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PITCHf/x Summit 2010 Recap

A week ago today I was on my way to San Francisco for the 3rd annual PITCHf/x summit. The summit is put on by Sportvision, the company that developed the PITCHf/x system. I went last year, when I had a great time and was looking forward to this one -- it did not disappoint. PITCHf/x summit is a bit of a misnomer because at this point Sportvision is expanding its f/x-family and this summit was largely centered around Sportvision's new FIELDf/x system. This camera-based system aims to track the the movement of all players on the field as well as the ball in play and throws between fielders. The system has been running on a test basis at AT&T park since April and Sportvision hopes to have the system in all MLB parks by next year. The availability of this future data to the public is at this point not known as Sportvision works out the business side of the project. As part of this year's summit Sportvision released 13 games of the FIELDf/x data from AT&T to a limited number of analysts to analyze and present on at the summit. Although Sportvision is working on tracking the ball with the FIELDf/x system, that is still a work in progress and they released 'just' the player tracking data. About half of the talks at the summit were based on the FIELDf/x data and the other half on other topics. Here I present a brief recap of these talks. The presentations should be available to download in the future, and looks like they will be <a href="http://baseball.sportvision.com/summit/download">here</a> when they are. <H3>Part 1 non-FIELDf/x</H3> <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/mlentzner/2010/">Matt Lentzner </a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/fastballs">Mike Fast</a> started off. Matt said that he has always been troubled by how movement numbers are reported, citing the often reported fact that according to PITCHf/x's spin deflection numbers (pfx_x and pfx_z) fastballs have a lot of spin deflection, or movement, while sliders have very little. Matt suggested the difference between these data and our expectations is because the spin deflection is defined, as Matt put it, from the perspective of the ball, while we think about movement from he perspective of the batter. Matt suggested that it would be useful to define two new values, the horizontal (x) and vertical (z) velocity of the pitch just as it crosses the plate. These value are affected not only by the pfx_x and pfx_z of the pitch, but also its trajectory, and could better represent the movement of a pitch as it is observed by a batter. Matt had Mike run the numbers to see how well these metrics correlated with swinging strike rate, and also presented the leader and laggard boards for starters' fastballs' vertical plate-crossing velocity. The results were preliminary but very cool. Hopefully Mike and Matt will continue to develope this idea and share more results with us in the future. Up next were Glenn (Doc) Schoenhals and Fred Vint of <a href="http://www.scientificbaseball.com/">Scientific Baseball</a>. Scientific Baseball is looking to "close the gap between the science and the game." They have leased the pitchf/x system, installed it in a training facility in Oklahoma, and combined it with a number of cameras that capture the motion of the pitcher at a high number of frames per second. They use this for player evaluation and development with players of all ages. Doc talked about the challenges of dealing with lots of PITCHf/x data, combining it with some of the visual data from the cameras, and finding a way to communicate all of that to young players, their parents and coaches who might not familiar with measures like horizontal spin deflection. Doc also has a very accurate pitching machine which he can use to fire pitches just on the edge of the strike zone, using that and the pitch/x system he has held little league (?) umpire training and practice sessions. At that point Matt Lentzner was back up talking about an interesting pitch he has seen from <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Hideki%20Okajima">Hideki Okajima</a>. It is referred to as a rainbow curve, but is not held like a curve and does not have the movement of one. In fact, the pitch has pfx_x and pfx_z values close to zero: Matt thinks that it is a gyro ball. Next up was <a href="http://webusers.npl.illinois.edu/~a-nathan/pob/">Alan Nathan</a>, who with Peter Jensen organized the summit. Alan presented the results from a series of experiments he conducted to measure the spin rate of batted balls. The pitchf/x system calculates the spin rate of pitched balls based on the fit trajectory, but not is much is known about the spin of the batted ball. This spin plays a large role in making the ball drop faster on line drives (front spin) or stay in the air longer on some fly balls (backspin). It also makes the ball slice towards the foul line (side spin). Alan directly measured the spin on the ball by firing a marked baseball at a cylindrical piece of wood bolted to a wall at 100mph and taking pictures of the ball as it came off. Alan found a number of interesting things. The spin direction of the ball off the 'bat' was largely independent of the spin direction of the incoming ball (Alan varied the spin direction of the incoming ball). Also it in the moments when it hit the bat the ball experienced sheer deformation, causing it to 'grip' the bat. As I could understand it this stopped the spin of the ball which is why the spin of the incoming ball did not play a big role in determining the spin of the ball coming off. This 'gripping' and deformation caused the ball to come off the bat with a huge spin rate: Alan observed balls coming off with over 4000 rpm, much higher than previous estimates. Alan was very surprising by how high these values were. He is hoping to incorporate these results into a model of the bat-ball collusion. <H3>Part 2 FIELDf/x</H3> Vidya Elangovan, a sportvision engineer, introduced us to the fieldf/x system and some of the technical challenges of capturing the data. As noted the system is up and running at AT&T and has been since April, the hope is to have the system in all parks by the 2011 season. Vidya said that the full tracked and recorded data is ready within 20-30 minutes after the game, but at this point is not completely 'real-time' like the pitchf/x system. The system has two to four cameras placed up high above the field and trained on the entire field of play. At AT&T they use two cameras, one between 1st and home, and the other between 3rd and home, both very high, it seems placed on stadium lights. The cameras are higher resolution than the pitchf/x cameras and take pictures every 15th of a second. A computer algorithm picks out the players, coaches and umpires, turns them into a blob and finds the center of mass of each blog and attaches a location to that point. The system also records events: pitcher releases the ball, batter hits the ball, fielder gains possession of a ball (fields it, or catches it from a throw) and fielder throws the ball. The time of each of these events is recorded along with the identify of the fielder. In the future the system will also track the location of the ball in play and throw, although those data were not released with the 13 games. Vidya highlighted a number of the technical challenges. Shadows over part of the field during day games are challenging because they push the limits of the dynamic range of the cameras to pick up both shadowed and non-shadowed areas. Shadows of players can also artificially increase the size of player blobs, resulting in incorrect player centers. Green uniforms blend in with the grass, tricking the algorithm that picks out players from background. Similarly if players stand too still for a long time the algorithm can lose them. Finally the system picks up ridiculously large amounts of data. If Sportvision kept all those high-resolution pictures taken every 15th of a second for every game of a MLB season they would end up with petabytes of data. With just the location data for all players every 15th of a second they get one million lines of data a game. Effectively storing, transmitting and analyzing this data will be a huge challenge. Maybe the bloggers could give us some hope. <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/pjensen/2010/">Peter Jensen</a> showed how he took this huge quantity of data, moved it into a databased and then into an excel-based simulation which could replay the movement of the players and ball (extrapolated from player events). Peter's simulation was well done and while it ran it also displayed some of the important pieces of information (throw speeds, distance between base runners and the next base, etc.). Whoever gets this data, teams bloggers, etc. will need to do something like Peter did to make sense of this data. <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/jwalsh/2010/">John Walsh</a> spoke at the beginning of the data, by Skype because he was in Italy, but his talk fits in better here. John analyzed grounders. Since we had just 13 games worth (and only bottom halves of innings) and less than a month to work with the data it was hard to do more than just descriptive looks at the data. Still the descriptive look was very cool. John calculated how long each fielded grounder took to get to the fielder: the average play to 3B took about 1.5 seconds, while those to SS or 2B took about two seconds. So middle infielders get, on average, about half a second extra to get the ball. John also showed that with the data it is possible to break down the time it takes to make a double play into its consistent parts: time it takes for the ball to be fielded, time the fielder holds the ball, the time it takes for the ball to get to the next fielder, and so on. At that point I was up. I looked at fielders' routes to balls in the air. With the data you could see how direct, or not, paths to the ball were. I showed some plays where the paths were particularly direct and some where they not so direct. Ultimately I showed a graph of hang time versus distance the fielder was from the ball for fielded balls in the air. With the trajectory of non-fielded balls as well we could add those to this graph, adding how far a fielder was to the ball and how long he would have had to get there. I noted that this would be a great basis for a fielding metric, Greg will talk more about this in his talk. Next up was Mike Fast, who analyzed base runners. First he showed the base-running trajectories for a number of plays. When players go between two bases they take roughly the straight line between the two, but when they are going for two bases they take a rounder, almost circular approach. Based the on data Mike looked at he didn't see a lot of variability between the paths take between different players taking two bases. Mike also looked in depth at two runners, plotting their instantaneous speed at each 1/15 second interval. He showed how the runner sped up or slowed down when the pitcher started his windup, released the ball, the ball was hit, and so on. One of the runners Mike showed got up to a top speed of 18 mph. Baseball Analyst <a href="http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/touching_bases/">Jeremy Greenhouse</a> was up next. He presented two models he had parameterized with the FIELDf/x data. The first was a model to predict stolen base success probability based on a number of parameters: length of lead, amount of time it takes the base runner to get to the next base, pitch type, pitch speed, catcher pop time (time between when the catcher gets the ball to when he throws it), amount of time it takes the catcher's throw to get to second (or third). Jeremy noted that his model would not account for the baserunner's sliding ability or the fielder's tagging ability. The released FIELDf/x data had only four steal attempts so a complete parameterazation of his model was not possible, but with a larger set of data it would be very cool to see what this model would show. Jeremy had a similar model for estimating the success of fielding a fly ball. Matt Thomas uses a DSLR to take pictures of the field of play from the press box at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. From what I understand he captures the initial position of players as each play begins and then the position when the ball is fielded. It is very cool to see the amount and level of data that Matt can collect with a consumer-level camera and his photometry skills. Matt showed distributions for the initial locations of fielders for each position based on batter handedness, batting order, inning and a number of other game states. He also showed the probability that an infielder fields a grounder based on the difference between the angle where the fielder is positioned and the angle of the grounder, it follows a relatively nice Gaussian centered just off of zero. <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/maxm/2010/">Max Marchi</a>, all the way from Italy by way of NYC, Cooperstown, Syracuse, Buffalo, South Bend and Chicago, gave us examples of how you could use PITCHf/x, HITtf/x and FIELDf/x to scout players. He had a number of examples from the blogoshpere (his work, Jeremy's work, my work). It was a very cool talk to see all of the ways these data can be used to measure players' abilities. <a href="http://www.hittrackeronline.com/">Greg Rybarczyk</a> was up next. Like me he looked at fielders playing balls in the air, but he added the next step to the analysis. He went through 13 innings and looked at all balls in the air and found the landing location and hang time of balls that dropped in for hits. With this he could do want I wanted to do and plot both hits and fielded balls in hang time/distance between fielder and ball space. With enough data points one could assign a probability that the average fielder fields a ball based on these two values (another value that Greg noted was important was the angle the player had to go to get the ball). Then each fielder could be assessed based on the probability the average fielder makes plays that he made or didn't. Most agreed this would be more accurate than the current zone-based methods, but it is still a question whether this method would make fielding metrics converge any faster than current methods All presenters did a tremendous amount of work in their presentations and this is just a small sample of each presentation. If you are interested further I suggest you download the slides and look over them. Also if I mis-stated anything here please note any corrections in the comments. If you are looking for more recaps or liveblogs you can check out <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=11868">Colin's</a>, <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=11869&mode=print&nocache=1283072056">Ben's</a>, <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/5041/fieldfx-is-going-to-change-everything">Rob's</a> or <a href="http://knuckleballsblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/2010-pitchfx-summit-recap/">Dan's</a>. I had a great time at the summit, it was lots of fun to see some of the other members of the PITCHf/x-community. Thanks to Sportvision for putting on the conference and Alan and Peter for helping to organize it.

