SI

In praise of the defense, which is better than ever

People like to complain about a slippage in the quality of play -- that hitters don't know how to bunt any more, that pitchers get forced into the majors

Tom Verducci

In praise of the defense, which is better than ever
In praise of the defense, which is better than ever /
Jose Iglesias has been a notable upgrade at shortstop for the postseason-bound Tigers.
Jose Iglesias has been a notable upgrade at shortstop for the postseason-bound Tigers :: Paul Sancya/AP

People like to complain about a slippage in the quality of play -- that hitters don't know how to bunt any more, that pitchers get forced into the majors before they know how to pitch, that outfielders don't have strong arms like they used to, that runners don't know how to run the bases, or that expansion has watered down the competition . . . It's almost all baloney, but such complaints feed our sense of nostalgia. When it comes to defense, though, there is no room to complain. It's better than ever.

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Tom Verducci
TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.

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