Derek Jeter: Worst Defensive Shortstop in Baseball
Here is a stellar specimen of journalism provided by the New York Post.
How’s this for junk science - even with three Gold Gloves, Yankees captain Derek Jeter has been labeled the worst fielding shortstop in baseball.
What do those eggheads know anyway? With their fancy book learning! Jeter has been anointed by the most objective analysis available, the opinions of baseball beat writers. This statistical study was purely a smear campaign intended to “label” Jeter as something he is not.
But the numbers prove it, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania said yesterday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in (of course) Boston.
Yes, of course the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania altered the results of their study because of the city at which they would be presenting the results.
Using a complex statistical method, researchers concluded that Alex Rodriguez was one of the best shortstops in the game when he played for the Texas Rangers.
“Complex” means that you didn’t bother to read it. Even by your everyman standards of gold gloves, his two gold gloves during that period (2002,2003) at Shortstop would have proven that. It was also the general consensus when he was traded to the Yankees.
Obviously, we need an expert to analyze this study. Take it away “Yankees fan Mike.”
“I don’t know what they’re smoking down at Penn,” said Yankees fan Mike.
Birch 32. “That’s preposterous. I completely disagree. Jeter’s a clutch player.”
2007 ALDS
Alex Rodriguez: .820 OPS
Derek Jeter: .352 OPS
“It’s ridiculous,” said fan Jay Ricker. “Jeter is all-around awesome. He’s better than A-Rod any day. Character has a lot to do with it. He’s out there for his teammates.”
Career Stats
Alex Rodriguez: .967 OPS, 518 HR
Derek Jeter: .851 OPS, 195 HR
Their last season fielding together at SS was 2003. Among Major League Shorstops, Jeter was third from bottom in fielding percentage and dead last by a large margin in both range factor and zone rating. Rodriguez was 1st in fielding percentage, and 9th in zone rating and range factor.
In fact, in most seasons Jeter has ranked last or next to last in both zone rating and range factor.
But, as Yankee fan Brittnay Thompson, 32, said, “It’s about who’s good in May and who’s good in October.”
2007 May Stats
Alex Rodriguez: .235 BA 5 HR 11RBI .782 OPS (by far worst month of the season)
Derek Jeter: .342 BA 1HR 20RBI .912 OPS (by far best month of the season)
2007 September Stats
Alex Rodriguez: .362 10 HR 31 RBI 1.193 OPS
Derek Jeter: .311 3HR 14 RBI .858 OPS
