by Bob Swanson

Created on: August 19, 2009   Last Updated: August 20, 2009

Baseball is a game that is filled with more statistical information than any other sport. There are statistics that measure a pitcher's performance in clutch situations to how many sliders he throws in a 2-2 count. There are statistics that can tell you how many walks a batter takes with a runner on second base and statistics that tell you how well a batter hits against left-handed pitching in night games. There is a statistic for almost anything you can imagine within the game of baseball.

With so much information at the fingertips the statistic has been introduced as an essential tool in determining the value of a player. The only problem is there are so many to choose from that the true test is determining which statistic is most valuable to the situation.

Batting average is one of the most overused statistics when determining the value of a hitter. Batting average is calculated by dividing the player's hits by total at-bats. Many believe that the object of hitting is to get a hit. In reality the object of hitting is to not make an out. A batter can avoid an out by getting a hit, walking or being hit by a pitch. Not making an out is the true idea of hitting, not getting a hit. This proves that OBP (on-base percentage) is the most important statistic when determining the value of a hitter.

Many pitchers are gauged on their (ERA) earned-run average. This statistic shows the average amount of runs a pitcher will give up in a nine-inning game. The only problem with ERA is that the pitcher has almost no control over it. Once the ball strikes the bat the pitcher has only a small chance of making a play on the ball. The fielders are in large responsible for making a play on the ball after it is thrown.

The only things a pitcher has complete control over are strikeouts, walks and home runs. Therefore the most important statistics when gauging a pitcher's value are K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), BB/9 (walks per nine innings) and HR/9 (home runs allowed per nine innings). WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) is also a valuable tool when determining a pitcher's value. Things a pitcher does not have complete control over should not determine how he is valued.

When the average fan looks at fielding they look at the error. Is an error really an error? For a player to make an error he has to be positioned correctly in the field as well as athletic enough to reach the ball to make a play on it. When making an error a fielder actually does two things right

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