Baseball has always been a game of numbers, sometimes to the distraction of its less-ardent fans.
But even diehards are confronted by different SETS of numbers that are increasingly used to measure the capabilities of players.
RBI (runs batted in) and ERA (earned run average) are moving to the back seat, giving way to OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and WAR (wins above replacement).
Help! ESPN Senior Baseball Writer Keith Law provides help in his book Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think About Baseball. Yes, a few sacred cows are gored; Keith Law joins us to explain.
