MLB Topics

[Bishopleftiesdad]

A scoring rule that has always nagged at me - why does the ENTIRE blame (in terms of ERA) for inherited baserunners who score go to the previous pitcher?  Shouldn't the guy who actually let them score get some of the blame?  I'm thinking of this today because the Tigers' Joba Chamberlain finally had his totally misleading 1.something ERA explode to 3.something after he started the tenth and gave up 3 earned runs.  I suspect that both he and Al Albuquerque (whose ERA is also 3.something) would have ERAs well over 5.00 if they received any blame for inherited runners who scored.

While a reliever who takes over a bases loaded (or even just man on third) situation with no outs who holds the opponent to a single run has done an excellent job, a reliever who comes in with men on first and second and two outs and gives up two runs has done the job of an arsonist!

So ideally, position of the runners and number of outs could be factored in, but that gets potentially very complicated.  I doubt it will ever happen, but can anyone explain why a simple .5 run for each of the first guy who let 'em on and for the reliever who let 'em in wouldn't be more fair and illuminating?

(And maybe it would even help brain-damaged managers like Brad Ausmas make better decisions.  He lifted finally cleared-to-play Bruce Rondon after two batters - both of whom he struck out - and totally wasted the two best relievers the Tigers have: Blaine Hardy and Alex Wilson - pulling Hardy after 3 batters, and two outs, and pulling Wilson after ONE batter, an out.  It may have been a blessing that the Tigers did not tie it in their tenth inning comeback - they no longer had a single player on the bench, and essentially no bullpen - and that is in only TEN innings! I realize Sparky Anderson is dead, but some days I think he would STILL be better than Ausmas! )

You realize that when Sparky was with the Reds he had the name Dr. Hook? Sparky gave his pitchers very little room for error. He pulled pitchers early all the time. Not sure he would handle the pitching staff any differently. He was a good manager though. I was very sad when he left the Reds.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A scoring rule that has always nagged at me - why does the ENTIRE blame (in terms of ERA) for inherited baserunners who score go to the previous pitcher?  Shouldn't the guy who actually let them score get some of the blame?  I'm thinking of this today because the Tigers' Joba Chamberlain finally had his totally misleading 1.something ERA explode to 3.something after he started the tenth and gave up 3 earned runs.  I suspect that both he and Al Albuquerque (whose ERA is also 3.something) would have ERAs well over 5.00 if they received any blame for inherited runners who scored.

While a reliever who takes over a bases loaded (or even just man on third) situation with no outs who holds the opponent to a single run has done an excellent job, a reliever who comes in with men on first and second and two outs and gives up two runs has done the job of an arsonist!

So ideally, position of the runners and number of outs could be factored in, but that gets potentially very complicated.  I doubt it will ever happen, but can anyone explain why a simple .5 run for each of the first guy who let 'em on and for the reliever who let 'em in wouldn't be more fair and illuminating?

(And maybe it would even help brain-damaged managers like Brad Ausmas make better decisions.  He lifted finally cleared-to-play Bruce Rondon after two batters - both of whom he struck out - and totally wasted the two best relievers the Tigers have: Blaine Hardy and Alex Wilson - pulling Hardy after 3 batters, and two outs, and pulling Wilson after ONE batter, an out.  It may have been a blessing that the Tigers did not tie it in their tenth inning comeback - they no longer had a single player on the bench, and essentially no bullpen - and that is in only TEN innings! I realize Sparky Anderson is dead, but some days I think he would STILL be better than Ausmas! )

You realize that when Sparky was with the Reds he had the name Dr. Hook? Sparky gave his pitchers very little room for error. He pulled pitchers early all the time. Not sure he would handle the pitching staff any differently. He was a good manager though. I was very sad when he left the Reds.

Yeah, Sparky was still called 'Dr. Hook' (or more often 'Captain Hook') in Detroit.  But he generally had good reason to pull a pitcher.  I'm fairly certain he would NOT have lifted Rondon, Hardy, or Wilson as quickly as Ausmus did.  And I can't recall him ever running out of players in just a ten inning game!

