I agree, but I think you are overstating this particular man’s value to the team. He was a serviceable utility infielder who didn’t make a ton of mistakes. Good enough to play a couple games a year to cover days off, or pinch run when the opportunity arose, but a liability in the offensive lineup, nonetheless.

To be fair, he does appear to be pretty shitty defensively as well (at least statistically), but maybe he was the most motivating motherfuckers the world has ever seen. I don’t know, I was 5 years old at the time...    

Kids, right? Get em off our lawn, I say, dagnabbit

There is a certain level of hitting that no amount of defense can make up for, and largely he was that bad. Pitchers get a pass because they are involved in every single at bat, but no position player has anywhere near the defensive impact of a pitcher. Not to say defense isn’t important, but the marginal difference…