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Until your and Gordon's posts.
I mean, it's axiomatic to the pro's, that if you have a Straw that Stirs the Drink, the other guys will often start popping tall and playing better.
What had not occurred was the case of a player like Justin Smoak, a fragile young guy who likes the bar set low, and how much a Fielder type can do to help set that bar lower for him.
...........
Sabermetrics hasn't yet written its first word on --- > what causes a Justin Smoak to have a good year. Sabermetrics cannot pretend to be able to even comment on the impact, or lack thereof, of a Straw That Stirs.
But I think if you've watched sports, you've noticed that some athletes make the players around them better.