[Mr. Ypsi]

From the Way-Cool Department, this item: on Saturday, Evelyn Jones will become the oldest person ever to throw out a first pitch in a baseball game.  The Mariners are honoring her longtime devotion on her 108th birthday!

Throw a perfect strike, Evelyn!  (The story didn't say, but I would hope they are not making her throw from the pitchers' mound!  Heck, at 108 years old, a strike from 5 feet would be something 99.999999% of people couldn't do [it's hard to throw a strike from 6 feet under ground. ])

[Jim Dixon]

From the Way-Cool Department, this item: on Saturday, Evelyn Jones will become the oldest person ever to throw out a first pitch in a baseball game.  The Mariners are honoring her longtime devotion on her 108th birthday!

Throw a perfect strike, Evelyn!  (The story didn't say, but I would hope they are not making her throw from the pitchers' mound!  Heck, at 108 years old, a strike from 5 feet would be something 99.999999% of people couldn't do [it's hard to throw a strike from 6 feet under ground. ])

I believe there is as many people alive today than had died in all previous years.  That withstanding, getting the proper grip is essential with a first pitch.

[Bombers798891]

ERA, of course, partially corrects for bad fielding, since it only counts EARNED runs.  (I've long felt that unearned runs due to an error by the pitcher should be charged against his ERA.)  I prefer the basic stats (however flawed in isolation) that one can easily calculate in one's head as the game progresses over the 'advanced' stats.  (That may be heresy for a retired stats prof, but so be it! )

As to QS - ANY stat can be attacked with a reductio ad absurdum scenario.  Obviously QS does not by itself distinguish between a complete game, one-hit shutout and a middling (though qualifying) performance.  What I like about it as one quick-and-dirty statistic is in sorting out the starters who are reasonably consistently giving their team a decent chance to win and those who are subject to frequent meltdowns.  If you consistently get to the seventh with only three runs, you are saving a lot of wear-and-tear on your bullpen and a decent offensive team should win a majority of those games.

There's nothing wrong with preferring basic stats over advanced stats on the level of it being easier to track (or whatever else). But if we're discussing the ability of a stat to show value, they almost always paint an incomplete picture.

[Jim Dixon]

From the Way-Cool Department, this item: on Saturday, Evelyn Jones will become the oldest person ever to throw out a first pitch in a baseball game.  The Mariners are honoring her longtime devotion on her 108th birthday!

Throw a perfect strike, Evelyn!  (The story didn't say, but I would hope they are not making her throw from the pitchers' mound!  Heck, at 108 years old, a strike from 5 feet would be something 99.999999% of people couldn't do [it's hard to throw a strike from 6 feet under ground. ])

I caught the replay of her first pitch. and it was just great to see her with a pretty good toss - I just wish I could throw a ball as well after 55 more years.

[Bombers798891]

Last night's Yankees/Rangers game was a perfect example of how a pitcher's ERA can be affected by lousy defense that isn't an error.

The scene: The Yankees trail 5-1 in the 2nd inning, but have the bases loaded with no one out. Brendan Ryan hits a tailor-made double play ball to second base, but the Rangers' second baseman breaks on the ball the wrong way (the replay literally shows him going to his right, stopping, turning, and diving back to his left, where he misses the ball). It's ruled a two-run double.

If the Rangers 2nd baseman makes that play, it's 5-2, with two outs and a runner on third. Instead, it's 5-3 with no one out and runners on second and third.

The inning got way out of hand after that, but who knows what changes if that play gets made?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Does anyone know the rule for a player playing enough to get listed or be eligible for post-season awards?

Qualified year-to-date:

In order to qualify for batting titles in averaged categories (Avg, Slg, OBP, OPS, RC, OW%, #P/PA, G/F), a player must average at least 3.1 plate appearances for every game his twam has played.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=stats/glossary

Resurrecting this due to the situation with Miggy Cabrera.  I couldn't remember if Jim had said AB or PA.  If it was at bats, Miggy would probably not qualify this season, due to the number of intentional and 'semi-intentional' walks he's going to get the way he is hitting and the way Victor Martinez is NOT protecting him this season.  But with plate appearances, it shouldn't take him more than a couple more weeks to return to top the list of virtually every 'average' stat: today his stat line was 3 2 2 3 2 - only 3 ABs but 5 PAs, with an OBP of .800 and a slugging % of 2.000!  I had completely thrown in the towel on this season for the Tigers, but with Miggy back I have the faintest of hopes.  If we had more than 4-5 MLB pitchers on the entire staff, I might get downright giddy!