The Meaning of Marlon Byrd

When <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=950&position=OF" target="_blank">Marlon Byrd</a> signed his 3-year, $15 million contract with the Cubs this past off-season, it was seen as yet another indicator that Jim Hendry was out of touch. Why add a 32-year old center fielder with a flimsy track record of success to a team with a $144 million payroll and legitimate championship aspirations? Here is <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9902">Christina Kahrl of Baseball Prospectus</a> reacting to the acquisition: <blockquote>My initial response on Twitter (@ChristinaKahrl) was that Byrd won't slug .420 away from Texas, and while that was a flip comment*, the more I think about it, the more I'm comfortable with the idea. It might cost less than half as much as signing <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1008255&position=OF" target="_blank">Gary Matthews</a> Jr. did, but that doesn't make the signing less than half as dumb. That's the basis of comparison I'm operating from, because we've heard this story before: toolsy 31-year-old ex-fourth outfielder has big year in a superheated bandbox, gets big money, and becomes a permanent punchline on his general manager's highlight reel. No doubt Jim Hendry's moved beyond the laughter, since he's on the downslope of the <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=369&position=OF" target="_blank">Milton Bradley</a> experience. Byrd's performance record is entirely unmysterious.</blockquote> Kahrl thought the one silver lining of the move would be that <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8254&position=OF" target="_blank">Sam Fuld</a>, a 28-year old who hasn’t managed a .400 SLG in the PCL in 2010, might be able to get some playing time more quickly given Byrd’s ability to shift to the corner outfield positions. Christina was not alone. There was <a href="http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2010/01/cubs_get_nady.php">a guy named Sullivan right here at Baseball Analysts who wrote the following</a>: <blockquote>It's hard not to think back to the Milton Bradley episode and how much it distracted Chicago when looking at their moves this off-season. Losing Bradley and picking up <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Carlos%20Silva" target="_blank">Carlos Silva</a> and Marlon Byrd, wherever you come down on the argument that they just had to part ways with Bradley, amounts to wheel-spinning. Byrd is no better than Bradley, Silva is just awful.</blockquote> Ouch. So how has Byrd performed? He’s hitting .302/.358/.446, good for a .356 wOBA and a 119 wRC+. Byrd ranks 3rd among National League center fielders in Runs Above Replacement. When you factor defense, his season looks even more impressive. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=nl&qual=y&type=6&season=2010&month=0">He sits 12th in Fangraphs WAR among all National League position players</a>. By any measure whatsoever, the Byrd signing has been a masterstroke for the Cubs, albeit a bittersweet masterstroke for Cubs fans as they ponder what might have been if their team’s other pieces were up to par. A lot of Byrd’s success offensively has been tied to a high in-play average of .338, but then again his career figure is .325. He’s murdered lefties to the tune of a .953 OPS, and in case you think his output is tied to Wrigley, he’s been much better on the road than he has at home. Defensively, as you can deduce from his WAR number, he appears to have been terrific this season. Just five months into a 3-year deal, the complete story of the Byrd acquisition is as yet unwritten. He is hitting just .245/.268/.340 over the last 28 days. Nonetheless he's been good enough to date that it warranted attention. I wanted to post this for a couple of reasons. The first was simply to point out a ray of light in an otherwise miserable Cubs season. Byrd seems to have exceptional make-up and character – <a href="http://marlonbyrd.mlblogs.com/">check out his blog here</a> – and has quickly become a fan favorite. When I attended Wrigley in late June to watch the Cubs take on Pittsburgh, I noticed how much the fans seated in the bleachers adored Byrd, cheering wildly as he took the field in the first inning. And Byrd impressed me by how much he seemed to be relishing the opportunity to patrol the Wrigley outfield in front of such appreciative fans. Byrd would be one of the great stories of 2010 if <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=525&position=1B" target="_blank">Derrek Lee</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1002&position=3B" target="_blank">Aramis Ramirez</a> had come to play this year. Another reason I wanted to post this was to consider what it means when the saberists get it so wrong. A 32-year old whose offensive value had been tied to hitting in Texas, who had not even experienced real Big League success until age 29...well that’s not a guy worth inking to a guaranteed 3-year deal, right? That’s how my thinking went anyway. But there are considerations that teams take into account, granted inaccurately at times, that performance analysts do not. I don’t know if what follows is true, but I bet a lot of it is, and I also bet this represents much of the case for Byrd that refutes the reasons not to sign him that Christina and I exclusively considered. Here goes: Byrd is a guy with outstanding character who works hard and has never been in better shape. He will be a remarkable influence on his teammates, and the opportunity to play for a team with a rich tradition like the Cubs will not be lost on him. Whatever drop-off a move away from Arlington entails, consider all of these factors enough to counteract it. He’s a mature player, a true professional who got a late start but is now ready to take his game to a new level into his mid-30’s. I bet there’s a scout out there, probably working for the Cubs, who had written something precisely to that effect on Byrd. That scout was dead right, and I know as a result of the Byrd case I will be looking into factors I previously had not considered when analyzing player movement.

