Come To Think of It...Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: Debunking the Myth in MLB

The rule is, if a pitcher goes 3 innings and the lead is intact, he gets a save. But there is no limit to the amount of innings you need to go as long as he comes into a game where the tying run is on deck.

So, if a guy comes into the ninth innings, two outs, the team leading 8-5 and a runner on first, he gets a save. That is why guys like Joe Borowski compile tons of saves with an ERA of almost 6.00 every year.

So What To Do?

The best indicator of offensive performance in baseball is on-base percentage, or OBP. While batting average is of limited value in determining offensive performance, OBP measure the most important contributor to scoring runs in a baseball game: getting on base.

A player who hits .280 with a .320 OBP is not a good hitter. But a player who hits .260 with an OBP of .375 is helping his team much more, as he is on base almost 38 percent of the time versus only 32 percent. Getting runners on base is what it's all about. This creates scoring opportunities.

Statistics used by sabermatricians today stay away from the subjective and focus on objectivity. Thus, they are better indicators of player value. 

Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research. It was coined by Bill James, who was among its first proponents and has long been its most prominent and public advocate.

A quick look:

Some of the more mainstream stats include OPS (on-base plus slugging) as well as WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).

Another useful stat is value over replacement player (or VORP), that demonstrates how much a hitter contributes offensively or how much a pitcher contributes to his team in comparison to a fictitious "replacement player," who is an average fielder at his position and a below average hitter.

Secondary average is a ratio of bases gained from other sources (extra-base hits, walks, and net bases gained through stolen bases) to at bats.

The formula is:

SecA = TB - H + BB + SB - CS / AB                     

where

• TB = Total bases
• H = Hits
• BB = bases on balls
• SB = Stolen bases
• CS = Caught stealing
• AB = At bats

A secondary average of .500 is considered outstanding, while anything lower than .200 is very poor.

There are a host of other statistics in use today that do a better job of measuring performance than the stats many of us have grown up with. Come to think of it, change can be a good thing sometimes. 

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