https://www.pscp.tv/w/cUuwg3R3LTcxMTE1ODM2fDF5bkpPcE5Yek9ueFL0xTAsJGUPZDRGwMQPVDOYIdqTglefqoGw99ANCNvuWA==

Buehrle was so good at the small stuff. His career k-bb% was just 8% and his FIP 4.1 but he gained 0.3 era points by being good at all of the small stuff (running game, pitcher defense,  avoiding wild pitches). Each of those things is not very important but if you are great  at all of them it adds up. 

 

Basically he was the anti Nolan Ryan who was terrible at all of those small things and thus underperformed his FIP.  Still run of course was a better pitcher because he was better at the "core business" of a pitcher but still interesting to compare those extremes.

buehrle isn't quite a hall of famer but 52 fWAR and 60 fWAR (which is probably more accurate since his FIP suppressing skill seems pretty real) is pretty impressive given his modest stuff.

If one of the young sox pitchers can have a career like him that would be great.

Edited March 30, 20206 yr by Dominikk85

IIRC The Hard Ball Times did a thing on MB where they looked at his FIP/ERA difference and explained it as mostly a function of his incredible defense.  He picked off so many guys and caught so many more balls up the middle than most pitchers that he was like a one man shift and it saved him about 8-10 runs a year or effectively about 1 WAR.

Not quite a HOFer but certainly in the HOVG and his number should be retired on the SS.

Remember this opening day?

 

 

Edited March 30, 20206 yr by chitownsportsfan

I had forgotten about that play. I think he has a chance via the ERAs Committee but I doubt it.