stars of the time had become major leaguers) to 1968 (the year prior to the mound being lowered and divisional play being added).

Read the full article here: https://rotisserieduck.com/2017/08/10/converting-the-old-school-fan/



Originally published: August 10, 2017. Last Updated: August 10, 2017.