I hate Baseball Statistics

[martybegan]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

 

[rightwinger]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

 

[martybegan]

OPS is just slugging percentage plus on base percentage. It's kind of a pretty useful stat and not exactly difficult to understand. WHIP Is walks and hits per innings pitched. Again, a simple and useful stat. I don't know about wins above replacement. I guess it's a pretty pertinent stat but I didn't really need a stat to tell me that a team is better off with mike trout than basically any other center fielder in the world

OPS seems kind of redundant

On base percentage is batting average plus walks
Slugging is batting average adjusted for extra base hits. So if you get a single it counts towards your batting average AND your slugging percentage

Why not just add walks and stolen bases to the calculation of your slugging percentage?

you think that's try looking up "Win Share" for Basketball. It's like WAR, only more headache inducing.

 

[martybegan]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to a DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

 

[rightwinger]

W-L is virtually meaningless. A mediocre starter on a heavy-hitting team can win 20 on the basis of his offense. ERA is a lot more relevant. That, and K/BB ratio tell me a lot more about what to expect.

I think the strikeout is overrated

Counts the same as a ground ball out and ground balls lead to double plays

I don't know if I agree with that. A strikeout guarantees no run is scored. I'd rather never let the ball get out into play than risk giving up any runs

I guess it is situational

For most of the game, a ground ball out is as good as a strikeout....an out is an out

Bases loaded, nobody out.....you need a strike out
Bases loaded, one out.....a ground ball leads to a double play

An infield fly works too.
Strikeouts take more pitches than inducing a ground ball or popup. If you just brought in a strikeout specialist for that purpose, that's fine. But if it's your starter you wear him out more.

I think we all know these pitchers aren't "wearing out". Were they wearing out when they were throwing 120 or more pitches regularly before this pitch count era? These shorter starts are just to protect expensive assets now. These guys could easily throw a lot more pitches

I look at todays pitchers as sprinters rather than milers

They are brought in to throw very hard for six or seven innings. Old school pitchers threw hard, but paced themselves to last nine innings. Middle Relievers used to be the guys who couldn't cut it as starters and mopped up in blow-out games. The Closer would go up to three innings. Now the relievers are all specialists who throw just as hard as the starters.

 

[martybegan]

I think the strikeout is overrated

Counts the same as a ground ball out and ground balls lead to double plays

I don't know if I agree with that. A strikeout guarantees no run is scored. I'd rather never let the ball get out into play than risk giving up any runs

I guess it is situational

For most of the game, a ground ball out is as good as a strikeout....an out is an out

Bases loaded, nobody out.....you need a strike out
Bases loaded, one out.....a ground ball leads to a double play

An infield fly works too.
Strikeouts take more pitches than inducing a ground ball or popup. If you just brought in a strikeout specialist for that purpose, that's fine. But if it's your starter you wear him out more.

I think we all know these pitchers aren't "wearing out". Were they wearing out when they were throwing 120 or more pitches regularly before this pitch count era? These shorter starts are just to protect expensive assets now. These guys could easily throw a lot more pitches

I look at todays pitchers as sprinters rather than milers

They are brought in to throw very hard for six or seven innings. Old school pitchers threw hard, but paced themselves to last nine innings. Middle Relievers used to be the guys who couldn't cut it as starters and mopped up in blow-out games. The Closer would go up to three innings. Now the relievers are all specialists who throw just as hard as the starters.

To keep this up they will probably have to expand the roster by at least 2 players sooner or later.

 

[Pogo]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

Soon they'll put in a Designated Runner when your slowest but strongest hitter bats. He'll set in a sprint position next to the batter's box and take off upon contact. But then he'll stop short of the bag and let the Designated Slider take over.


Of course, if the DS is called out they'll have the Designated Arguer run out. He'll be a lawyer. You know he's a lawyer because he's the DA.

 

[rightwinger]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

Soon they'll put in a Designated Runner when your slowest but strongest hitter bats. He'll set in a sprint position next to the batter's box and take off upon contact. But then he'll stop short of the bag and let the Designated Slider take over.


Of course, if the DS is called out they'll have the Designated Arguer run out. He'll be a lawyer. You know he's a lawyer because he's the DA.

Designated Runner: Herb Washington | Society for American Baseball Research

 

[Pogo]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

Soon they'll put in a Designated Runner when your slowest but strongest hitter bats. He'll set in a sprint position next to the batter's box and take off upon contact. But then he'll stop short of the bag and let the Designated Slider take over.


Of course, if the DS is called out they'll have the Designated Arguer run out. He'll be a lawyer. You know he's a lawyer because he's the DA.

Designated Runner: Herb Washington | Society for American Baseball Research

That's a great story --- all the more as it's astutely written by a twelve-year-old.

I think my favorite part is being required to grow a mustache, and then using grease pencil because he couldn't do it. Charlie Finley may not have had much respect for the game but he knew what entertainment was.

 

[rightwinger]

It used to be so easy

Batters were judged by .....Average, HRs and RBIs
Pitchers were judged by....W-L, Ks and ERA

Not perfect, but I understood the numbers

Now, Sabermetrics guys have taken over......WAR, OPS, WHIP....WTF?.

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

Soon they'll put in a Designated Runner when your slowest but strongest hitter bats. He'll set in a sprint position next to the batter's box and take off upon contact. But then he'll stop short of the bag and let the Designated Slider take over.


Of course, if the DS is called out they'll have the Designated Arguer run out. He'll be a lawyer. You know he's a lawyer because he's the DA.

Designated Runner: Herb Washington | Society for American Baseball Research

That's a great story --- all the more as it's astutely written by a twelve-year-old.

I think my favorite part is being required to grow a mustache, and then using grease pencil because he couldn't do it. Charlie Finley may not have had much respect for the game but he knew what entertainment was.

Great team with some great names

Blue Moon Odom
Vida Blue
Rollie Fingers
Catfish Hunter
Sal Bando

 

[Pogo]

I do agree in part, however your post still gets:

I feel like that ever since they went to the DH

You mean stopped playing real baseball?

Soon they'll put in a Designated Runner when your slowest but strongest hitter bats. He'll set in a sprint position next to the batter's box and take off upon contact. But then he'll stop short of the bag and let the Designated Slider take over.


Of course, if the DS is called out they'll have the Designated Arguer run out. He'll be a lawyer. You know he's a lawyer because he's the DA.

Designated Runner: Herb Washington | Society for American Baseball Research

That's a great story --- all the more as it's astutely written by a twelve-year-old.

I think my favorite part is being required to grow a mustache, and then using grease pencil because he couldn't do it. Charlie Finley may not have had much respect for the game but he knew what entertainment was.

Great team with some great names

Blue Moon Odom
Vida Blue
Rollie Fingers
Catfish Hunter
Sal Bando

Yeah but ------ WHITE SHOES. They can never be forgiven for that. Never.


If I were Charlie Finley's player and told I had to both grow a mustache and wear white shoes, I woulda shaved off my mustache, borrowed Herb's grease pencil and drawn it all over my shoes. There ya go Charley --- my mustache is on my shoes. Deal with it.