Knuckleballer's 'Catching' ERA

[sharrock]

Does anyone know of a discussion (anywhere online or anywhere else really) that has attempted to figure out the negative impact on a knuckleballer's value that results from the difficulty in catching it. That is, how detrimental are the passed balls and additional stolen bases?

Even in a thumbnail fashion it is difficult to find much quantitative discussion of knuckleballers. Obviously data sets would be small and perhaps not terrible informative... but I'd still like to know more.

Thanks.

[Second Base Coach]

The linear weights crowd should come in soon with the value of an added base (stolen or from a passed ball) pretty soon. You could then compare Phil Niekro, Joe Niekro, and Tim Wakefield... checking to see if they allowed more stolen bases than the average bear.

Then turn around and give them credit for something like fewer hits allowed than average... but how do we know which stolen bases were taken on knuckle balls?

And all the good things that happened, was that because of the knuckleball, or was it because they were good pitchers to begin with?

I think the numers will be hard to pin down, and the overall feeling will be... ya gotta take the good with the bad.

[Tango Tiger]

I have an article on it in The Hardall Times Annual 2007, which was an expansion of this article:
http://tangotiger.net/catchers.html

[sharrock]

I have an article on it in The Hardall Times Annual 2007, which was an expansion of this article:
http://tangotiger.net/catchers.html

Thanks Tango, that methodology essentially gets at my question. It doesn't really matter whether the approach is from the catcher or pitcher side (noted in your point about Niekro and Hough being at the bottom of the spectrum).

I think this also speaks to the value that a quality knuckleball catcher can have. In Wakefield's case, a roster spot is reserved for a light-hitting catcher who can handle him. In essence, his value to the Red Sox must be considered in conjunction with two roster spots. In that context I was trying to kick aorund just how valuable (or detrimental) that concession is... how much the catching aspect is part of the effectiveness of the battery overall.

On an unrelated note, I revisited the lineup construction chapter in 'The Book' over the weekend as I tried to get a handle on why JD Drew was hitting leadoff.