BBA Linkfest - General holiday greetings

<div style="text-align: justify;">I have not done this in a while and it is time to get back at it. I am the president of the General Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. General is such a bland word. I think of generic when hearing the word. But that is far from the case as you see the links below. General simply means that the writers of this chapter write about everything baseball and are not specifically a site about one team or fantasy baseball or something like that. They are a great group of people writing about baseball because they love it. This post is about their work.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What I do is go to each site and pick out one of the posts I find there. It is a time-consuming thing to do, but there is a lot of rewarding reading that occurs because of it. I have done the work for you, so all you have to do is click the link and enjoy yourself. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from this Flagrant Fan to you wherever you are.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The links:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A radio personality has issues with <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harvema01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Matt Harvey</a></strong>. <i>The Hall of Very Good</i> rightly <a href="http://www.hallofverygood.com/2013-articles/december/radio-host-matt-harvey-has-done-nothing.html" target="_blank">pokes a few holes</a> in the stupidity of what the radio guy said. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In its most recent post, <i>Off Base Percentage</i>'s Mike Hllywa <a href="http://www.offbasepercentage.com/2013/12/yankees-sign-carlos-beltran-capping-big.html" target="_blank">took a look</a> at the Yankees' spending spree this off season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over at <i>The Golden Sombrero</i>, <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosemi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Mike Rose</a></strong>nbaum <a href="http://thegoldensombrero.com/wordpress/archives/6535" target="_blank">posted some video</a> from the recent Arizona Fall League featuring <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=hedges000aus&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Austin Hedges</a></strong>, a Padres' prospect catcher.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://grubbyglove.com/?p=5499" target="_blank">This post</a> from <i>Grubby Glove</i> is the oldest of the link list, but it was such a fine piece and such a noble thing, that I linked it anyway.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If podcasts are your thing (and I like them a lot), Eric and Jana from <i>#Off the Bat</i> presented by <i>Number One Baseball</i> had <a href="http://numberonebaseball.com/2013/12/off-season-extravaganza/" target="_blank">a great time</a> discussing the off season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TheNaturalMevs of <i>Diamond Hoggers</i> has some <a href="http://diamondhoggers.com/2013/12/20/a-rumor-ill-print-about-prince-fielders-wife-avasail-garcia-and-miguel-cabrera/" target="_blank">real juicy gossip</a> for you concerning the Tigers and <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fieldpr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Prince Fielder</a></strong>. I needed a napkin for this one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My friend, J-Doug is a brilliant, brilliant guy. His <a href="http://www.rationalpastime.com/2013/11/world-series-probability-added-papi.html" target="_blank">most recent post</a> at <i>Rational Pasttime</i> gives us a real cool win probability map of the most recent World Series and <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">David Ortiz</a></strong>'s role in it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mike, over at <i>The Sports Banter</i> <a href="http://thesportsbanter.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-york-mets-2013-14-offseason-plan.html" target="_blank">left a blueprint</a> of what the Mets' off season should look like. At least one of his suggestions has already come true.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our German entry, <i>Dugout 24</i>, has <a href="http://www.blog.dugout24.de/was-ist-ein-bbcor-baseballschlager/" target="_blank">an interesting article</a> (once translated - thank you Internet!) about aluminum bats.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ben, of <i>Ben's Baseball Bias</i>, gave <a href="http://www.bensbaseballbias.com/2013/11/peter-bourjos-for-david-freese.html" target="_blank">his thoughts</a> on the trade between the Cardinals and Angels that swapped <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freesda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">David Freese</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bourjpe01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Peter Bourjos</a></strong>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Did you know that the Mets have a Santa Claus curse? Just ask <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wrighda03.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">David Wright</a></strong>. Michael Clair of <i>Old Time Family Baseball</i> <a href="http://oldtimefamilybaseball.com/post/70594179815/the-new-york-mets-santa-claus-curse" target="_blank">has all the details</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't always agree with Sully of <i>Sully Baseball</i>. But he is easily one of the most entertaining podcasters in baseball today. Here is <a href="http://sullybaseball.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/sully-baseball-daily-podcast-december-21-2013/" target="_blank">one of his latest</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Sisco Kid put a <a href="http://baseballsiscokidstyle.blogspot.com/2013/12/looking-back-at-robinson-cano-contract.html" target="_blank">lot of thought</a> on the recent mega-contract of <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canoro01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Robinson Cano</a></strong> for his most recent post at <i>Baseball Sisco Kid Style</i>. Definitely worth the read.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I met Dan, the author of <i>Left Field</i>, over the summer at a minor league game. He is not only a multi-talented writer and beer connoisseur, but a great family man and a terrific guy. And he is making head way in the baseball writing world and now writes for <i>High Heat Stats</i> and has his articles featured in a major newspaper. This post <a href="http://left-field.blogspot.com/2013/12/2013-year-in-music.html" target="_blank">I have linked</a> is also his work and it caps the year in music. Awesome stuff.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A lot has happened in the past year for my good friends at <i>MLB Dirt</i>. They are now part of the <i>Field Rush</i> network and are teeming with great writing talent. I am still a part of their roster, but haven't had time to write for them in forever. Here is one of their <a href="http://www.fieldrush.com/chris-martin-former-boston-red-sox-prospect-reflects-recent-trade-to-colorado-rockies-and-career/#.UrXSZPRDs90" target="_blank">latest and greatest</a> from Andrew Martin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mario Salvini of <i>Che Palle!