Stats Are Updated.... Current MVP?

[Dave L]

Hey thanks Ken and Scott for your votes of confidence! I greatly appreciate it. I'm working hard on my playing. Baseball is such a fun sport!!!

Referring to the sugguestion of using the standard diamond score sheets, I was wondering why we wouldn't use them as well. You can download them and print them out for free from the internet. I can bring some in. Also, there are instructions on how to use them, also free on the net. You can record much more detailed info that way. Here are some links:
http://www.baseballscorecard.com/ http://www.baseballscorecard.com/downloads.htm

[Baseball=Life]

We need to balance two things.

# 1 Quality, detailed scorekeeping

# 2 Keeping it easy so it gets done.



I've shied away from standard scorebooks because of the detail they involve. It's already difficult to get people to do the relatively easy stat-tracking that we currently do. I think using standard scorebooks will make the tracking only MORE daunting, and thus even fewer will participate.

So my real question is how can we enhance our scoresheets while keeping them VERY EASY TO USE ???

I see the appeal in having all sorts of details to analyse. Trust me, I'm a stat freak, i'd love nothing more than to be able to break down every possible perspective. But we have to keep in mind getting it done, in an accurate manner! This is far more important than adding new details.

Peter, as for the MVP ballots, etc. Sure, go ahead, but we still have 2 months go, this isn't the All-Star game vote.

[Pat K]

If Bill James is to be belivied then there is no such thing as a clutch hitter. You get you hits when you get them, no one actually tries harder or anything with RISP. If anything maybe you shorten your stroke to try and make contact. I think RISP is overrated. But hey I really do not know anything anyway.

[Baseball=Life]

Yeah, Bill James, fuck that guy he's from Kansas City, which is a punk-ass town to be from. hahaha


I see his point, however the amount someone focuses on avoiding striking out (and thus putting the ball into play, 'making contact') has a huge effect on their at-bat. This is similar to the woes I was describing having about my own lack of APS or slugging. I don't allow myself to extend my arms... I'm always thinking about getting on base. But I'm not typical. Many players (with varying levels of success) go for the fences, or at least try to drive the ball.

So it's a matter of how much someone decides to focus on putting the ball in play when RISP, versus staying with their default 'drive the ball' mentality. Of course, I'm assuming here that contact (since you have a greater percentage chance of contact becoming a hit than driving becoming a hit) will produce the RBI more than driving would.

It's hard to say Derek Jeter hasn't been "clutch" in the postseason, that's why I disagree with Bill James.

[Southpaw Slim]

Pat, being an A's fan like me should make you well aware that when you disregard "clutch" hitting, you never make it past the first round of the playoffs. Sure, it won't make itself evident over the course of a season, but in a short series every clutch hit counts.

[Pat K]

Agreed Nick, but I do not think that was the A's mane problem in advancing in the playoffs.Pitching is #1 in short series but as far as the A's go I would say it was more of a lack of fundamentals in the clutch(Brynes & Tejada Gm 3? vs. Boston 03' Ect.), then lack of hitting in it. The A's do need to use more smallball (bunts,steals, hit and run ect.) if they make it back to the playoffs. Athough the way the A's are hitting this year with RISP it has defenitly been a problem. Chavy is like 2-34 with RISP or something horrible like that. Anyway I will put some thought into how to improve stat scoring in games.
Oh and Scott I can not believe you would bash Bill.

[Southpaw Slim]

Just harken back to last years ALCS. How did the BoSox manage to pull it off? It came down to Dave Roberts and small ball. If you stifle the running game, it comes back to haunt you in the end.

[TheLegend]

We need to balance two things.

# 1 Quality, detailed scorekeeping

# 2 Keeping it easy so it gets done.



I've shied away from standard scorebooks because of the detail they involve. It's already difficult to get people to do the relatively easy stat-tracking that we currently do. I think using standard scorebooks will make the tracking only MORE daunting, and thus even fewer will participate.

So my real question is how can we enhance our scoresheets while keeping them VERY EASY TO USE ???

I see the appeal in having all sorts of details to analyse. Trust me, I'm a stat freak, i'd love nothing more than to be able to break down every possible perspective. But we have to keep in mind getting it done, in an accurate manner! This is far more important than adding new details.

Peter, as for the MVP ballots, etc. Sure, go ahead, but we still have 2 months go, this isn't the All-Star game vote.

Proffesional scorekeeping is only marginally more difficult than the system we have now. Hell, I was scoring MLB games when I was 5-years-old. If there is anyone who claims they can't do it, I'm sure they can be taught in 2 minutes... Our problem with keeping scores accurately now is that not many people want to score. Anyone who claims they can't must've taken a few too many bean balls when they were younger.

[retep]

Scott, I won't be passing out any balots any time soon... Maybe right before the first game of the summer-fall season.