Sandy Alderson was ahead of the curve back in the 1980s with Oakland, embracing sabermetrics at a time when it wasn't widely accepted in baseball. Now, is Alderson a step behind?
As this team's homestand opened, Alderson stuck to his long-held belief that defense should not be a primary emphasis when constructing a team. His reasoning: Wins are based on runs produced minus runs allowed. And fielding capability is only a fraction of run prevention, dwarfed by pitching.
"So, as I sit here, I can say, 'Gee, defense can't possibly be as important as offense,'" Alderson said.