I give up!

Beltran gets hurt running to first base.

The Perfect Stat

Talk of Batting Average has transitioned to talk of On-Base Percentage, which has transitioned to talk about OPS (On-base + Slugging).

This is a good thing.

Batting average was a crude stat. Thank you Michael Lewis (and Billy Beane, I guess).

OPS at least attempts to account for the skill of walking and hitting doubles.

Howver, OPS leaves the door open to the "does the little things" argument. Often this talk centers around a team's #2 hiter, as in: "Luis Castillo is the prototypical #2 hitter. He can take a pitch, get the runners over, steal you a base."

Until now, it has been hard to argue against proponents of players that "do the little things," because there was no way to measure the intangibles that purportedly make Luis Castillo good. There's also no way to capture how successful a player is at creating runs, in relation to his opportunities.

Until now, it has also been hard to account for situational hitting. OPS also doesn't account for clutch situational hitting. For example, a walk with runners on 2nd and 3rd doesn't do as much good as a single. An infield single is not as productive as a long single the right fielder has to back hand.

Like I said...UNTIL NOW!

Here is my idea. A stat that attempts to capture all those extra bases. I call it: ALL BASE PERCENTAGE (ABP). Here is how it works:

When a player gets up, there is only so much he can do. You've heard announcers talk about the facct that a player can't hit an "eight run home run."

For example, when a player gets up with no one on base, he can get a total of 4 bases (from home to first to second to third to home). When a player gets up with a runner on first, he can get a total of 7 bases (himself, home to home, and the guy on first, first to home). With the bases loaded, a batter can advance himself and teammates a total of 10 bases.

ABP calculates the total number of bases a player advances his team, compared to the total number of bases he COULD have advanced his team. So, a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded gives the player a 1-10 (.100) ABP for that at-bat.

When Castillo sacrifices on his own in the first inning (don't get me started about this), he gets a 1-7. When he gets a single with a runner on 2nd, but doesn't drive the run in (because he hits the ball no more than 117 feet), he gets a 2-6 (.333) ABP.

Whene David Wright gets a long single with runners on 2nd and 3rd, scoring both runners, he went 4-7 in ABP.

When a hitter hits a long flyball with two outs (and therefore doesn't drive the run in), he gets an 0-5.

This stat rolls in RISP (runners in scoring position), RISP/2 OUTS, BA, OBP, Slugging, sacrifices, all in one stat.

It also gives credit for hitting ground balls to second base, and infield hits, and long singles.

It can be modified to double count double plays.

It can also be modified to account for stolen bases. If Ichiro gets a bunt single, then steals second, third, and home, he did all he could, so his ABP would be 1.000.

One can also create a "late inning" ABP stat or a "late and close" ABP stat.

This stat would end the debate about Jeter-types versus A-rod types. It would tell you everything you need to know.

Like I said, it's perfect.

Ray Lucas on Mark Sanchez...

"I usually don't evaluate rookies. Especially rookies that wear my frikkin' number!"

He then goes on to say that Sanchez is awesome, has a great arm, quickness, pocket presence, and leadership. So much for not evaluating rookies.

I can't tell if he is good yet. It's too early.

One thing I CAN say for sure....

He's short!