I think he gets credit because it's part of a gameplan. One that's less feasible without a good defense behind him. During the time-frame of tight Red's defenses, there have been several high-octane pitchers -- Harang, Volquez, Bailey until recently -- that weren't doing this successfully.
Agreed. But I don't think you wipe away their success as a mirage.Pitching is an art and a science with an incredible amount of thought and strategy played out in a single at bat. But that doesn't mean Leake or Arroyo should get credit for their LOB% or BABIP by default.