This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, May 18, 2010 - Mary Delach Leonard and I were chatting during the cliffhanger with the Nationals:
Mary: LUDWICK!
me: thank goodness, now let matt do SOMETHING
...
Mary: How much did Holliday's walk cost vs. Ludwick's HR?
me: that's math - but it could be a blog item...
So, curiosity was piqued.
Going to ESPN, I find that Ryan Ludwick is projected to have 603 at bats this year, for which he will be paid $5,450,000.
Matt Holliday is expected to have 598 at bats (hey, I don't know why ESPN figures Holliday will have more days off, I'm just reporting) with an annual take of $16,333,327.
By my calculator: Ludwick's 8th inning at bat cost $9,038.14. Holliday's walk? $27,313.25.
I refuse to check the cost of a pinch runner getting picked off of first.
Beacon staff writer Mary Delach Leonard and features and commentary editor Donna Korando are combining to present Two Chicks Talkin' about the Birds, a look at baseball in St. Louis from the cheap seats by long-time fans.