There was a lot of feedback on yesterday’s column, which included the All-Star ballot I filled out last Saturday. Almost all of the e-mail dealt with my choices in the AL’s outfield. The "16 outfielders" comment Hyperbole, folks. I wouldn’t really pick J.D. Drew over Manny Ramirez, but I certainly believe the NL has the…
The following article, written by Keith Woolner with Rany Jazayerli, appeared in Baseball Prospectus 2001. Analyzing PAP (Part One) PAP FAQ Table of Contents Long-term injury risk Pitch counts and injuries Data to be studied Identifying Injured Pitchers Defining Comparable Pitchers Career PAP as a Predictor of Injury The Workload Stress Metric The Injury Likelihood…
There are two related effects we are interested in studying. The original intent of PAP was to ascertain whether a pitcher is at risk of injury or permanent reduction in effectiveness due to repeated overwork. And in particular, does PAP (or any similar formula) provide more insight into that risk that simple pitch counts alone?
A good box score answers countless questions. Was it windy, was it wet, how many people were there? Did the wind blow in, did it blow right to left, did it cause home runs? Was it a day game? Who was the home plate umpire? Did he squeeze the strike zone? How many fans showed up, and when were they allowed to leave?
As you read this, remember my standards: I’m looking for the best player, not the guy having the best season, and will generally take the established star unless said star has clearly been passed by someone else.
Before today’s column, a public service announcement. If those of you west of the Rockies ever have to choose between Pacific Bell Internet Services and, say, Spike’s House o’ Internet & Bail Bonds, I implore you to go with Spike. I’m sure he’ll at least return your service requests. OK…as covered yesterday, I went to…
We experience baseball through its box scores more than through any other medium. A box score is an analogue, a concise recreation of everything we need to know, a tidy answer to Lenin’s question: Who is doing what to whom? Didn’t most of us develop our understanding of the game by reading box scores? Before…
The following article, written by Keith Woolner with Rany Jazayerli, appeared in Baseball Prospectus 2001. Analyzing PAP (Part Two) PAP FAQ Table of Contents History of PAP Areas of investigation Short-term ineffectiveness Data set to be studied Performance measurements Endurance differences Initial results The Performance Index PAP vs. Performance Index Other PAP formulae Reformulating PAP…
“He’s got a good eye, that’s for sure. I threw him some good sliders and he spit on them.”
–Tim Hudson, Athletics pitcher, on Red Sox outfielder Rickey Henderson
Friday evening, Sophia and I on were on our way to have dinner on the west side when she suggested that we take our friends, Shelley and E.J., to the Dodgers game on Saturday night.
You could have knocked me over with an eephus pitch.
Friday evening, Sophia and I on were on our way to have dinner on the west side when she suggested that we take our friends, Shelley and E.J., to the Dodgers game on Saturday night. You could have knocked me over with an eephus pitch. Understand, this just doesn’t happen. Sophia hates baseball, and goes…
THE WEEK IN RICKEY "He’s got a good eye, that’s for sure. I threw him some good sliders and he spit on them." —Tim Hudson, Athletics pitcher, on Red Sox outfielder Rickey Henderson "Rickey Henderson is a confident young man." —Grady Little, Red Sox manager GUNNERY SERGEANT TO DISC JOCKEY "In my eyes, we already…
Among longtime rabid fans, there’s a kind of vague denial, wrapped around the idea that “there’s no way they’d let 1994-95 happen again.” With all due respect to those people, 1994-95 wasn’t that bad for the owners or players. It was bad for addicts. I don’t think I got rid of the shakes until about 1997. Baseball attendance recovered almost immediately, well before the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa show.
The middle of May is a good time to take a look at the park factors around the league.
Granted, its waaayyy too early to draw firm conclusions about these; most teams still haven’t finished home-and-homes with their opponents to date, and the overall sample size is still small enough that chance has a lot to do with the results. Fact is, though, it’s a fun thing to look at.
There’s a big weekend in the NL Central, where the top four teams will square off in a two battles of surprises vs. favorites. The Reds travel to St. Louis, while the Astros and Pirates continue a four-game series at Enron Memorial Field (the Astros won the opener, 3-1, behind Roy Oswalt).