Everybody Try & Relax

This article is cross-posted at <a href="http://redsoxbeacon.com/">Red Sox Beacon</a>, a site I started with <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/index.php?author=118">Baseball Prospectus writer Marc Normandin</a>. We're not sure where it will go but for now it's just a repository for a handful of us to jot down our thoughts on the Boston Red Sox. I will still be contributing here at least every Wednesday, and occasionally on weekends as well. ========= Fresh off a series loss in St. Pete and with their playoff chances inching from slim towards none, there is a new narrative taking hold here in Boston . It's difficult to follow but the best I can boil it down to is "The Red Sox knew this was a ‘bridge year’ all along and are not going for it.” Those who hold this belief - ostensibly at least - point to the lack of deal-making at the deadline and to Theo Epstein's terribly misunderstood "bridge year" remark before the beginning of the year. That the team continues to rely on the likes of <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=5450&position=OF" target="_blank">Daniel Nava</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1867&position=OF" target="_blank">Darnell McDonald</a> to claw back into the most competitive division in baseball means the front office is content to let the season slip away, or so it goes. Some examples: <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2010/08/after_losses_to_rays_just_how.html?p1=Well_Sports_links">Tony Massarotti, August 30th</a> <blockquote>At any point, to blame it all on the injuries is rather elementary and downright blind.</blockquote> <blockquote>Fenway Park has gone from among the most fashionable places to be seen to just another ballpark, and the timing could not be worse for a Red Sox administration that might have been planning for another lean year. Seriously, might not that be, above all else, the reason the Sox put in a claim for <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=185&position=OF" target="_blank">Johnny Damon</a>? The Sox lack star power. The Sox lack appeal.</blockquote> <a href="https://twitter.com/HackswithHaggs/status/22351434255">Joe Haggerty’s Twitter feed, August 28th</a> <blockquote>Hawpe is just an example. The main point is that the #redsox lack of movement toward any players = not going for it</blockquote> <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/gasper/2010/08/sox.html?p1=Well_Sports_links">Chris Gasper, who basically took to Boston.com to throw a temper tantrum yesterday</a> <blockquote>Last night's defeat at Tropicana Field and the series weren't just lost over the weekend. They were lost in the last month, when fatal flaws went unfixed by the front office. While teams like the San Diego Padres (<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1260&position=OF" target="_blank">Ryan Ludwick</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Miguel%20Tejada" target="_blank">Miguel Tejada</a>) and Minnesota Twins (<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4788&position=P" target="_blank">Matt Capps</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=429&position=P" target="_blank">Brian Fuentes</a>) have addressed needs, the Sox have preferred to stand pat and apply internal patches. The Padres and Twins look playoff-bound, the Sox do not.</blockquote> <blockquote>Actions speak louder than words. Francona's actions tell the tale of a team that waited for reinforcements from its front office that never came.</blockquote> <a href=" http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/08/31/its_official_sox_are_a_done_deal/?p1=Well_Sports_lead"> Dan Shaughnessy in today’s Boston Globe</a> <blockquote>It’s not like they didn’t warn us. Remember Theo’s comments in December about the “bridge period’’? He said that’s not what he really meant, but it was a moment of truth. The reality is the Sox figured they were in for a soft season.</blockquote> A number of reactions come to mind as I read mainstream writing along these lines, but the first is to spell out exactly what the Red Sox have been through this year. Let's start with the obvious. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8370&position=2B" target="_blank">Dustin Pedroia</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1935&position=1B/3B" target="_blank">Kevin Youkilis</a>, conservatively, are two of the 20 best position players in baseball. They’re probably two of the 15 best and possibly both top-10. Combined, they’ve missed 85 games in 2010. Imagine if the Brewers were without <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4613&position=1B" target="_blank">Prince Fielder</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Ryan%20Braun" target="_blank">Ryan Braun</a>, the Rays without <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1201&position=OF" target="_blank">Carl Crawford</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9368&position=3B" target="_blank">Evan Longoria</a>, or the Yankees without <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3269&position=2B" target="_blank">Robinson Cano</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1281&position=1B" target="_blank">Mark Teixeira</a>. You could stop right there and forgive the Red Sox for merely being a .565 team playing in baseball’s (sports’?) toughest division. Of course the story of Boston’s misfortune runs much deeper. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4727&position=OF" target="_blank">Jacoby Ellsbury</a>, an established 3-win player entering his 26-year old season, has played in just 18 games. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=393&position=C" target="_blank">Victor Martinez</a>, one of the best catchers in all of baseball, has missed 33 games. Since health is a skill, it’s hard to get too upset about <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1070&position=OF" target="_blank">Mike Cameron</a>’s plight in 2010, but nonetheless the fringe Hall of Fame candidate who was coming off consecutive 4+ win seasons according to Fangraphs, has not been healthy all year long. At 37, some durability issues could be expected, but Cameron has managed just 180 largely ineffective plate appearances. On the performance side, key Sox players have struggled. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=510&position=P" target="_blank">Josh Beckett</a> has been terrible in his limited action this year. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1507&position=P" target="_blank">John Lackey</a> has not pitched nearly as well as he is capable. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1152&position=OF" target="_blank">J.D. Drew</a> has managed a couple of hot streaks but he has not been able to piece together a typical Drew offensive season despite remaining healthy as his teammates fall all around him. The Red Sox have endured as much adversity as any team in baseball. Just a few of the items mentioned above breaking their way and Boston’s in the thick of this race. This was a bridge year in the sense that Boston needed to ink some veterans to short contracts in order to remain a top-flight team while they waited for their youngsters to develop. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1555&position=2B/SS" target="_blank">Marco Scutaro</a>, Cameron and Beltre all fall into this camp, but how do any of those signings indicate that Boston's front office thought they would have a soft year? They would probably be baseball’s best team with any luck at all in 2010. I look at the 2003, 2004 and 2007 clubs and I don't know - I think this may have been the very best Red Sox roster of the Theo Epstein era. This team was designed to compete and all year long, it has. But that first point – that the Red Sox intended to try to win the World Series all along - is only partially responsive to the complaints circling the Boston airwaves and filling the broadsheets. The notion that they’re not “going for it” by failing to make trades is preposterous on its face. Whom would you like to have seen the Red Sox acquire? If only the Red Sox had managed to get <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1885&position=OF" target="_blank">Brad Hawpe</a>, then at least they’d be making a go of it. Had the Red Sox traded for bats like Ludwick or Tejada, then at least we’d know they were serious. Their bullpen has been so bad. How could they NOT add Matt Capps or Brian Fuentes. And for goodness sake, things have become so dour down in the baseball ops offices, the marketing folks are now calling the shots. How else to explain the attempt to acquire Johnny Damon? It’s hard for me to unravel the logic of these complaints but for our purposes, let’s consider the Los Angeles Dodgers. On July 31st, they sat 5.5 games out of a playoff spot, just like the Red Sox. Ned Colletti was aggressive, acquiring <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=833&position=P" target="_blank">Ted Lilly</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3811&position=2B/SS" target="_blank">Ryan Theriot</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=555&position=P" target="_blank">Octavio Dotel</a> at the deadline for a number of promising pieces in the Dodgers farm system and a couple of established Big Leaguers. For the short-term, the moves have worked out really nicely. Theriot has managed a 109 OPS+ as a Dodger, and Lilly is 5-1 since arriving on the west coast. Dotel has been spotty at times, but he’s only tossed 11 innings. So the Dodgers made moves and were rewarded with very good productivity from their new acquisitions. Meanwhile, the Red Sox did virtually nothing at the deadline. After looking at potential moves – say <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=773&position=P" target="_blank">Scott Downs</a> for <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa454391&position=P/SS" target="_blank">Casey Kelly</a> as an example – the Red Sox decided that the market just wasn’t shaping up the way it would need to in order to compel them to deal. <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php">A month later, LA’s playoff odds have dwindled to 4% while the Red Sox chances are also slim, but still two times that of the Dodgers</a>. Making trades for the short-term guarantees nothing. But even when the Red Sox gave it an honest shot with the Johnny Damon waiver claim, they were not insulated from this line of attack. Damon chose not to join the club, but you can’t say the Red Sox have not been active. But folks like Mazz claim that the Damon attempt was driven by the business side of things, since, you know, the Red Sox aren't really going for it. I’m still waiting for any actual reporting on the subject. It’s speculation, and flies in the face of how the Red Sox have operated under John Henry's ownership group. Baseball Ops has total autonomy once made aware of their budget. Boston is on pace to win 92 games in 2010. This despite as bad a non-New York Mets injury season as I can recall. Oh, those poor 2009 New York Mets. After winning 89 games in 2008, they had high hopes last year. Like the Red Sox, they got crushed by the injury bug, losing <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Jose%20Reyes" target="_blank">Jose Reyes</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=589&position=OF" target="_blank">Carlos Beltran</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=755&position=P">Johan Santana</a> among others. Unlike the Red Sox, they won 70 games. I understand that you have to fill space in newspapers but the simple explanation for the 2010 Boston Red Sox is “shit happens.” It’s unsatisfying, but it’s the truth. They had a plan, assembled a great roster and on any number of fronts they’ve run into just awful luck. 92 wins might cut it in any other division in baseball, but in the AL East it means you might not qualify for the playoffs. And as a result, while Kevin Youkilis looks on in a splint and Dustin Pedroia gets set for surgery, an entitled, spoiled, silly media gets to spend the final month of the season grasping at straws assigning ex post facto blame as to why the Red Sox didn’t win a handful more games.