</i> has <a href="http://chepalle.gazzetta.it/2013/12/15/il-triplete-di-kemp/" target="_blank">some fun</a> with the <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kempma01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Matt Kemp</a></strong> gossip that has been keeping TMZ happy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A lot has also happened with <i>Call to the Pen</i> over the last year as they have become a part of the <i>Fansided</i> network. They also have a large crew of talented writers.<a href="http://calltothepen.com/2013/12/21/phillies-orioles-jonathan-papelbon-trade-rumor/" target="_blank"> Here</a>, one of them reports on the latest <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/papeljo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Jonathan Papelbon</a></strong> rumor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of my favorite buds, Daniel Day of <i>The Ball Caps Blog</i>, has <a href="http://ballcapsblog.com/2013/12/07/whos-worth-more-a-baseball-player-or-the-doctor-keeping-your-wife-or-child-alive/" target="_blank">some perspective</a> of our weird money distribution in light of the Robinson Cano deal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Through the Fence Baseball</i> has to be one of the hardest working baseball blogs in our chapter. One of their terrific team of writers, Jake Mastroianni, has a <a href="http://throughthefencebaseball.com/white-sox-transformation/40671" target="_blank">fine piece</a> on the rebuilding of the Chicago White Sox.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also met Bryan at a minor league game this past summer and I came away so impressed. In one of the <a href="http://replacementlevel.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/hot-stove-parenting/" target="_blank">best posts I have read this year</a>, Bryan talks about the 2013 Red Sox and his son. An amazing piece of writing over at <i>Replacement Level Baseball Blog</i>. Like Dan, Bryan also now writes for <i>High Heat Stats</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chuck Booth of <i>MLB Reports</i> (one of the most faithful #FF guys on Twitter!) has a <a href="http://mlbreports.com/2013/12/20/tjsurgeries/" target="_blank">terrific piece</a> on <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnto01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Tommy John</a></strong> Surgeries over the years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the last three years, Graham Womack has invited the public to list the greatest 50 players not in the Hall of Fame. Theo of <i>Hot Corner Harbor</i> has a <a href="http://hotcornerharbor.blogspot.com/2013/12/50-Best-Not-in-Hall-of-Fame-2013.html" target="_blank">very interesting post</a> about his selections.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a really enjoyable piece, Matt Whitener of <i>Cheap.Seats.Please</i> has a great <a href="http://cheapseatsplease.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/cut-the-check-mlb-signings-report-and-recap-3/" target="_blank">run down</a> of free agent signings. I was torn between picking this piece or the previous one on what all second place teams needed. Cool idea!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christopher Carelli has neared the big time as he is writing for Yahoo Sports. He deserves every success. His <i>The Baseball Stance</i> blog is a good place to keep up with his various writings and <a href="http://thebaseballstance.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-york-yankees-giant-fork-in-road.html" target="_blank">this one</a> shows that he has been watching closely at what the Yankees are doing this off season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of all the links here, and I love them all, you HAVE to read <a href="http://xtrabasehit.blogspot.com/2013/10/my-last-talk-with-pop-baseball-story.html" target="_blank">this one</a> over at <i>The Baseball Enthusiast</i>. You just HAVE to. Unbelievable writing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nik of <i>Nik's Baseball Corner</i> made all his <a href="http://niksbaseballcorner.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/top-82-free-agents-with-predictions/" target="_blank">free agent signing predictions</a> back in November. It is fascinating to look back. Nik hits the nail on several and was way off on several. But it's all fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The heading of <a href="http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2013/12/18/braves-acquire-ryan-doumit-for-some-strange-reason/" target="_blank">this piece</a> about the Braves acquiring <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/doumiry01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Ryan Doumit</a></strong> (or Dumbmitt as I call him) drew me in immediately. And it gave me a good laugh. But the article is good except for the part about Doumit being a respectable catcher. Check it out at <i>Off the Bench Baseball</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A discussion of the 2013 season's best pitchers is <a href="http://payoffpitches.blogspot.com/2013/12/breakdown-of-2013-walter-johnson-award.html" target="_blank">the topic</a> of the latest post over at <i>Payoff Pitch</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Radical Baseball</i> is one of our newer sites and is written by Kenneth Matinale. I love posts like <a href="http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com/2013/12/worst-lefty-batters-against-lefty.html" target="_blank">this one</a> on the worst left-handed batters against left-handed pitching over time. Great job.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another of our newer sites is <a href="http://knowhitter.com/2013/12/13/kingdome-crossover-seattle-mariners-this-week-in-walk-up-music-news/" target="_blank">not happy</a> with the Seattle Mariners' off season and not for the reasons you'd think. Check out Ben's entertaining post over at <i>Know Hitter</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dave, over at <i>Baseball Roundtable</i> has some Hall of Fame <a href="http://www.baseballroundtable.com/bbrts-2014-hall-of-fame-selectionspredictions/" target="_blank">predictions and thoughts</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Did the BBA really get <i>High Heat Stats</i>!? In my chapter!? Woo! That site is the bomb! They used to be the blog for baseball-reference.com until that site stupidly cut it loose. <a href="http://www.highheatstats.com/2013/12/seth-smith-and-the-almost-lost-art-of-pinch-hitting/" target="_blank">This post</a> by Doug on <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithse01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Seth Smith</a></strong> shows why the site is so great.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another great new site to the BBA is <i>Baseball Hot Corner</i>. Here is that <a href="http://baseballhotcorner.com/shin-soo-choo-agrees-7-year-130-million-deal-texas-rangers/" target="_blank">site's take</a> on the Rangers' new deal with <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choosh01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Shin-Soo Choo</a></strong>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There you have it. Phew! I had forgotten how much time that takes. I was a young man when I started this post. Have a wonderful holiday season and here's to a very good baseball New Years to all of us. </div>

