From the Archives: THT ~ Same old, same old

Ask any Joe Morgan fan, and they’ll tell you that consistency is the most important attribute a baseball player can have. When you have a consistent player, you know what they’re going to give you day in and day out, season after season. These players are lauded in the media, and praised by coaches and players. I find it strange that one of the most consistent players in the Major Leagues, Adam Dunn, has been bashed for his lack of commitment. It’s as if they’re saying if he cared, he’s hit 45 home runs every year instead of the 40 he’s hit in each of the last four years (take a minute to look at his stat line, especially the OBP numbers). But that’s besides the point.

In this Hardball Times article, David Gassko questions the assumption that consistent players are better than inconsistent ones. In other words, given the same two stat lines by two different players, which player would you rather have–the consistent one, or the inconsistent one? In other words, how important is consistency? Here’s a bullet-point summary, if you’re not already interested:

• Is consistency a repeatable skill?
• Does it matter one way or another?
• Quality Starts says very little about the quality of a pitcher.
• If one is better, then how much better is it?

You’ll have to read the actual article to find the answers to these questions and the methods behind them. The article can be found by clicking this link. Enjoy.

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