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Sep 14, 2006


WASHINGTON - “I only know 50 percent of all there is to know about the game
of baseball.”


These are the words of the innovative yet humble Branch Rickey and I consider
myself to be a student of his baseball philosophy.

Rickey, one of the most influential minds in baseball history, was a pioneer
in front office management. His legacy includes developing the modern day
farm system and breaking down the color barrier in baseball. In building
eight pennant winners and four World Series champions, he stressed position
players with good speed and strong arms.

Rickey's quote on knowing only half there is to know about baseball holds
evident here. While speed and strong arms can help teams win games, they are
only two of the tools which make up a player. The five tools which scouts
look at are: speed, arm, defense, hitting, and raw power. The latter two
separate the good players from the great.

Since 1977, only three players have won a league MVP without slugging more
than .500: Kirk Gibson (1988, Los Angeles Dodgers), Barry Larkin (1990,
Cincinnati), and Ichiro Suzuki (2001, Seattle). Each was a great hitter, but
more importantly provided intangibles that enabled their team to win division
titles and, in the case of the Reds and Dodgers, World Series championships.

The same can be said this year. The big names that we keep hearing for the
National and American league MVP awards are: Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols,
Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye and David Ortiz. The common denominator: they
are great hitters, specifically great power hitters. Even the dark horse
candidates not known to be power hitters (Jose Reyes, Joe Mauer, and Derek
Jeter) are all slugging above .500 or close to it.

Not only are the best players great hitters, but the better teams have
lineups stacked with big bats. Since 1995, only two teams have played in the
World Series with a lineup without two guys slugging at least .500: the 1995
Atlanta Braves and 1997 Florida Marlins. While neither had a bad lineup,
their strength was starting pitching. These two rotations stand out as two of
the best in recent history with each boast four All-Star-caliber pitchers
(Atlanta: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery; Florida-
Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Alex Fernandez, and then-rookie Livan Hernandez).

This season, each team battling for a playoff spot has impact bats throughout
the lineup.

The teams with the best records - the Mets and Yankees - have no soft spots.
Five of the Mets' eight regulars are slugging over .500. That does not
include Shawn Green who is at a “meager” .491.

In the Yankees' lineup, only Bernie Williams and Melky Cabrera are everyday
players with a slugging percentage below .480. Both have solid batting
averages.

It pains me to stray from Rickey's philosophy, but reality states today's
game is different. Speed and arm strength for position players are important,
but alone cannot win you a championship.

In building the Nationals, the primary focus is pitching, pitching, and
pitching. Then the focus shifts to position players. While we look at speed
and arm strength, we look at them as secondary tools. We look for players who
show the ability to hit, while also providing strong defense. That's how you
win championships.

If Rickey were alive, I bet he would say the same thing. He once said, “
Baseball people, and that includes myself, are slow to change and accept new
ideas. I remember that it took years to persuade them to put numbers on
uniforms.”

This is no different.