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Range factors say almost nothing about a player's defensive value, even in relation to the league. Juan Samuel had a higher range factor than the national league by a good half a play per game, and he's usually regarded as a terrible defender. There's a reason Steve Jeltz ever played major league baseball, and his name is Juan Samuel.

On the other hand, Mark Belanger may have been the best defensive shortstop of all time. In any case, he and Brooks Robinson formed an impenatrable left side of the infield which resulted in Jim Palmer's hall of fame career and Money Store advertisements. Yet Belanger's range factor relative to the league was only a quarter of a play per game better, and twice in his prime (at ages 26 and 28) it was worse!

On the contrary, Samuel had been turned into an outfielder after six years of range factors above the league average and fielding percentages at or near it. His replacement, Tom Herr, had a similar range factor behind basically the same staff the next season, but if you find me one board member who says that Tom Herr hasn't gone down in history as a great defensive second baseman, I'll bend over for both of you.