BBA Linkfest - General holiday greetings

I have not done this in a while and it is time to get back at it. I am the president of the General Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Allianc...

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Arm-chair managing: Prince Fielder and Jim Leyland

<div style="text-align: justify;">The Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers, 1-0, yesterday in a crisp, well-pitched game to keep the Royals' fleeting wildcard hopes alive. They preserved their narrow margin of victory by throwing <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fieldpr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Prince Fielder</a></strong> out at home plate for the final out of the game. I hate to be one of those second-guessing, arm-chair managers, but what the heck was Fielder doing out there anyway?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollagr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Greg Holland</a></strong> came in the game to get the save. Holland has been one of the best relief pitchers in the league this year. But he walked Fielder to start the ninth. That is never a good thing. As Fielder lumbered to first, the first thought that comes to mind is to pinch run for Fielder, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After all, Fielder has the ignominious statistic of amassing a minus 43.9 base running runs in his career. In other words, he has lost some four wins during his career because of his base running. With Holland on the mound, even a lead-off walk does not lead to good odds that you are going to win the game, but still.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The perfect play would have been to pinch run <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perezhe01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Hernan Perez</a></strong>. This is the beauty of September rosters when you have all these other players to choose from. It is not like you are going to run out of players. Perez is a speed guy. He has stolen 78 bases in this past three seasons in the minors. He would be the perfect guy to pinch run for your club at this point.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But he did not pinch run. Fielder was left out there. Say Perez is out there. You could go for a stolen base. You can hit and run or try a bunt to small-ball a tie. With Fielder, you have no such options.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It did not seem like it was going to matter as Holland got <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martivi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Victor Martinez</a></strong> to pop out and then struck out <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dirksan01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Andy Dirks</a></strong>. With two outs, it seemed Holland was in control. So no harm leaving Fielder out there. Except Holland was not in control.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/infanom01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Omar Infante</a></strong> doubled to left. The ball rolled all the way to the wall. It took <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gordoal01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Alex Gordon</a></strong> a while to dig the ball out from against the wall. Fielder gave it his all and chugged around the bases as fast as he could. But it was not fast enough. The Royals handled the relay perfectly and by the time Fielder slid like he hit his wallet on the dirt, he was dead at home and the game was over.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No offense here, but a perfect relay would not have helped if Hernan Perez was running. He would have already been in the dugout. And then not only would the game be tied, but as the home team, the chances of winning the game would have been that much greater.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So why wouldn't Tigers' manager, <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leylaji99.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Jim Leyland</a></strong>, pinch run for Prince Fielder? Fielder likes to play. It is important for Fielder to play every day. He has not missed a game in two years. There have been only a handful of games this season where he did not play a complete game. All of those were in lopsided games. Prince Fielder's contract is over $200 million. You don't mess with that and take him out of a close game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Poppycock. The manager makes those calls and they all have to be at whatever will give you the best chance to win the game. Leyland did not do that. Perhaps to the Tigers' manager, it does not matter. The Tigers can pretty much sleepwalk into the playoffs. Their five game lead in the division with fifteen games to go would be pretty hard to dissolve. Even so, your job as a manager is to win games, not let one of your high-priced superstars lumber around the bases and not know how to slide.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are repercussions of Leyland's lack of managing here. The Royals are a wildcard contender. Even if your division lead seems a lock, you have to play each other contender to win the game or the integrity of the game is going to be questioned. Think of the Yankees' decisions against the Rays back in 2011. They were blasted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leyland's non-play here will not get the scrutiny of the last game of the season because there are two weeks left. But if the Royals get in because Leyland sat on his hands here, then whichever team gets bumped has a right to squawk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Again, I hate to be a second-guesser and I hate to act like I am smarter than any Major League manager, but come on now. That was a no-brainer.  With the Tigers needing a run to keep from losing the game, the correct play was to run for Fielder. Leyland did not do it. And it cost his team a win. </div>

