13 days ’til Opening Day: Sacrifices

There are 13 days left until that best day of the year, MLB’s Opening Day.

13 is the number of sacrifice hits that Corey Patterson had last season, which led the American League. As much as fans love to see a player sacrifice himself for the team, the sacrifice can be overrated because it usually results in an out as well, negating the gain of moving a runner over.

Patterson, the league leader in sacrificing himself for the team, isn’t even guaranteed a roster spot this year. The Reds signed him to a minor-league contract. All those sacrifices haven’t helped him stay in the majors — of course, his .264/.306/.386 line is the main reason why. It’s no coincidence the team that’s signed him is the Cincinnati Reds, led by Dusty “don’t clog up the bases” Baker.