Apparently not everyone digs the long ball. I was talking with an ESPN anchor on Monday and he said his strategy for his head-to-head league was to select a lot of leadoff hitters, go after the steals and runs and batting average, while punting power. He asked my thoughts live on the air.
"Um, bad decision, dude. Very bad decision."
I wasn't sure what else to say. Punt home runs and RBIs? How can this be a good idea? While I've been guilty of producing the age-old line about there being twice as many home runs hit as bases stolen every season, and using this to examine the relative scarcity of the stolen base, let's face it, when a home run is hit it affects numerous categories. It helps batting average, runs, RBIs, it's a big deal. When Juan Pierre runs, it's a steal, and often little else. Don't punt power.
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Eric Karabell