A Good Story (Even If It May Not Be True)

Let me preface today's post by stating that I love a good baseball story as much as the next fan. But I've developed a pretty good b.s. detector over the past 50-plus years. I can usually separate the fiction from the facts. My antennae tend to go up when I hear a former player recall an incident from long ago. On Friday, August 27, the Cincinnati Reds were hosting the Chicago Cubs. I was watching the game via MLB Extra Innings. I'm not sure why I even had the game on other than to keep tallies on <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml">Joey Votto</a>, who is on my fantasy baseball team. With the Reds beating the Cubs 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/diamoth01.shtml">Thomas Diamond</a> facing <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernara02.shtml">Ramon Hernandez</a>, play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman asks color analyst <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brantje01.shtml">Jeff Brantley</a> a question out of the blue. "Cowboy, do you remember the first home you gave up as a major league pitcher? Do you remember who hit it? Do you remember the year?" Brantley laughs, "Oh, yeah," but doesn't answer quickly. Brennaman interjects, "Let's start off with the easy part: the year." Brantley says, "The year was '88." Brennaman responds, "You're one for one." He offers Brantley a hint by saying "the guy at the time was playing for the Montreal Expos." Brantley guesses <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/deshide01.shtml">Delino DeShields</a>. Brennaman gives him a hard time and basically hands him the answer by telling Brantley it was a slugging first baseman. Brantley asks, "<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/galaran01.shtml">Andres Galarraga</a>?" Brennaman then chimes in, "You got it." That discussion was all fine and dandy. No reason to question the <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.cgi?n1=brantje01&t=p#play_by_play">truth</a> here. I figured Brennaman or a staff member looked up that piece of trivia before the game. The good stuff immediately followed when Brantley proceeded to spin a tale about another home run he allowed. Brantley: The one that I remember the most was the home run by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murraed02.shtml">Eddie Murray</a> and the reason I remember it the most is because I had thrown him a split-finger on the first pitch and he swung and missed it by a mile. I mean, he looked like a clown, and I thought this guy was, like, really good. Brennaman: (Laughing) He was pretty good. Brantley: Yeah, and I'm thinking to myself, 'This guy just missed my pitch by a mile.' <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kennete02.shtml">Terry Kennedy</a>, our catcher at the time, came to the mound and he said, 'Don't throw him that pitch again.' I said, 'Why not?' I said, 'He just missed it by a mile.' He goes, 'He's going to be sitting on it.' So I threw him a bunch of fastballs and he kept fouling them off, fouling them off. Kennedy kept calling fastball. I was like, 'Forget that. This guy's not gonna hit another split-finger.' I threw it and he hit it in the upper deck in Candlestick. The upper deck. Brennaman: That's a long home run. Brantley: Oh my gosh. Brennaman: Was that in '88 as well? Brantley: No, that was in '89. I learned that one. But I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Here is the two-and-a-half-minute clip of the foregoing conversation: <object height="28" width="335"><param value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio_embed?data=YTo2OntzOjU6ImFwaUlkIjtzOjE6IjQiO3M6NjoiZmlsZUlkIjtpOjEyNDEwMDA5O3M6NDoiY29kZSI7czoxMjoiMTI0MTAwMDktZTdmIjtzOjY6InVzZXJJZCI7aToxMzA4NjM4O3M6MTI6ImV4dGVybmFsQ2FsbCI7aToxO3M6NDoidGltZSI7aToxMjgzMTQ1OTg3O30=&autoplay=default" name="movie"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed wmode="transparent" height="28" width="335" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio_embed?data=YTo2OntzOjU6ImFwaUlkIjtzOjE6IjQiO3M6NjoiZmlsZUlkIjtpOjEyNDEwMDA5O3M6NDoiY29kZSI7czoxMjoiMTI0MTAwMDktZTdmIjtzOjY6InVzZXJJZCI7aToxMzA4NjM4O3M6MTI6ImV4dGVybmFsQ2FsbCI7aToxO3M6NDoidGltZSI7aToxMjgzMTQ1OTg3O30=&autoplay=default"></embed></object> As it turns out, the valuable lesson Brantley learned that day wasn't about telling the truth. Instead, I presume he never threw Murray another split-finger again. Maybe. You see, while Brantley gave up a home run to Murray at Candlestick Park in 1989, he didn't get Steady Eddie to look like a clown by swinging and missing a split finger. Nor did Terry Kennedy come out to the mound and tell Brantley not to throw that pitch again. How do I know, you ask? Well, thanks to <a href="http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1989/B08120SFN1989.htm">Retrosheet</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198908120.shtml">Baseball-Reference.com</a>, we can look up exactly what took place on that Saturday afternoon. A fact-finding mission moments after Brantley finished his tall tale detailed the real story. It's not quite as interesting as the one Brantley told. Brantley indeed got ahead in the count. However, the first pitch wasn't a split-finger that Murray missed by a mile. Rather, it was a *called* strike. It's pretty tough to look like a clown when you don't even swing at the pitch. But, hey, it makes for a nice story 21 years later. Murray fouled off the second pitch. Score one for Brantley. That said, Brantley didn't throw him "a bunch of fastballs," nor did Murray keep "fouling them off, fouling them off." Heck, Brantley only threw him <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198908120.shtml#top_plays">three pitches</a>. A called strike, a foul ball, and the offering that Murray presumably hit into the upper deck. Murray did slug a home run. That's not being questioned. And, for all I know, he may have hit one of Brantley's split-finger pitches. And it may have landed in the upper deck. Who knows at this point? Just a matter of not recounting the type and number of pitches? Well, not really. Terry Kennedy didn't even play that day. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/manwaki01.shtml">Kirt Manwaring</a> started and played the entire game at catcher. As a result, there is no way that Kennedy "came out to the mound" and told Brantley not to throw that split-finger again. If the truth be told, it was this bit of information that led me to question what happened. Look, why in the world would Kennedy (or Manwaring, for that matter) take a trip to the mound to tell his pitcher not to throw the same pitch that the batter had just swung and missed by a mile while looking like a clown? It doesn't make sense. In other words, it didn't pass the "smell test." I don't know if anybody else caught this gaffe. More than anything, it reminds me just how valuable it is to access old box scores, as well as play-by-play and pitch summaries. Thank you, Retrosheet. Thank you, Baseball-Reference.com. And thank you, Jeff Brantley. Nothing like some good ol' Cowboy folklore.

