The importance of ERA

[justjg]

Era is pretty useless. The old Dodger infield made a ton of errors in the Steve Sax days and this of course affected ERAs.

You really have to look at the slugging that a pitcher gave up. Look at the cards. When you see a bunch of doubles, diamonds, and HR's that's an indicator.

High whip could simply be extra walks which while not good aren't as bad as doubles!

[honestiago1]

Sort of what I was trying to say in the first place, although I DO think that high-WHIP, low-ERA pitchers probably have a higher incidence of "escape" readingfs on their cards (maybe their 6's read SI* 1-3, lo 4-20," or something like that). WALKS are better than doubles, and that's why (as I was trying to say, perhaps unsuccessfully), I take a much closer look at the 1.40 and over guys (except for Wild Thing!).

[the icemen]

i look at whip in a pitchers park and era in a hitters park.

dennis martinez is the perfect example...low whip but sucks in kingdome etc... put him in oakland and he is lights out.

dave stieb is the same way...

put a high whip low era pitcher in a homer dome and you will get good value...put a low whip high era pitcher in a astrodome type park and you will get good value...or pay 7-9 million and get a good pitcher anywhere