QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 02:01 PM)
The argument isn't even about SB's, as I think anyone will tell you they are valuable - in a vacuum. The issue is effectiveness, which comes from rate. A guy who steals 18 in 20 attempts is more valuable than a guy who steals 50 but gets caught 30. The negative value of a CS is more than the positive value of a SB.
This is correct ^
Elite basetealers are very valuable, sabermetrically. Those that don't successfully steal at least 71% of the time, however, are doing more harm than good. Thus, managers like Ozzie Guillen tend to hurt the team with ill-fated steal attempts at obvious times with bad basestealers.