Aging Players - Bargains for 2011?

Back in January, before the start of the season but after much of the hot stove dust had settled, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-new-inefficiency/">Dave Cameron wrote about how aging players represented a new inefficiency</a> in the market. Consider the deals players like <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/romerri01.shtml">Ricky Romero</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccanbr01.shtml">Brian McCann</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santaer01.shtml">Ervin Santana</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canoro01.shtml">Robinson Cano</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pedrodu01.shtml">Dustin Pedroia</a> have signed, and it’s evident that many teams are looking to sign their key players pre-arbitration. Standout players like C.C. Sabathia, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teixema01.shtml">Mark Teixeira</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santajo02.shtml">Johan Santana</a> entering their free agent years for the first time are paid lucratively too, of course. But Cameron notes that older players who may have already played out one big contract are too easily overlooked. <blockquote>Teams have become cautious with the contracts they give to aging players, not wanting to get burned paying too much to a guy who may end up not having anything left in the tank, but I feel like we’re passing the point of caution and shifting towards a market failure. If a guy is a good player at 35, you should not expect him to be useless at 36. Yes, you regress his projection for aging, but players who go from good-to-terrible in a single season are the exception, not the rule.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huffau01.shtml">Aubrey Huff</a>, a 33-year old with “old guy” skills, hit .241/.310/.384 last season. This season, he’s been one of the best players in baseball, hitting .301/.394/.534 in one of the worst hitting environments in baseball. Huff had earned the entire $3 million the Giants paid him for the 2010 year with April and May’s output alone. The Twins continue to enjoy a monster season from <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomeji01.shtml">Jim Thome</a>, who’s earning just $1.5 million for the 2010 campaign. Incidentally, both players will once again be free agents for the 2011 season, and so too will a number of other aging players who still likely have productivity left in them. Some will flop badly of course, but isn’t that the nature of the free agent market more generally? There may be more risk associated with older players, but it seems exceedingly “priced in” as compared to younger guys on the market. We’ll leave the pitchers aside for the moment, and just take a look at some of the position players that will be hitting the market. We’re not talking <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/werthja01.shtml">Jayson Werth</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crawfca02.shtml">Carl Crawford</a> here, the guys that are likely to break the bank and project as shoo-in productive Big Leaguers for years to come. No, we’re talking guys like Thome and Huff, players who may or may not be worth a flier. And we’ll also include the likes of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltrad01.shtml">Adrian Beltre</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeterde01.shtml">Derek Jeter</a>. They may not come cheaply, but the risk/reward still may skew in the team’s favor nonetheless. I will list their 3-year (2008-2010) B-Ref WAR totals, along with their age. <table width="500" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">Age for 2011 Season</th> <th align="center">2008-2010 B-Ref WAR</th> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/berkmla01.shtml">Lance Berkman</a></td> <td align="center">35</td> <td align="center">10.8</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeterde01.shtml">Derek Jeter</a></td> <td align="center">37</td> <td align="center">10.5</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirma02.shtml">Manny Ramirez</a></td> <td align="center">39</td> <td align="center">10.3</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/damonjo01.shtml">Johnny Damon</a></td> <td align="center">37</td> <td align="center">10.2</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltrad01.shtml">Adrian Beltre</a></td> <td align="center">32</td> <td align="center">9.4</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huffau01.shtml">Aubrey Huff</a></td> <td align="center">34</td> <td align="center">6.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/konerpa01.shtml">Paul Konerko</a></td> <td align="center">35</td> <td align="center">6.5</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martivi01.shtml">Victor Martinez</a></td> <td align="center">32</td> <td align="center">6.0</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomeji01.shtml">Jim Thome</a></td> <td align="center">40</td> <td align="center">5.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellisma01.shtml">Mark Ellis</a></td> <td align="center">34</td> <td align="center">5.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/ingebr01.shtml">Brandon Inge</a></td> <td align="center">34</td> <td align="center">4.6</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml">David Ortiz</a></td> <td align="center">35</td> <td align="center">4.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ordonma01.shtml">Magglio Ordonez</a></td> <td align="center">37</td> <td align="center">4.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml">Vladimir Guerrero</a></td> <td align="center">36</td> <td align="center">3.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Alex+Gonzalez">Alex Gonzalez</a></td> <td align="center">34</td> <td align="center">3.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matsuhi01.shtml">Hideki Matsui</a></td> <td align="center">37</td> <td align="center">3.8</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burrepa01.shtml">Pat Burrell</a></td> <td align="center">34</td> <td align="center">2.4</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/larocad01.shtml">Adam LaRoche</a></td> <td align="center">31</td> <td align="center">1.5</td> </tr> </table> Some of these players will make for excellent values, some will be overpaid, but it’s likely that a number of these guys will make a huge difference for their teams in the coming years. The challenge for GM’s is to figure out how to allocate resources to aging players. Do the Yankees have to go all in for Jeter? What’s Scott Boras going to get for Beltre? Can Thome do it again next year? What does Berkman have left? Manny would make for a productive DH, no? Says here that teams brave enough to play in this market, on average, will see more ROI than elsewhere.

Contrasting Swing Zones

One of my favorite players in baseball is a gritty corner outfielder who plays for my hometown team, and although fans derided him as a backup during the off-season, he's proven the doubters wrong so far by playing in 116 games in spite of his lack of power and ridiculed style of hitting. I decided to compare him to <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9927&position=OF" target="_blank">Brett Gardner</a>. <img alt="FrancoeurGardner.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/FrancoeurGardner.png" width="295" height="328" /> What you see above are the players with the highest swing rate in the league (60.9%) and the lowest (31.1%). The contour lines indicate the area inside which each batter is 50% likely to swing at a pitch. This means that a pitch that might hit <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4792&position=OF" target="_blank">Jeff Francoeur</a>'s knee, and he's as likely to swing at it as a pitch right down the pipe to Gardner. These graphs are all from the catcher's point of view, and the handedness of the batter is indicated by which side his name is on. Finding players who have the biggest and smallest swing zones is the easy part. What about inside/outside? For interesting left-handed hitters, that's <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1488&position=OF" target="_blank">Andres Torres</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1737&position=1B" target="_blank">Justin Morneau</a> who differ most sharply. <img alt="TorresMorneau.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/TorresMorneau.png" width="304" height="331" /> As for righties, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1286&position=2B/SS" target="_blank">Michael Young</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1677&position=OF" target="_blank">Shane Victorino</a> are notable. Victorino, like Torres, is a switch-hitter, but I only included pitches when they were batting from the relevant side of the plate. <img alt="victorinoyoung.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/victorinoyoung.png" width="307" height="328" /> I was surprised to learn that <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9893&position=OF" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> extends his 50-50 swing zone a foot below the strike zone. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=2129&position=C" target="_blank">Ronny Paulino</a> hits from the opposite batter's box which makes his zone appear shifted, but it's actually very similar to that of Rasmus, but shifted a foot up. <img alt="RasmusPaulino.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/RasmusPaulino.png" width="299" height="318" /> And the only player to compare to <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=5409&position=3B" target="_blank">Pablo Sandoval</a> is himself. <img alt="sandoval.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/sandoval.png" width="306" height="337" />

