Baseball Toaster: Mike's Baseball Rants : The Hundred Million Dollar Infield, Pt III

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The Hundred Million Dollar Infield, Pt III

2004-08-22 12:33

by Mike Carminati

Given that the infield roles have changed over time, I thought it would be edifying to look at the key stats—adjusted OPS for offense, Fielding Win Shares per 162 games for defense, and Total Win Shares per game for the total package—and take the top ten per decade. (Keep in mind that Win Shares are not available for the 1871-75 seasons.)

Also, I have dropped Joe Morgan's definition of infield, i.e., to include catchers. Let's stick to the convention description—first, second, third, and short—given that we don’t need to include Johnny Bench in the equation to validate our arguments.

1870s

Sorted by Adjusted OPS:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1875	Boston Red Stockings	.788	.571	104	135.32%		82
1876	Chicago White Stockings	.856	.598	112	135.06%	61.9	66	0.938	10.1	24.791
1871	Boston Red Stockings	.894	.695	103	126.64%		31
1872	Philadelphia Athletics	.814	.644	100	126.43%		47
1873	Boston Red Stockings	.862	.659	108	125.86%		60
1871	Philadelphia Athletics	.860	.695	99	124.23%		28
1872	Troy Haymakers	.787	.644	101	121.62%		25
1872	Boston Red Stockings	.796	.644	105	120.57%		48
1875	Philadelphia Athletics	.718	.571	111	119.30%		77
1874	Boston Red Stockings	.736	.616	106	116.05%		71

Sorted by Fielding Win Shares per 162 games:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1878	Boston Red Caps	.544	.598	108	87.55%	31.0	60	0.517	12.7	34.290
1877	St. Louis Brown Stockings	.535	.627	95	87.63%	17.7	60	0.295	9.7	26.190
1879	Buffalo Bisons	.620	.599	102	102.44%	34.1	79	0.432	12.7	26.043
1876	Chicago White Stockings	.856	.598	112	135.06%	61.9	66	0.938	10.1	24.791
1879	Providence Grays	.634	.599	98	106.87%	41.0	85	0.482	12.9	24.586
1876	St. Louis Brown Stockings	.547	.598	95	93.86%	29.3	64	0.458	9.5	24.047
1878	Cincinnati Reds	.620	.598	91	108.67%	32.5	61	0.533	9.0	23.902
1879	Chicago White Stockings	.628	.599	106	101.67%	37.5	83	0.452	11.9	23.227
1876	Louisville Grays	.557	.598	118	85.38%	18.6	69	0.270	9.7	22.774
1877	Boston Red Caps	.729	.627	104	114.01%	39.3	61	0.644	8.5	22.574

Sorted by Win Shares by game:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1876	Chicago White Stockings	.856	.598	112	135.06%	61.9	66	0.938	10.1	24.791
1877	Boston Red Caps	.729	.627	104	114.01%	39.3	61	0.644	8.5	22.574
1876	Boston Red Caps	.621	.598	102	102.78%	43.0	70	0.614	8.5	19.671
1879	Cincinnati Reds	.665	.599	95	113.76%	47.1	81	0.581	7.7	15.400
1878	Cincinnati Reds	.620	.598	91	108.67%	32.5	61	0.533	9.0	23.902
1878	Boston Red Caps	.544	.598	108	87.55%	31.0	60	0.517	12.7	34.290
1877	Hartford Dark Blues	.601	.627	89	101.50%	30.0	60	0.500	7.8	21.060
1879	Providence Grays	.634	.599	98	106.87%	41.0	85	0.482	12.9	24.586
1878	Chicago White Stockings	.687	.598	107	110.98%	28.2	61	0.462	6.8	18.059

1880s

Sorted by Adjusted OPS:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1884	Chicago White Stockings	.834	.626	108	127.98%	64.4	113	0.570	13.0	18.637
1884	New York Metropolitans	.763	.604	98	127.66%	89.8	112	0.802	14.6	21.118
1885	Buffalo Bisons	.783	.606	103	127.21%	71.8	112	0.641	8.1	11.716
1884	Milwaukee Brewers	.570	.588	54	125.83%	4.1	12	0.342	1.0	13.500
1888	Detroit Wolverines	.760	.609	100	124.75%	69.1	134	0.516	10.2	12.331
1884	St. Louis Maroons	.746	.588	104	124.34%	68.2	114	0.598	9.7	13.784
1886	Detroit Wolverines	.802	.641	103	123.10%	63.7	126	0.506	11.1	14.271
1883	Boston Beaneaters	.806	.650	102	122.74%	73.7	98	0.752	17.3	28.598
1884	Buffalo Bisons	.762	.626	103	119.82%	70.1	115	0.610	15.8	22.257
1884	Philadelphia Athletics	.743	.604	106	119.45%	63.4	108	0.587	15.2	22.800

Sorted by Fielding Win Shares per 162 games:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1889	Cincinnati Red Stockings	.696	.687	103	99.73%	59.8	141	0.424	25.6	29.413
1883	Boston Beaneaters	.806	.650	102	122.74%	73.7	98	0.752	17.3	28.598
1884	Louisville Eclipse	.592	.604	96	100.07%	48.5	110	0.441	19.0	27.982
1884	Columbus Buckeyes	.639	.604	92	110.34%	59.5	110	0.541	19.0	27.982
1882	Cleveland Blues	.689	.622	97	112.52%	54.3	84	0.646	14.4	27.771
1889	Brooklyn Bridegrooms	.675	.687	100	98.19%	84.0	140	0.600	23.1	26.730
1886	New York Giants	.680	.641	101	105.51%	79.2	124	0.639	20.3	26.521
1886	Pittsburgh Alleghenys	.656	.628	100	104.48%	68.1	140	0.486	22.6	26.151
1884	Boston Beaneaters	.693	.626	100	110.72%	66.5	116	0.573	18.2	25.417
1885	New York Giants	.629	.606	99	104.29%	58.0	112	0.518	17.5	25.312
1887	St. Louis Browns	.767	.704	111	103.27%	78.7	138	0.570	21.5	25.239

