How About Eliminating Pitcher Won/Loss Record?
By Mike Silva ~ November 25th, 2009. Filed under: Sabermetrics.
Just mentioned this in the comments section and wanted to expand on this thought.
With all the arguments about advanced statistics and how to evaluate a pitcher why not just eliminate the W/L column? That’s right just take the stat and throw it in the garbage. Even I have to admit that it’s virtually worthless to have relievers with a W/L record. It holds more weight with starting pitchers, but obviously the game is changing where they have less control over the outcome due to pitch counts.
The hockey goaltender is the only other position player in North American sports where a win or loss is credited. Hockey fans might even argue that’s unfair because how can you pin a loss on a goalie that starts for a poor defensive team. Even the best can’t stand on their head! In baseball you win and lose as a team and very rarely does one player decide the outcome.
Eliminating the W/L would put all pitchers on equal ground and eliminate the bias on both sides.
I still think there is value to a starting pitcher W/L record, but those who argue against it have a strong case. Ben Sheets in 2004 is the most recent example I have cited. He had every bit the year that Roger Clemens did, but failed to win the Cy Young because of a 12-14 record. Under my plan Sheets would be on equal ground with Clemens if W/L record didn’t exist.
Radical? Yes. Crazy? No. Likely to happen? You know how MLB works. The only roadblock might be the pitchers who probably benefit from W/L during arbitration hearings and such.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I agree with your point completely. I don’t think it should be eliminated but I feel like that would be the only way to get people to look at it in the proper perspective. It is probably the poorest indicator of a pitcher’s ability and perhaps a better indicator of how good or bad the team that pitcher plays for is.