Alan Schwarz has a very interesting column on ESPN.com's Hot Stove Heaters series in which he discusses plate discipline and the many different forms it can take.
An interesting stat for Phans: Our very own Bobby Abreu ranked first in The Bigs during the 2004 season in pitches per plate appearance (4.32). The more pitches a team takes, the earlier in the game the opposing team's starter gets worn out and taken out of the game, the sooner you can get to the soft underbelly of almost every team -- long- and middle-relief.
This little known but important stat -- remember, the 162-game, six-month baseball season is really a marathon war of attrition -- is one of the many reasons Abreu is more important to the Phils than most Phans realize.
