While there can be many ways to measure a position player’s offensive value, one method could be to evaluate the proportion of his team’s runs that are attributable to his own offensive contributions, a quantity that might be described as “Run Share”. That approach identifies these players as most valuable to their teams in 2013.

• AL – Mike Trout, 19.1% run share
• NL – Paul Goldschmidt, 18.7% run share

Those selections were based on FanGraphs‘ version of Runs Created (wRC), represented as a proportion of the actual runs that the player’s team scored. After the jump, more on Run Shares as a measure of offensive value.

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In birtelcom’s post on Willie Mays‘ induction into the Circle of Greats, a comment was made that Mays is one of only two players to play in 150+ games for 13 consecutive seasons (the other, flying under our radar, is Bobby Abreu). This prompted a general discussion of players who most consistently answered the bell, day in and day out, year after year.

After the jump, record holders in games played for every age range.

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These batters are connected by dint of a certain career batting accomplishment that only they have achieved since 1946. What is it?

1. Joe Medwick
2. Bob Elliott
3. Del Ennis
4. Stan Musial
5. Joe Adcock
6. Dick Groat
7. Hank Aaron
8. Dave Winfield
9. Eddie Murray

Hint: Derek Jeter could be the next player to make this list.

Congratulations to RJ! He correctly identified that these are the only players since 1946 who were active leaders in career GIDP without leading the majors in that category in any season. More after the jump.

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Since 1916, many pitchers have accomplished a certain game feat once in a career, several have done it twice, and one even did it three times. But, only these three moundsmen have managed that feat twice in the same season.

Dennis Martinez
Claude Willoughby
Dizzy Dean

What is this most unusual of repeat performances?

Congratulations to John Autin! He correctly identified that these are the only pitchers to start two games in the same season in which an opposing player hit for the cycle. More after the jump.

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An array of worthy challengers was no impediment for Mickey Mantle, who led wire-to-wire for a first ballot win and enshrinement in the Circle of Greats. Mantle was mentioned on over 85% of ballots with runner-up Eddie Mathews, also on the COG ballot for the first time, exceeding 60%. Jim Bunning and all of the holdovers in their last round of eligibility managed to attract sufficient support to remain on the ballot.

A much-heralded phenom from Oklahoma, Mantle had a tough time as a 19 year-old rookie in the Big Apple. Some tough love from his father in a famous phone call back home set the Mick straight, and onto his path to stardom as one of the outstanding center-fielders in major-league history. At his retirement after 18 seasons, Mantle’s 109.7 career WAR (15th all-time) was 4th among center-fielders, trailing only HOFers Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, and contemporary Willie Mays (who also debuted in the 1951 season). Forty-five seasons later, those four still hold down the same top 4 spots with no player since coming within 25 WAR of Mantle.

More on the Commerce Comet after the jump.

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Our mystery player is a 20th century pitcher. Among other accomplishments, he:

• led his league in ERA, ERA+, Complete Games and Shutouts, but each only once in his career
• had back-to-back 20 win seasons, but never led his league in Wins
• ranks 3rd in career W-L% for his franchise (min. 1000 IP)
• over his 4 year peak, made top 5 in his league in ERA, ERA+, WHIP, Complete Games, Shutouts and HR/9 (min. 750 IP)
• allowed 5 hits or less in over 25% of complete games over his career
• was unbeaten in multiple World Series starts

Congratulations to James Smyth! He correctly identified our mystery pitcher as none other than Babe Ruth. I chose the Babe as the subject of this quiz to alert our readers that the good people at Retrosheet.org and Baseball-Reference.com have been busy, and have now updated their databases and search engines to include complete box scores and game logs back to 1914, Ruth’s debut season.

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 48th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This is the first of two rounds of voting for players born in 1931.  Rules and lists are after the jump.

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After runner-up finishes in the previous two rounds of voting, Al Kaline swamped the field as the voters’ resounding choice to become the next inductee into the Circle of Greats. A mainstay in the Tiger outfield for more than two decades, Kaline was an outstanding player in all facets of the game, retiring in 1974 as the all-time AL career leader for right-fielders in WAR, Offensive WAR, Defensive WAR and WAR Baserunning Runs.

More on Al Kaline after the jump.

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These are the only players who, in the 1901 to 1960 period, had a career accomplishment that has become rather more common since then. What is it?

Congratulations mostly to ATarwerdi96! And a nod to Richard Chester for getting the final detail. They teamed up to identify that these are the only players to compile 600 games from 1901 to 1960 at each of two positions, with at least one of them in the infield. With expansion has come expanded opportunities for versatile players to shine all over the ball field. More after the jump.

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Following up from the AL version, here’s a collection of statistical tidbits for last year’s NL teams that you probably won’t find anywhere else.

Enjoy.

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