Second Sackers As Their “D” Ages

Posted by Steve L. on March 4th, 2013 · Comments (3)

Best fielding 2B before the age of 30:

Rk	Player	Rfield	From	To	Age	G	Tm
1	Bill Mazeroski	114	1956	1966	19-29	1574	PIT
2	Chase Utley	101	2003	2008	24-29	735	PHI
3	Orlando Hudson	91	2002	2007	24-29	758	TOR-ARI
4	Joe Gordon	91	1938	1943	23-28	888	NYY
5	Johnny Evers	83	1902	1911	20-29	1130	CHC
6	Bobby Grich	75	1970	1978	21-29	982	BAL-CAL
7	Hughie Critz	75	1924	1930	23-29	926	CIN-TOT
8	Willie Randolph	69	1975	1984	20-29	1210	PIT-NYY
9	Snuffy Stirnweiss	66	1943	1948	24-29	807	NYY
10	Eddie Collins	64	1906	1916	19-29	1323	PHA-CHW
11	Lou Whitaker	62	1977	1986	20-29	1283	DET
12	Dustin Pedroia	60	2006	2012	22-28	856	BOS
13	Bobby Knoop	60	1964	1968	25-29	776	LAA-CAL
14	Nellie Fox	59	1947	1957	19-29	1299	PHA-CHW
15	Billy Herman	55	1931	1939	21-29	1198	CHC
16	Jerry Adair	54	1958	1966	21-29	841	BAL-TOT
17	Adam Kennedy	53	1999	2005	23-29	886	STL-ANA-LAA
18	Julio Cruz	53	1977	1984	22-29	984	SEA-TOT-CHW
19	Chuck Knoblauch	52	1991	1998	22-29	1163	MIN-NYY
20	Hobe Ferris	51	1901	1904	26-29	569	BOS
21	Aaron Hill	50	2005	2011	23-29	908	TOR-TOT
22	Rennie Stennett	45	1971	1980	20-29	1199	PIT-SFG
23	Frank White	45	1973	1980	22-29	989	KCR
24	Burgess Whitehead	45	1933	1939	23-29	620	STL-NYG
25	Mark Ellis	44	2002	2006	25-29	498	OAK

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Best fielding 2B after their twenties:

Rk	Player	Rfield	From	To	Age	G	Tm
1	Frank White	76	1981	1990	30-39	1335	KCR
2	Mark Ellis	74	2007	2012	30-35	738	OAK-TOT-LAD
3	Nap Lajoie	73	1905	1916	30-41	1505	CLE-PHA
4	Nellie Fox	60	1958	1965	30-37	1068	CHW-HOU
5	Joe Gordon	59	1946	1950	31-35	678	NYY-CLE
6	Hughie Critz	55	1931	1935	30-34	552	NYG
7	Mark Grudzielanek	45	2000	2010	30-40	1136	LAD-CHC-STL-KCR-CLE
8	Willie Randolph	45	1985	1992	30-37	992	NYY-LAD-TOT-MIL-NYM
9	Chase Utley	44	2009	2012	30-33	457	PHI
10	Johnny Evers	44	1912	1929	30-47	654	CHC-BSN-TOT-CHW
11	Charlie Gehringer	42	1933	1942	30-39	1338	DET
12	Scott Fletcher	41	1989	1995	30-36	757	TOT-CHW-MIL-BOS-DET
13	Lonny Frey	39	1941	1948	30-37	620	CIN-TOT
14	Ryne Sandberg	38	1990	1997	30-37	930	CHC
15	Mark Lemke	37	1996	1998	30-32	275	ATL-BOS
16	Red Schoendienst	37	1953	1963	30-40	1076	STL-TOT-MLN
17	Eddie Stanky	36	1946	1953	30-37	862	BRO-BSN-NYG-STL
18	Ski Melillo	34	1930	1937	30-37	980	SLB-TOT-BOS
19	Del Pratt	33	1918	1924	30-36	931	NYY-BOS-DET
20	Bill Mazeroski	32	1967	1972	30-35	589	PIT
21	Claude Ritchey	31	1904	1909	30-35	756	PIT-BSN
22	Max Bishop	28	1930	1935	30-35	648	PHA-BOS
23	Robby Thompson	27	1992	1996	30-34	449	SFG
24	Morrie Rath	27	1919	1920	32-33	267	CIN
25	Woody Williams	26	1943	1945	30-32	318	CIN

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Is it safe to say, for the most part, with the rare exception, that second baseman are not as good with the leather after they turn thirty?

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Comments on Second Sackers As Their “D” Ages

MJ Recanati

March 4th, 2013 | 10:30 am

Steve L. wrote:

Is it safe to say, for the most part, with the rare exception, that second baseman are not as good with the leather after they turn thirty?

Yep, and their offense declines too.

I think the standard aging curve for 2B shows that right around age 32, the player goes down the tubes. That’s why the Yanks should be telling Cano to hit the road as soon as the season ends.
Evan3457

March 4th, 2013 | 12:34 pm

I would never sign him for more than 4-5 years. It’s 50-50 he starts downhill in the next 2-3 years, tops. Needless to say, if the Yanks hold that line, Cano will be playing elsewhere next year.
MJ Recanati

March 4th, 2013 | 12:56 pm

Evan3457 wrote:

I would never sign him for more than 4-5 years. It’s 50-50 he starts downhill in the next 2-3 years, tops. Needless to say, if the Yanks hold that line, Cano will be playing elsewhere next year.

No chance they hold that line. The Yanks will foolishly sign Cano to a seven or eight year deal and be sorry by the second or third year.

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