Baseball is filled with statistical analysis. We’re now able to quantify how many runs a players can save or how many wins he’s worth. But in a game where BABIP, WAR and UZR are now widely used to determine how good a player is (and how much money he makes) there is still one thing that Sabermetrics haven’t cracked:
CHEM.
There’s no way to quantify it. There’s no way to really identify it. There’s not even a way to prove it exists. But ask around the Padres clubhouse and they’ll swear to you that Chemistry is vital to a team’s success … even if they aren’t entirely certain how to go about getting it.
“Not too many analysts or people in general really put too much emphasis on chemistry,” said starting pitcher James Shields, who has been to the World Series with the Rays and Royals, two teams that analysts also thought were far from being Pennant contenders. “You look at every single interview during the playoffs, you hear all the players and all they talk about is brotherhood and team chemistry. They don’t talk about stats, they don’t talk about how they got there, all they talk about is the brotherhood they have in the clubhouse. I guess it’s hard to judge but I think we’re really starting to get that here in Spring.”
If the Padres ever really achieved any kind of bond it happened far too late to save their ill-fated 2015 season. This year they’re getting a start on the process a little earlier.
“I think the team is feeling a little more comfortable this year,” said Shields. “We had a lot of new guys last year, a lot of guys who are high-profile guys. Bringing in 11 new guys was a little bit difficult as far as the comfortability part. I think guys are starting to feel for each other a little bit right now and we’re going to try and build off that here in Spring.”
Shields will be vital to that process. Like every successful manager, new skipper Andy Green needs a representative in the player ranks to be a buffer and handle some of the conversations he can’t get to. Green and Shields have already struck up a strong rapport.
“He’s been awesome,” said Green. “He’s going to be a tremendous leader for us this year as a guy we’re going to rely heavily on to get our message out to the clubhouse. He relishes that role.”
Shields is the highest-paid and most accomplished pitcher on the Padres staff. When he was signed before the 2015 season part of the expectation was for him to take the reins and be that leader. It didn’t fully materialize. Perhaps it’s just taking a little longer than they thought.
“He’s very intelligent, very savvy, very competitive,” said Green, “so I expect big things from him.”
Green is banking on Shields to have success, and that success to help drive the leadership role. But what will that do for the elusive chemistry? Some folks say winning creates it. Others say it leads to more wins. Shields has a very strong opinion on that.
“I think chemistry creates winning. That’s my answer to that.”