[Ralph Turner]

Last night's Yankees/Rangers game was a perfect example of how a pitcher's ERA can be affected by lousy defense that isn't an error.

The scene: The Yankees trail 5-1 in the 2nd inning, but have the bases loaded with no one out. Brendan Ryan hits a tailor-made double play ball to second base, but the Rangers' second baseman breaks on the ball the wrong way (the replay literally shows him going to his right, stopping, turning, and diving back to his left, where he misses the ball). It's ruled a two-run double.

If the Rangers 2nd baseman makes that play, it's 5-2, with two outs and a runner on third. Instead, it's 5-3 with no one out and runners on second and third.

The inning got way out of hand after that, but who knows what changes if that play gets made?

Sigh, only the Texas Strangers...

[Jim Dixon]

Does anyone know the rule for a player playing enough to get listed or be eligible for post-season awards?

Qualified year-to-date:

In order to qualify for batting titles in averaged categories (Avg, Slg, OBP, OPS, RC, OW%, #P/PA, G/F), a player must average at least 3.1 plate appearances for every game his team has played.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=stats/glossary

Resurrecting this due to the situation with Miggy Cabrera.  I couldn't remember if Jim had said AB or PA.  If it was at bats, Miggy would probably not qualify this season, due to the number of intentional and 'semi-intentional' walks he's going to get the way he is hitting and the way Victor Martinez is NOT protecting him this season.  But with plate appearances, it shouldn't take him more than a couple more weeks to return to top the list of virtually every 'average' stat: today his stat line was 3 2 2 3 2 - only 3 ABs but 5 PAs, with an OBP of .800 and a slugging % of 2.000!  I had completely thrown in the towel on this season for the Tigers, but with Miggy back I have the faintest of hopes.  If we had more than 4-5 MLB pitchers on the entire staff, I might get downright giddy!

Your in luck - it is plate appearances. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Does anyone know the rule for a player playing enough to get listed or be eligible for post-season awards?

Qualified year-to-date:

In order to qualify for batting titles in averaged categories (Avg, Slg, OBP, OPS, RC, OW%, #P/PA, G/F), a player must average at least 3.1 plate appearances for every game his team has played.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=stats/glossary

Resurrecting this due to the situation with Miggy Cabrera.  I couldn't remember if Jim had said AB or PA.  If it was at bats, Miggy would probably not qualify this season, due to the number of intentional and 'semi-intentional' walks he's going to get the way he is hitting and the way Victor Martinez is NOT protecting him this season.  But with plate appearances, it shouldn't take him more than a couple more weeks to return to top the list of virtually every 'average' stat: today his stat line was 3 2 2 3 2 - only 3 ABs but 5 PAs, with an OBP of .800 and a slugging % of 2.000!  I had completely thrown in the towel on this season for the Tigers, but with Miggy back I have the faintest of hopes.  If we had more than 4-5 MLB pitchers on the entire staff, I might get downright giddy!

Your in luck - it is plate appearances.

Yeah, I already caught that.  As of earlier today, the 'official' BA leader in the AL is at .320; Miggy is now at .371!   Alas, the Tigers' pitching still reeks - I believe it it now 5 straight games that they have outhit the opponent and still lost every game!

Right now, Miggy would need 385.5 PAs to be listed; after tonite's game he is at 385.  So as early as tomorrow or the next day he should suddenly appear at (or near) the top of every 'average' list!

BTW, I believe he now has multiple hits in 10 straight games - if that is correct does anyone know if that is a record?

Can he hit .400?  Damn straight he can!!  Will he hit .400?  Probably not.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Does anyone know the rule for a player playing enough to get listed or be eligible for post-season awards?