Sorted by Win Shares by game:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1884	New York Metropolitans	.763	.604	98	127.66%	89.8	112	0.802	14.6	21.118
1883	Boston Beaneaters	.806	.650	102	122.74%	73.7	98	0.752	17.3	28.598
1882	Chicago White Stockings	.754	.622	105	118.36%	59.7	84	0.711	12.2	23.529
1885	Chicago White Stockings	.706	.606	115	108.34%	79.3	113	0.702	15.6	22.365
1882	Cleveland Blues	.689	.622	97	112.52%	54.3	84	0.646	14.4	27.771
1885	Buffalo Bisons	.783	.606	103	127.21%	71.8	112	0.641	8.1	11.716
1886	New York Giants	.680	.641	101	105.51%	79.2	124	0.639	20.3	26.521
1880	Providence Grays	.581	.587	97	100.49%	55.3	87	0.636	11.2	20.855
1881	Chicago White Stockings	.715	.628	105	111.07%	52.9	84	0.630	12.6	24.300
1880	Chicago White Stockings	.667	.587	106	110.46%	54.1	86	0.629	10.6	19.967
1889	Boston Beaneaters	.788	.693	106	110.34%	82.7	133	0.622	18.6	22.656

1890s

Sorted by Adjusted OPS:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1890	Syracuse Stars	.785	.662	90	124.95%	73.3	128	0.573	9.5	12.023
1898	Baltimore Orioles	.827	.681	102	120.21%	108.8	154	0.706	22.9	24.090
1892	Brooklyn Grooms	.723	.644	96	114.54%	85.7	158	0.542	19.4	19.891
1891	Boston Reds	.777	.682	99	114.46%	88.5	139	0.637	22.5	26.223
1893	Brooklyn Grooms	.813	.736	95	113.27%	71.1	130	0.547	15.1	18.817
1897	Baltimore Orioles	.838	.741	100	113.11%	83.6	136	0.615	22.0	26.206
1895	Washington Senators	.851	.761	99	112.37%	41.9	132	0.317	7.9	9.695
1890	Cincinnati Reds	.753	.671	100	112.20%	70.2	134	0.524	20.1	24.300
1896	Baltimore Orioles	.833	.741	101	111.77%	78.8	132	0.597	21.5	26.386
1894	Washington Senators	.896	.814	97	111.76%	38.6	132	0.292	5.5	6.750
1892	Cleveland Spiders	.734	.644	104	111.68%	84.5	153	0.552	16.8	17.788

Sorted by Fielding Win Shares per 162 games:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1893	Boston Beaneaters	.776	.736	108	101.40%	84.3	131	0.644	24.9	30.792
1890	Brooklyn Bridegrooms	.730	.671	100	108.76%	94.3	129	0.731	23.4	29.386
1892	Cincinnati Reds	.635	.644	99	99.02%	71.1	155	0.459	28.0	29.265
1893	Cincinnati Reds	.681	.736	102	91.63%	51.2	131	0.391	23.5	29.061
1894	Baltimore Orioles	.912	.814	104	109.89%	85.9	129	0.666	23.1	29.009
1890	Philadelphia Phillies	.680	.671	103	99.81%	54.5	133	0.410	23.3	28.380
1890	Boston Reds	.790	.729	107	104.63%	66.1	130	0.508	22.7	28.288
1899	Boston Beaneaters	.732	.710	110	98.22%	76.1	153	0.497	26.5	28.059
1898	Boston Beaneaters	.738	.681	105	105.78%	85.1	152	0.560	25.5	27.178
1891	Philadelphia Athletics	.723	.682	103	104.46%	63.5	143	0.444	23.9	27.076

Sorted by Win Shares by game:

Yr	Team	Inf OPS	Lg OPS	BPF	OPS Adj	Tot WS	G	WS/G	FieldWS	FWS/162G
1890	Brooklyn Bridegrooms	.730	.671	100	108.76%	94.3	129	0.731	23.4	29.386
1898	Baltimore Orioles	.827	.681	102	120.21%	108.8	154	0.706	22.9	24.090
1894	Baltimore Orioles	.912	.814	104	109.89%	85.9	129	0.666	23.1	29.009
1893	Boston Beaneaters	.776	.736	108	101.40%	84.3	131	0.644	24.9	30.792
1891	Boston Reds	.777	.682	99	114.46%	88.5	139	0.637	22.5	26.223
1890	Brooklyn Ward's Wonders	.829	.729	106	110.37%	83.7	133	0.629	19.3	23.508
1897	Baltimore Orioles	.838	.741	100	113.11%	83.6	136	0.615	22.0	26.206
1896	Baltimore Orioles	.833	.741	101	111.77%	78.8	132	0.597	21.5	26.386
1890	Syracuse Stars	.785	.662	90	124.95%	73.3	128	0.573	9.5	12.023
1897	New York Giants	.812	.741	97	111.34%	78.2	137	0.571	17.1	20.220

To Be Continued…

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