Total bases are total bases. If you think they're a stupid stat, I'm not sure what to say. Walks are walks. I'm a little less impressed by them but they're still a solid stat. When two players manage to produce the same amount of TB per 162 over 15-20 year careers, it's fair to say, when they put the ball in play, they were comparable. However, when one walks one more time every 8 games, he has more offensive value. Not a great deal but more. And those extra 20 BB per 162 will make his averaged stats better because he has less AB.