A Trio in Line for Triple Crown

I went to the Reds-Dodgers game yesterday afternoon and watched <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml">Joey Votto</a> walk and score a run in the first inning, slug a solo home run in the sixth, and line a two-run single in the ninth as Cincinnati beat Los Angeles 5-2 to stay atop the NL Central by 3 1/2 games. Votto is leading the National League in batting average (.323), on-base percentage (.422), and slugging average (.592). He also ranks third in HR (29) and second in RBI (86) and has an outside chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1967 when <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/yastrca01.shtml">Carl Yastrzemski</a> turned the trick for the Boston Red Sox. For the most part, only <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml">Albert Pujols</a>, who is in the hunt for the Triple Crown himself, stands in Votto's way. Pujols ranks first in the NL in HR (32) and RBI (89), fourth in AVG (.316), and second in OBP (.411) and SLG (.592). He has never led the league in RBI despite reaching 120 or more in six of his nine campaigns and never having fewer than 103. Albert has ranked first in HR, AVG, and OBP once each and SLG three times. Over in the American League, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabremi01.shtml">Miguel Cabrera</a> is second in AVG (.341), and first in OBP (.435) and SLG (.645). He also leads the league in RBI (102) and is in second place in HR (31). While it would appear that Miggy could win the AL Triple Crown, it must be noted that he trails <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Jose+Bautista">Jose Bautista</a> by seven home runs. If the latter returns to earth or gets hurt or traded to an NL club, then perhaps Cabrera would have a shot at winning the Triple Crown. Otherwise, he might have to settle with capturing the Triple Crown of rate stats. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mauerjo01.shtml">Joe Mauer</a> (.365/.444/.587) accomplished the latter feat last year, joining <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml">Barry Bonds</a> (2002 and 2004) and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heltoto01.shtml">Todd Helton</a> (2000) as the fourth player to do so in the past ten years. <center> <img alt="Screen%20shot%202010-08-23%20at%2010.38.03%20AM.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Screen%20shot%202010-08-23%20at%2010.38.03%20AM.png" width="418" height="76" / border=1> </center> While it is unlikely that either Votto or Pujols *and* Cabrera will win the Triple Crown this year, there is a reasonable chance that one or two of these first basemen could win the Triple Crown of rate stats. If either Votto, Pujols, or Cabrera had a monster finish and won the traditional and rate stats Triple Crown, he would become only the ninth player to produce this double since 1900. (<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/o'neiti01.shtml">Tip O'Neill</a> — no, not <a href="http://www.lfbachrach.com/Tip.jpg">this one</a> — was the first in 1887.) <center> TRADITIONAL AND RATE STATS TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS </center> <center> <img alt="Screen%20shot%202010-08-24%20at%208.17.04%20AM.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Screen%20shot%202010-08-24%20at%208.17.04%20AM.png" width="420" height="212" / border=1> </center> <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml">Ted Williams</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hornsro01.shtml">Rogers Hornsby</a> — perhaps the greatest left- and right-handed hitters, respectively, in the history of the game — won the traditional and rate stats Triple Crown in the same season twice each. Only three Triple Crown winners failed to lead their leagues in OBP or SLG. As it turns out, the culprit was OBP every time. In 1956, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mantlmi01.shtml">Mickey Mantle</a> had the misfortune of playing in the same league at the same time as Williams and fell short in OBP (.464 to .479). In 1937, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/medwijo01.shtml">Joe Medwick</a> finished fourth in OBP, trailing leader <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/camildo01.shtml">Dolph Camilli</a> (.446), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mizejo01.shtml">Johnny Mize</a> (.427), and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hartnga01.shtml">Gabby Hartnett</a> (.424). In 1933, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foxxji01.shtml">Jimmie Foxx</a> was edged in OBP by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cochrmi01.shtml">Mickey Cochrane</a> (.459). (In 1878, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hinespa01.shtml">Paul Hines</a> led the NL in AVG, HR, RBI, and SLG while placing fifth in OBP.) While all the hitters who won the traditional and rate stats Triple Crown in the same season are in the Hall of Fame, only three were named Most Valuable Player in that year: Yaz, Robby, and Hornsby (1925). Williams lost the MVP to <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dimagjo01.shtml">Joe DiMaggio</a> in 1947 and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gordojo01.shtml">Joe Gordon</a> in 1942. Gehrig succumbed to Cochrane in 1934 and Klein to <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hubbeca01.shtml">Carl Hubbell</a> in 1933. There was no NL MVP in 1922 and no award winners in 1909 and 1901. Mantle, Medwick, and Foxx, the other three Triple Crown winners, all won their league MVPs. Only Yastrzemski, Robinson, and Mantle won Triple Crowns and played for a pennant-winning team. All three were named MVPs that season. Meanwhile, Votto or Pujols could become the first NL Triple Crown winner since Medwick in 1937. As noted above, Cabrera could become the first AL Triple Crown winner since Yaz in 1967. Votto or Pujols could win the Triple Crown on a team that just might win the NLCS. If so, history would suggest that whoever pulls it off would be a lock to win the NL MVP this year. Cabrera, on the other hand, will be fighting history, as well as a number of other worthy candidates, including <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/canoro01.shtml">Robinson Cano</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamiljo03.shtml">Josh Hamilton</a>, both of whom are enjoying career years and playing for division-leading teams. Note: Rob Neyer <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/4947/nobodys-laughing-at-omar-infante">points out</a> that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/infanom01.shtml">Omar Infante</a> could pose a problem for Votto (or Pujols) in batting average. It is my belief that Infante will cool down the stretch owing to a combination of reverting toward his career average, playing every day, and the toll of the long season for a utility player who hasn't appeared in 100 games in a single season since 2005. Nonetheless, it adds an interesting wrinkle to the NL Triple Crown this year. Update: Dan Szymborski of The Baseball Think Factory <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/news/story?id=5483652">quantifies</a> the likelihood of Votto, Pujols, and Cabrera winning the Triple Crown with Albert given a 16.7% chance, Miggy 1.8%, and Joey 0.8%. Insider subscription required. I might be inclined to take the better than 100:1 odds on Votto.

