The Giants committed three errors on Monday, including yet another catcher’s interference call. Their four catcher’s interference calls ties a team record, according to Baseball Reference. They have 21 errors, total. Again, there have been just 18 games played this season.
The obvious question, then: Is this the worst defense the Giants have had through the first 18 games of a season?
Just by tallying up the raw errors, the answer is no. But there’s context required. In 1910, baseballs were made from oblong lead gourds and fields had roughly 673 gophers per square foot, and the Giants committed 39 errors through their first 18 games. That means nothing to people watching baseball in 2020. You cannot compare baseball teams that are 110 years apart, and you certainly can’t do it when it comes to defense. Shove an average major-league shortstop from 1910 into a time machine, and I’m not sure if he’s starting on a good high school team.