Arm-chair managing: Prince Fielder and Jim Leyland

The Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers, 1-0, yesterday in a crisp, well-pitched game to keep the Royals' fleeting wildcard hopes...

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The transformation of Prince Fielder

<div style="text-align: justify;">Whether or not the Detroit Tigers make it to the playoffs when the season ends a week from now, <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fieldpr01.shtml?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker&utm_campaign=Linker" target="_blank">Prince Fielder</a></strong> has not been a disappointment for his new team. The homer total is down from the prodigious days when he hit 50 and 46 homers for the Brewers. And it is not because of his home park. In fact, Fielder has hit eight more homers at home in Comerica than he has on the road this season. But all in all, Fielder has had a fine all around season for the Tigers. And one of the most interesting things about his season is that it completes a two-year transformation. Fielder is a different hitter than he used to be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How so? Fielder used to be a power hitter. He crushed the 50 homers and the 46 homers. But he also struck out a lot. For most of Fielder's career, you could count on him striking out around nineteen percent of the time. No, that is not in the Dunn and Uggla category, but it was good for about an average of 135 whiffs a season. Fielder started a trend last season and continued it this season. He is now a contact hitter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Fielder's first three full seasons, he swung and missed: 10.9 percent, 10.9 percent and eleven percent. That is pretty consistent. Then, in his next two seasons, that swing and miss percentage went to 9.8 percent in both seasons. Again, that was consistent. But last year, his swing and miss rate went down to 8.0 percent and this year, it is at 8.3 percent. That, folks, is a contact hitter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And it shows in his contact rate. For most of his career, you could count on Prince Fielder making contact about 76 percent of the time. The last two seasons, that contact rate has been above 80 percent. That contact is across the board too. The last two seasons, his contact percentage is the highest of his career on both pitches in the strike zone and those not in the strike zone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The weird thing about this is that his plate discipline really has not changed any. Fangraphs.com's data shows him to be swinging at more pitches outside the strike zone than at any time in his career. But PitchF/X data gives him nearly the same rate for what he has done his entire career. So, for all intents and purposes, Fielder has become more of a contact hitter without being any more patient at the plate than usual. And just for the record, Fielder has never been a reckless swinger of pitches out of the strike zone. He's always had a respectable discipline.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The question is: Is this a good thing? Well, that is hard to gauge. His line drive percentage this year is the highest of his career. But his fly ball percentage is the lowest of his career. Less fly balls mean less homers. Less homers mean that his slugging percentage is about sixteen points below his career average. But then again, his OPS is exactly at his career average. His wOBA and wRC+ are also slightly above his career average. If you like the long ball, then you might not like the new Prince Fielder. But otherwise, on a whole, he is just as good a player and perhaps can be more consistent this way. His career has shown lots of ups and downs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prince Fielder has a lot of interesting numbers this season. First, he has less strikeouts than walks. He has 80 strikeouts and 81 walks. At his current pace, this should be his first full season ever with less than 100 strikeouts. Secondly, Fielder's hit total is going to be in the top three for his career. He has had 177 hits once and 170 hits another season. This season, he has 170 so far with a week to play. But what is more interesting is that Fielder has never hit more than 96 singles in a season. He has hit 110 of them this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The final conclusion here is that Fielder has been far from a disappointment in his first season with the Tigers. According to the fielding data, he is playing a better first base than <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabremi01.shtml?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker&utm_campaign=Linker" target="_blank">Miguel Cabrera</a></strong> ever did. His wOBA is right in line with his career numbers and he has hit 28 homers and driven in over a hundred runs. His play has been worth 4.7 fWAR or around $21 million in value. The Tigers have overpaid him, yes. But Fielder has not been a disappointment in any sense of the word. But, what is surprising is that despite swinging harder than any man alive, Fielder is now a contact hitter. Who knew? </div>

The transformation of Prince Fielder

Whether or not the Detroit Tigers make it to the playoffs when the season ends a week from now, Prince Fielder has not been a disappointme...

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