On Count-Based Linear Weights

Ever since the work of <a href="http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2008/02/writing_about_t.php" target="_blank">Joe P. Sheehan</a>, pitch-by-pitch run values have been a staple of PITCHf/x analysis. More recently, Bloomberg analysts Craig Glaser and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/getting-ahead/" target="_blank">Pat Andriola</a> really got me thinking about what these values might mean. We all know that <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Cliff%20Lee" target="_blank">Cliff Lee</a>'s walk rate is otherworldly. But last week, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/12/1619955/cliff-lee-carl-crawford-henry-rodriguez-five-numbers">Jeff Sullivan wrote</a>, "Of the 201 pitchers in baseball with at least 50 innings pitched, Lee's three-ball count rate is lower than 67 individual walk rates." That is an awesome piece of information. Let's say you have a pitcher who somehow manages a walk rate identical to Lee's, and we can say he has the same strikeout and home run rates too. But what if we knew that this pitcher had, say, twice as many three-ball counts as Lee. They may have been of equal value, but surely Lee projects better going forward. FanGraphs has a whole assortment of what they call <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=5&season=2010&month=0">plate discipline stats</a>. In essence, these stats are trying to separate the process from the results. A pitcher has a high strikeout rate. Does he throw a lot of strikes or does he induce out-of-zone swings? A batter has a high strikeout rate. Does he never swing or does he never make contact?* *To those who do such things, please don't use<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicollinearity" target="_blank"> contact rate to predict strikeout rate</a>. Here's where count-based linear weights come into play. Everything that happened before the result of a plate appearance can be summed up best by the count. A pitcher who walks nobody has better process if he never even goes to three-ball counts, like <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Cliff%20Lee" target="_blank">Cliff Lee</a>. Using Retrosheet data since 2002, I found the expected run value of the final pitch of every plate appearance, excluding intentional walks. So if a player homers on the first pitch of an at-bat, that goes down as 0 runs toward his count-based linear weights. In turn, a pitcher will have a worse score if he walks a batter on a 3-0 count than a 3-2 count. Here are the values straight from Joe's article. Harry Pavlidis and others have used updated values. <pre> Count Runs/PA 3&0 0.207 3&1 0.137 2&0 0.097 3&2 0.062 2&1 0.035 1&0 0.034 0&0 0.000 1&1 -0.016 2&2 -0.037 0&1 -0.043 1&2 -0.083 0&2 -0.104 </pre> <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1109&position=OF" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=73&position=P" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a> stand unparalleled in getting into quality counts. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=591&position=SS" target="_blank">Angel Berroa</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1128&position=P" target="_blank">Kirk Rueter</a> not so much. Players who get into good counts but have bad results more often than not are burned by BABIP. As for the top and bottom performers of 2009, here are the hitters: <table width="400" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">PAs</th> <th align="center">Total lwts</th> <th align="center">Count lwts</th> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Chipper Jones</td> <td align="center">577</td> <td align="center">9.5</td> <td align="center">11.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Lance Berkman</td> <td align="center">546</td> <td align="center">24.6</td> <td align="center">8.7</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Albert Pujols</td> <td align="center">665</td> <td align="center">59.0</td> <td align="center">8.6</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Adrian Gonzalez</td> <td align="center">657</td> <td align="center">35.8</td> <td align="center">8.2</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Nick Swisher</td> <td align="center">655</td> <td align="center">15.6</td> <td align="center">7.7</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Ivan Rodriguez</td> <td align="center">447</td> <td align="center">-20.8</td> <td align="center">-10.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Jose Lopez</td> <td align="center">642</td> <td align="center">-5.8</td> <td align="center">-10.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">David Eckstein</td> <td align="center">553</td> <td align="center">-16.4</td> <td align="center">-10.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Miguel Olivo</td> <td align="center">414</td> <td align="center">-1.8</td> <td align="center">-11.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Clint Barmes</td> <td align="center">607</td> <td align="center">-10.9</td> <td align="center">-16.1</td> </tr> </table> And the pitchers: <table width="400" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">PAs</th> <th align="center">xFIP</th> <th align="center">Count lwts</th> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Cliff Lee</td> <td align="center">1103</td> <td align="center">3.69</td> <td align="center">-20.9</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Roy Halladay</td> <td align="center">962</td> <td align="center">3.05</td> <td align="center">-20.8</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Justin Verlander</td> <td align="center">968</td> <td align="center">3.26</td> <td align="center">-19.6</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Johan Santana</td> <td align="center">689</td> <td align="center">4.13</td> <td align="center">-16.6</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Cole Hamels</td> <td align="center">885</td> <td align="center">3.69</td> <td align="center">-16.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Kyle Davies</td> <td align="center">532</td> <td align="center">5.12</td> <td align="center">4.8</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Doug Davis</td> <td align="center">871</td> <td align="center">4.68</td> <td align="center">5.1</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Joe Saunders</td> <td align="center">837</td> <td align="center">4.8</td> <td align="center">5.2</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Trevor Cahill</td> <td align="center">764</td> <td align="center">4.92</td> <td align="center">5.2</td> </tr> <tr onMouseOver="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onMouseOut="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="left">Zach Miner</td> <td align="center">405</td> <td align="center">4.86</td> <td align="center">6.1</td> </tr> </table> After spending some time with the data, I've unfortunately yet to find much predictive power in the metric, beyond what we can get out of normal peripheral stats. Nevertheless, I think there's value to a count-based linear weight as a DIPS-type metric for pitchers.

Designating a DH in 2011

Identifying who the best baseball position players are is delicate business for executives trying to field the best team possible. You have to figure out what kind of offensive performer the guy is, and then what sort of glove he has, and then what it all means. You would never want <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=745&position=DH" target="_blank">David Ortiz</a> playing outfield for your club, and you would never want <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1042&position=OF" target="_blank">Mark Kotsay</a> to be your Designated Hitter. They’re equally preposterous. The problem is that Kotsay actually does start at Designated Hitter for the Chicago White Sox. Year after year teams squander the opportunity that the DH presents – the chance to increase your odds of getting real productivity by removing defense from the evaluation picture. Whether it’s <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=802&position=2B" target="_blank">Jose Vidro</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=856&position=OF" target="_blank">Rondell White</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=916&position=C/1B" target="_blank">Scott Hatteberg</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1249&position=OF" target="_blank">Carl Everett</a> or even someone like <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=947&position=2B" target="_blank">Marlon Anderson</a> in Game 2 of the 2004 World Series, every year there are wholly unqualified players filling the DH slot for teams. I still remember watching incredulously when I saw that Anderson would start at DH for St. Louis in that game. Fortunately for teams lacking punch at the DH spot, there is an intriguing crop of aging 1B/DH types set to hit the free agent market after the 2010 season. And since only four American League teams have managed a team OPS north of .800 at the position, you’d better believe their services will be in demand. Seattle DH’s have “hit” .182/.260/.303 in 2010. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-dh-free-agents/">Joe Pawlikowski took a look back at the 2010 Free Agent DH class</a> last week at Fangraphs, and now I’d like to look forward at the guys who will come available for the 2011 season. <large><li></large><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Lance%20Berkman" target="_blank">Lance Berkman</a>: It doesn’t sound like the Yankees have any interest in picking up Berkman’s $15 million club option, so it is likely he will hit the market. Berkman has struggled this season, both with his health and his bat and it’s likely those are not unrelated. He’s still flashing impressive on-base skills and as he gets healthier and defense takes less of a toll on his body, it’s reasonable to expect a bump in his batting and slugging averages in the years ahead. Beekman is a fringy Hall candidate who would probably like to pad his numbers in a friendly hitting environment while having a realistic chance at a championship. The White Sox would seem to be a good fit, and so too would the Red Sox should they wish not to re-up with David Ortiz. Speaking of… <large><li></large>David Ortiz: The Red Sox have an interesting decision on their hands. Ortiz has a $12.5 million club option and given his productivity this season – .263/.366/.567 – picking that up and penciling Ortiz in as the 2011 DH for a club with Boston’s resources would be a perfectly reasonable and clean course of action. They could focus their off-season attention elsewhere. On the other hand Boston is taking notice of the other DH types out there, and they have all the leverage here. Declining Ortiz’s option and negotiating a lower AAV contract is one course of action, and so too would be going in a different direction altogether. <large><li></large><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=319&position=OF" target="_blank">Adam Dunn</a>: He’ll only be 31 next season, so there’s a lot left in that bat. He is so obviously a DH at this point, however, he just has to get over to the American League. He’ll have suitors, as only a team or two in the AL could tell you at this point who their 2011 DH will be. We have seen players like <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1659&position=DH/OF" target="_blank">Hideki Matsui</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=409&position=1B/DH" target="_blank">Jim Thome</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=949&position=OF" target="_blank">Pat Burrell</a> sign for short money as teams incorporate defensive value in a more sophisticated manner. I think Dunn could be an exception. He’s younger than this crop and as productive as ever. He’ll get his money from someone. <large><li></large><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=525&position=1B" target="_blank">Derrek Lee</a>: He’s struggled badly in 2010, but after such a stellar 2009 campaign, it’s hard to believe that a player in Lee’s physical condition doesn’t have something left in the tank. Lee will be 35 for the 2011 season. He probably isn’t even a DH yet, but he could be a useful platoon player for a team like Toronto, who will have an opening at 1st Base and has <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8027&position=DH/OF" target="_blank">Adam Lind</a> (.127/.164/.182 against southpaws in 2010) DH’ing. <large><li></large><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=242&position=1B" target="_blank">Paul Konerko</a>: His glove isn’t what it once was and he’s not getting any younger, so it’s probably time to begin thinking about Konerko as a DH. He’s hitting .301/.381/.575 this season, pacing the White Sox offense and a huge reason the Pale Hose are in contention. That city loves Konerko so maybe he stays put but if not, a team in need of a big right-handed bat would be wise to consider Konerko. <large><li></large><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Carlos%20Pena" target="_blank">Carlos Pena</a>: To me, Pena looks fine. He’s notched a tiny .237 BABIP and his ISO remains impressive at .227. He’s still going to flash power and when his in-play luck steadies, the team that inks him will have themselves an excellent power-hitting lefty stick. <large><li></large>Jim Thome: Your guess is as good as mine here. He’s been incredible in Minnesota, one of the very best off-season signings of 2010. He hit a walk-off home run in the midst of an intense pennant race last night, and is now at .273/.391/.593 for the season. Thome turns 40 next week so you can’t commit too much money to him. At the same time, .273/391/.593! I think the Twins would have to consider giving Thome another year to come back and try to replicate his incredible 2010. =========== There are other sticks out there too like Hideki Matsui and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1617&position=1B" target="_blank">Lyle Overbay</a> but the list above represents all the viable DH options for teams looking to fill the slot in 2011. Short of these guys, teams would be best served putting their best AAA hitter in there and seeing how he performs. Whatever you do, just say no to the Mark Kotsays of the world at DH.

