Overemphasizing Experience
Much has been made of the inexperience of this year’s Tampa Bay Rays team. Experience doesn’t have anything to do with postseason success. The Rays are a team who have been around the league and have experienced just about everything necessary to cope with the playoffs.To perform in the postseason all a player really needs is two years of big league experience. Two years is about the amount of service time that a ball player needs to become acclimated to the intensity of professional baseball and to pick up on the nuances in a hitter or pitcher’s tendencies. There really isn’t much that a player will see in the playoffs that they haven’t encountered at some point during the regular season.In the playoff push, the intensity ramps up at the end of regular season and prepares the team for what they will see in October. There are plenty of guys who have thrived in the playoffs in their first or second season. For examples, look no further than the postseason performances of Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury in 2007. For every Rick Ankiel meltdown in the playoffs you have 5 or six players like Pedroia, Ellsbury, Francisco Rodriguez, Adam Wainwright, or Josh Beckett who thrive while under the spotlight.
Far more important than post season experience is clubhouse chemistry. The Yankees have a lineup loaded with talent and experience, and yet they haven’t won anything in years.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:28 am
Jim,
I have been contemplating this all night. I can’t help but think about how bad a young Nomar G. and Mo Vaughn were in 1998? VS the Oakland A’s? Their lack of experience (at that point) really hurt the Sox chances of moving on in the playoffs. Not to take anything away from the A’s. That being said, If I were Tampa Bay I wouldn’t want to play Boston or Anaheim in the ALCS. Although I’m sure they’d be happy to be there.
Experience is a building block for team chemistry. Especially in Septmeber.
Thanks
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm
twhobert:
In 1998 the Red Sox played against the Cleveland Indians not the A’s, Mo Vaughn already had experience from playing in the 1995 playoffs, and Nomar had a great series (i remember him hitting a home run in the deciding game, only to have Tom Gordon cough up the lead).
Actually, I just checked the stats for that postseason and Nomar hit .333 with 3HR and Mo hit .412 with 2HR.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
It took you all night to contemplate that?
Just busting your chops.
I agree with Jim. Experience is a media-created excuse. The Mets melted down last year down the stretch and they were about as experienced as a team can get.