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Bill James once noted, the tapestry of baseball history is woven with those Gibsons, Koufaxes, Saberhagens etc. I believe fans and saberdudes underestimate the value of a HOF starting pitcher.
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Always thought a Lofton or a Rickey was truly devastating once you put him at the top of a GOOD lineup. Get a 105 OPS+ offense with Stars & Scrubs RBI guys 3-4-5 ... and now you add Ichiro, Lofton, or Rickey, and the offense can seem literally unstoppable.
But that's an interesting take, the idea of a HOF leadoff guy carrying a weak order....