He's Hackin'

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by drcy

I remember a game commentator saying that being fast and being a good base runner aren't one and the same. In particular he said Will Clark wasn't fast, but he was a good base runner.

Exactly, he's a prime example (by far my favorite player as a kid). Speed is ideal, but he and guys like him have an uncanny knack to take that extra base.. Good secondary lead, good ability to judge hit balls, good ability to read down angle/pitch trajectory on balls in dirt, etc. If a good hitter gets on base 250+ times a year, and can consistently take an extra base when given opportunity, I've gotta think that contributes to a lot of added runs.

That said, still would love another team centered around speed. It puts so much pressure on a D.. Just watch how quickly even 2nd baseman need to get rid of a ball when Billy Hamilton hits a grounder. Forcing errors with speed (or pressing the defense) also seems very underrated/untracked by today's metrics.