Qualified year-to-date:

In order to qualify for batting titles in averaged categories (Avg, Slg, OBP, OPS, RC, OW%, #P/PA, G/F), a player must average at least 3.1 plate appearances for every game his team has played.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=stats/glossary

Resurrecting this due to the situation with Miggy Cabrera.  I couldn't remember if Jim had said AB or PA.  If it was at bats, Miggy would probably not qualify this season, due to the number of intentional and 'semi-intentional' walks he's going to get the way he is hitting and the way Victor Martinez is NOT protecting him this season.  But with plate appearances, it shouldn't take him more than a couple more weeks to return to top the list of virtually every 'average' stat: today his stat line was 3 2 2 3 2 - only 3 ABs but 5 PAs, with an OBP of .800 and a slugging % of 2.000!  I had completely thrown in the towel on this season for the Tigers, but with Miggy back I have the faintest of hopes.  If we had more than 4-5 MLB pitchers on the entire staff, I might get downright giddy!

Your in luck - it is plate appearances.

Yeah, I already caught that.  As of earlier today, the 'official' BA leader in the AL is at .320; Miggy is now at .371!   Alas, the Tigers' pitching still reeks - I believe it it now 5 straight games that they have outhit the opponent and still lost every game!

Right now, Miggy would need 385.5 PAs to be listed; after tonite's game he is at 385.  So as early as tomorrow or the next day he should suddenly appear at (or near) the top of every 'average' list!

BTW, I believe he now has multiple hits in 10 straight games - if that is correct does anyone know if that is a record?

Can he hit .400?  Damn straight he can!!  Will he hit .400?  Probably not.

I see now from the recap that his multiple hits streak is 'only' seven games - but I bet it is 9 of ten.

[bulk19]

Hey Mr. Ypsi - Long time no argue. Ha... 
Hornsby had a 13-game streak of multi-hit games, but SABR found a Count who holds the record at 15...

http://sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/records_FEB2010.pdf

[Bombers798891]

Yeah, I already caught that.  As of earlier today, the 'official' BA leader in the AL is at .320; Miggy is now at .371!   Alas, the Tigers' pitching still reeks - I believe it it now 5 straight games that they have outhit the opponent and still lost every game!

Right now, Miggy would need 385.5 PAs to be listed; after tonite's game he is at 385.  So as early as tomorrow or the next day he should suddenly appear at (or near) the top of every 'average' list!

BTW, I believe he now has multiple hits in 10 straight games - if that is correct does anyone know if that is a record?

Can he hit .400?  Damn straight he can!!  Will he hit .400?  Probably not.

Two things, neither of which are intended as slights on Cabrera's season:

1. It's easier to hit for a super high average when you have fewer ABs. It's not a coincidence that Williams' .406 came in a year in which he had 456 ABs, that Gwynn's .394 came in a year in which he had 419, Brett's .390 came in a year in which he had 449, and Williams' .388 came in a year in which he had 420. It's not impossible to sustain it over 600 ABs (Carew's 1977 being an example) but it's a lot harder.

2. As for Cabrera hitting .400 this season, let's assume he keeps up his current pace for ABs, and plays in every game from here on out. He'd get 135 more ABs, putting him at 456 for the season. To hit .400 with that many at-bats, he'd need 182 hits. He's currently got 119.

So he'd need to go 63-for-135, and hit .466 the rest of the year. Which has been done before—Brett hit .470 over a 247 at-bat stretch in '80 (which illustrates the first point even better).

Still, he's a lock for his 4th batting title, and it will be interesting to see where he winds up on these career lists.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Miggy went a measly 1-3 (plus a walk) tonite to fall to a mere .370.   Since his one hit was a two-run tater, I forgive him!

And a shout-out to Justin Verlander, whom I had earlier written off as 'getting old'.  His previous six outings had yielded an ERA of 1.67, with a record of one win, two losses, and three no decisions.  He finally found the secret to getting a win when the hitters aren't hitting - throw a no-hitter for eight innings, and finish with a complete game, one-hit shut-out!