We have written this off-season about how traditional statistics do not fairly portray the value of speedsters. We wrote about the speedster Trea Turner and his intangibles. We did the same for Ben Revere after Rizzo traded for him.
Ben Revere hits for a high batting average and steals bases by the dozen. Dee Gordon on the last day of the 2015 season won the NL Batting crown edging out Bryce Harper, and Gordon won a Gold Glove and won the Stolen Base crown. Harper is more valuable than Dee Gordon, but don’t sell Dee Gordon short as he causes havoc out there on the bases, and much of Gordon’s value is in his ability to hit his way on base and steal bases, and when you add in his intangibles, he was probably the Marlins MVP last year.
Clark Spencer who is on the Miami Marlins beat for the Miami Herald wrote, “Baseball sabermetricians aren’t as keen on [Dee Gordon]. He doesn’t walk and hit for power.”
Dee Gordon went into self-deprecating mode with a facetious tone when talking about himself.
“In the baseball world, I [stink],” Gordon said. “It’s the truth. It’s seriously the truth. It’s a fluke. No one thinks I play baseball good. These last two years, in baseball minds, it’s a fluke.”
Does Gordon have a right to be ticked? We think so and wish Gordon read the pieces we have done on the subject as we have also mentioned Dee Gordon and players like him who fall in this statistical quagmire where the traditional stats can’t value them properly. Every time Ben Revere, Trea Turner and Dee Gordon are on 1st base with 2nd base open they are a threat to turn their one-bagger into a two-bagger.
The Marlins signed Dee Gordon to a 5 year extension worth $50 million for that contract. The Home Run hitters get paid the big bucks. Gordon might hit a few more HRs with the walls brought in at Marlins Park, but last year Gordon had only 4 of his 205 hits turn into 4-baggers.
“They don’t appreciate it because I don’t hit homers,” Dee Gordon said. “But a guy who hits .240 and hits 15 homers is better than me. If you don’t have anything to prove, you need to quit. I’m 170 pounds. Because I’m small, I don’t hit for power. Don’t walk [a lot]. It’s my game. They will send me home if I don’t play with a chip on my shoulders. That was a personal goal that I achieved,” he said of his .333 mark. “I had a day or two to reflect on it. And now it’s over. It’s gone now. I’m [back at] zero. Now I [stink] again. It’s the truth!”
