Thursday, May 17, 2012

Stats class should have focused more on baseball than the economy.

Baseball is such an awesome sport.  The statistical analysis is best part.  Don't deny it.

From Jim Caple @ ESPN:


My "I Hate Closers'' Note Of The Week: After Mariano Rivera's possible career-ending injury, Sports Illustrated and other media outlets pointed out how many closers other teams had gone through during Mo's 1997-2011 run, many in double digits. And there is no denying Rivera's longevity, which is what truly sets him apart from closers not named Trevor Hoffman. But there is another, possibly more important way of looking at it: How much did those teams pay for their saves? Fortunately, the excellent baseball writer Masa Niwa did the research. And he found that the Yankees paid an average of $241,000 per Mariano save. The other teams paid $97,000 per save by their "designated'' closers. (The Athletics paid just $59,000.)
And as Sweet Science's Dave Schoenfield found, the ninth inning lead protection success rate was not significantly different between the Yankees from 1997-2011 (97 percent) and the worst team in baseball during the same span, the Pirates (95 percent). The lesson is this. Mo has been durable and successful, but he has also been costly. That's no big deal for the Yankees, who can easily afford a closer who makes only a one- or two-win difference per year. But other teams are better off investing their money in less expensive relievers who will protect ninth inning leads nearly as well, allowing the team to beef up the rest of the roster so it will have more ninth inning leads to protect.

Saturday, May 5, 2012


Mar @ Fish --- 2011 final regular season series.  




I realize APD’s are special.  Willow Ufgood was special in the rescue of Elora and the demise of Bavmorda.  But my most memorable PTP series happen at other times.  

There was the time Keith and I carefully opened the door to a random Johnson’s Creek bar mid afternoon.  We were greeted by two patrons yelling at us “New blood, new blood!” It could have been a scene from Willow, these patrons were obviously cast under Bavmorda's spell.  

Or the time a bird pooped on my arm while rolling dice with Dubs at the Milwaukee lakefront (rest his PTP soul, working on a 3-D 2Pac type return to the game.  If you are not familiar, youtube "2Pac Coachella").  

Note: I hate feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic, egg-laying vertebrate animals!!


This past 1st of May was no exception, it was special.  Fish was on the way up to Green Bay and dropped off some Doritos Salsa Verde flavored chips.  Have you tried these yet?  Damn good.  Perfect with Busch Light....right Mr. Cieslenski?  

Along with the chips, we decided to roll some dice. 

Despite an asterisk next to Fish’s 2011 season (unable to draft his own team), I took the first series 2-1 and was optimistic about my chances this time around.   In summary:

Game 1 --- Karstens vs Cain  (both pitchers last 5 innings)

Cain gets roughed up in the first inning with a lead off triple by Emilio Bonifacio, followed by singles from Castro, Braun, Doumit and Bourn.  Fish is not deterred.

A memorable bottom of the 8th inning will send the game into overtime tied 7-7.  My pitcher Cishek falters walking three batters, hitting one and giving up two singles.  

The game is won in 10 innings with a solo shot by Castro, Mar wins 8-7.

Game 2 ---Dickey vs Jurrjens (both pitchers last 6 innings)

Fish scores in the bottom of the first to take a early 1-0 lead.  An RBI single by CarGo sends O-Hudson across the finest plate any restaurant can serve.  Home plate.  I thought it tasted awful and went back to the kitchen to change the menu.

I serve up a Bonifacio triple in the top of the 3rd with Braun dishing the RBI single to tie the game up. 

Fish answers with a CarGo home run in the 6th to regain the lead.  I tie the game with a Doumit home run in the 7th.   

I finish off another win with a Derek Lee RBI single in the 9th to bring home the Bourn Supremacy.  Mar wins 3-2. 

Game 3 --- Garcia vs Lilly  (both pitchers last 5 innings)

Other than a 1st inning home run by Braun, the cards were all in Fish’s favor.  The levee broke in the bottom of the 5th.  I had a 3-0 lead when Barmes starts thing off with a lead off single.  A CarGo single and doubles by Allen Craig and Votto tie the game up. 

The 6th inning showed promise with a Ricky Weeks single to send Soriano home.  But that’s where the story ends for me. 

Fish went ahead and blew up the game in the bottom of the 6th with some highly advanced military equipment, something the A-Team would be proud of.  After a lead off walk and stolen base by Carlos Gomez, two quick outs were registered in the books.  Pinch hitter David Wright steps in to get a single, followed by a single, double and another single from CarGo, Headley and Craig.  

Stick a fork in me.  Headley gets another double in the bottom of the 8th to eventually cross a freshly brushed home plate by an RBI single from Votto.

Fish wins 9-4.   Mario takes series 2-1.