Intro Voros McCracken’s article here on the BP website has generated a tremendous amount of attention, including at least two columns by Rob Neyer on his ESPN.com gig. Voros’s research, as presented in the article, contains the remarkable result that “major-league pitchers don’t appear to have the ability to prevent hits on balls in play.”…
Talk of records that ought to be set in 2001 revolve around topics we know well. Rickey Henderson ought to set the records for walks and runs scored, barring some sort of blackballing scheme. Barry Bonds is basically a lock to hit his 500th home run (six to go), and Sammy Sosa his 400th (14…
NOT GETTING HIS DUE It seems obvious to me that the attention Dave Parker receives in comparison to other players, and particularly to Jim Rice, has much to do with where they played. When Parker was the focal point of his team it was when he played for the Pirates. I think it’s fair to…
After allowing it to lay dormant for five months, Bud Selig dusted off the report of his Blue Ribbon Committee and announced plans to implement some of the changes it suggested. The one that received the most attention was the so-called competitive balance draft. As presented by Selig, the draft would allow the teams with…
“You’re insane.” That’s generally the response I get when I present the information you’re about to read. I’ve been accused of being the “epitome of ‘pseudo-stat fan’ gibberish.” I’ve even been accused of being Aaron Sele writing under a pseudonym. I’m not entirely sure why my little way of doing things stirs the emotions of…
Mike Neill was a key player on the United States baseball team in the 2000 Olympics, the team that defied most predictions by beating Cuba to win the gold medal. Neill led the competition in runs scored (11), walks (eight), and home runs (three), including a dramatic game-winning home run in the 10th inning to…
Let’s play Name That Player. Today’s HOF-eligible mystery player was an outstanding hitter over his long career, finishing with 339 homers (65th on the all-time list), 526 doubles (27th), and 4405 total bases (35th). He is the career leader in Equivalent Runs among all eligible players not yet in the Hall of Fame. He was…
Bob turned on the television one fine August day to find that the hated New York Yankees were in town to play the Twins. He called his son John into the room to let him know the game was on. "Who’s that?" asked John, as a Yankee hitter lumbered to the plate. "I’m not sure,"…
The Damon-Grieve-Hernandez trade "That’s part of the risk you take when you go into something like this to make us much better. This is a dimension that this team hasn’t had for the last two years. We haven’t had this type of player probably since Rickey (Henderson) was in his prime." — Billy Beane, Athletics…
The seagull lobby couldn’t get out their vote. Neither could Ohio State basketball fans. Participants in the tenth annual STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame balloting have elected outfielder Dave Winfield, appearing on the HOF ballot for the first time, to their version of Cooperstown. Many thanks to the 1632 people who cast HOF votes, more…
It happens every year. Every year I find some way to believe. Every winter I shed my analyst’s glasses and look at my Kansas City Royals through the eyes of a fan. A fan looking for a ray of hope. A fan willing to overlook holes at half a dozen positions. A fan willing to…
Over the past few years, Major League Baseball’s schedule-makers have been subjected to considerable criticism for oddities in the schedule, most having to do with an increase in nonsensical travel. To a certain degree, though, they’ve been put in an impossible situation. The increasing number of opponents that each team has to fit into their…