Football, basketball, and especially baseball, us collectors can be largely myopic in our approach to putting value on players, and transversely onto card value, with a focus on offense. Draining a “3”, scoring a touchdown, and hitting the long ball generates excitement, getting fans out of their seats. But what has been true for decades in any team sport, defense wins championships.
The composing of data into statistical information for use in baseball, especially for fans to better understand the game, has early beginnings in 1858 with the creation of the box score by Henry Chadwick. Through the decades, detailed statistical data helped managers make in-game moves based on outcome percentages over a “gut feeling” – righty vs. lefty matchups, pinch runners, double switches, hit-and-run, and the list goes on.…