The WAR Against Age – The Pitchers

In <a href="http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2010/07/the_war_against.php">my last article</a>, I examined at what ages the forty greatest hitters* of all time, as measured by Wins Above Replacement (“WAR”), had their five best seasons to learn about aging patterns and how certain individual players fared. Here, I take a look at forty top pitchers and their best seasons. Because pitcher usage has changed dramatically over time, I eliminated all pitchers who played the bulk of their careers before World War II. I don’t think that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml">Walter Johnson</a>’s typical workload of 350+ innings in his best seasons or <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/youngcy01.shtml">Cy Young</a>’s 400+ innings in his best seasons is particularly enlightening for purposes of today’s game because modern players are unlikely ever to pitch like that again. That is to say nothing of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/radboch01.shtml">Old Hoss Radbourn</a>e’s 19.8 WAR season in 1884, in which he pitched 678 innings and went 59-12. (Considering his ERA-plus was 207 that year, and he pitched about 2/3 of his team’s innings, I think his WAR (he had 20.3 when you factor in hitting), although the highest single season number of all time, seems a bit low). In any event, after taking out the old-time pitchers, the <a href="http://www.baseball- reference.com/leaders/WAR_pitch_career.shtml">top-40 post-World War II pitchers</a> takes you down to number 67 of all time, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stiebda01.shtml">Dave Stieb</a>. I plotted on the bar graph below the top 5 pitching seasons measured by WAR (I did not factor in WAR for hitting) for the 40 top-rated post-war pitchers (200 data points in all). For comparison sake, I have also included the chart for hitters from my last article, adjusted so that the pitchers and hitters are set out in the same scale. Top 40 WAR (Post-World War II) Pitchers: <img alt="Top%2040%20WAR%20Hitters.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Top%2040%20WAR%20Hitters.png" width="570" height="345" /> Top 40 WAR Hitters: <img alt="Top%2040%20WAR%20%28Post-World%20War%20II%29%20Pitchers.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Top%2040%20WAR%20%28Post-World%20War%20II%29%20Pitchers.png" width="577" height="357" /> The Pitchers vs. the Hitters The first thing that jumps out from looking at these graphs is that pitchers seem to spread out their peak seasons far more than hitters. Although great hitters and pitchers start putting up peak seasons at age 20, the pitchers are far more likely to have a peak performance late in their careers. Just three hitters had one of their best seasons at age 38 or later (one was <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml">Barry Bonds</a> at 39, one was <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml">Ted Williams</a> who had his fifth best season and one was <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ansonca01.shtml">Cap Anson</a>), and none at age 40, whereas the pitchers had 10 such seasons starting at 38 (5% of the sample) and four at 40 or 41, by which time all great hitters had tailed off. Similarly, the peak for pitchers is far less prominent than for hitters. For the hitters, 103 of the best seasons, more than half the sample, were between ages 26 and 31. For the pitchers, by contrast, at the same ages (which is also the six year span with the highest number of peak years) there are just 88 of the 200 seasons recorded. The median age for a pitcher’s top season was 29, a year later than for the hitters. Another interesting observation is that aggregately both the hitters (at 29 and 30) and pitchers (at 28 and 29) showed a decrease in peak years before spiking again. In my last article, I had chalked up this anomaly as merely a sample size issue, but now I wonder if there is something more at play. Perhaps players need an adjustment period to cope with diminishing physical skills. The Individual Performances One of the things that makes an exercise like this interesting is to look at the individuals who make up the sample and examine some of their performances. On the old side, it is not shocking that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/niekrph01.shtml">Phil Niekro</a> and Ryan put up great age 40 seasons. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smoltjo01.shtml">John Smoltz</a>, had the other age 40 season on the chart, which I found surprising. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/spahnwa01.shtml">Warren Spahn</a>’s age 41 season ends the chart. (Incidentally, at a baseball card show when I was 13, Spahn taught me how to throw a knuckleball. He claimed he threw one once in his career, popping up <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kluszte01.shtml">Ted Kluszewski</a>. He also recounted how kids at Ebbets field threw sandwiches at the visiting pitchers in the bullpen, and he and his teammates would collect them and, occasionally, eat them). Smoltz, for his part, was the pitcher with the biggest range among his top 5 seasons, producing them from ages 24 to 40. Other pitchers with a greater than ten year span for their best five seasons include <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml">Roger Clemens</a> (23-34), Spahn (26-41), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blylebe01.shtml">Bert Blyleven</a> (20-33), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml">Nolan Ryan</a> (26-40), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carltst01.shtml">Steve Carlton</a> (24-37), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mussimi01.shtml">Mike Mussina</a> (23-34), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reuscri01.shtml">Rick Reuschel</a> (24-36) (one of the most surprising things I saw was that Reuschel has the 30th highest WAR for pitchers all time, ensconced between <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/glavito02.shtml">Tom Glavine</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fellebo01.shtml">Bob Feller</a>, two no-doubt Hall of Famers (or future Hall of Famers)), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bunniji01.shtml">Jim Bunning</a> (25-35), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnto01.shtml">Tommy John</a> (25-36), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/koosmje01.shtml">Jerry Koosman</a> (25-36), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coneda01.shtml">David Cone</a> (25-36), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/finlech01.shtml">Chuck Finley</a> (26-37) and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tananfr01.shtml">Frank Tanana</a> (20-30). On the young side of the spectrum, the eight age 20-21 seasons on the chart belong to six pitchers, Blyleven, Feller, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/drysddo01.shtml">Don Drysdale</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eckerde01.shtml">Dennis Eckersley</a>, Tanana and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saberbr01.shtml">Bret Saberhagen</a>. Blyleven, 13th all time in pitchers’ WAR (making it very hard to deny his Hall of Fame credentials, but Rich speaks far more eloquently on that subject than I do), turned in four of his top-5 season at 20, 22, 23 and 24 (with his fourth best season at 33). Perhaps his underwhelming won-lost records for those early years (16-15, 20-17, 17-17, 15-10, respectively), coupled with a long career thereafter of being very good has caused him to be underrated in the popular (sportswriters’?) consciousness. Feller, another young peak performer, suffers no such lack of recognition among baseball’s cognoscenti, and for good reason. Rapid Robert’s best five seasons were at 20, 21, 22, 27 and 28. Of course, he missed all of his age 23-25 seasons, and most of his age 26 season, to World War II, creating an equally compelling “what might have been” discussion as the one for Ted Williams. Another “what might have been” could easily be created for Frank Tanana, who put up four of his top 5 seasons between 20 and 23, including three 7+ WAR seasons from 21-23. To put that in perspective, among the last ten Cy Young award winners (Lincecum twice, Peavy, Webb, Carpenter, Grienke, Lee, Santana, Sabathia, and Colon) they have just four 7+ WAR seasons aggregately in their careers (Grienke, Lee and Santana twice). Had Tanana not blown out his arm, he may have been among the all time greats. That he was able to reinvent himself into an effective junk-baller is a credit to him. On the other end of the spectrum, late peaking pitchers include knuckleballer Phil Niekro (his top five were between age 35 and 40), fireballer <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Randy+Johnson">Randy Johnson</a> (31, 33, 35, 37 and 38), spitballer <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perryga01.shtml">Gaylord Perry</a> (between 30 and 35) and sinker baller <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Kevin+Brown">Kevin Brown</a> (31-35). Smoltz had three of his best seasons at 38-40, but his other two top seasons were at 24 and 29. Brown was also one of the models of consistency with a definitive peak, putting up his best five seasons in a row. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberro01.shtml">Robin Roberts</a> (23-27) was also on that list. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddugr01.shtml">Greg Maddux</a> (26-31), <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/koufasa01.shtml">Sandy Koufax</a> (25-30) and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/newhoha01.shtml">Hal Newhouser</a> (23-28) each put up their best six seasons in a row. Conclusion When viewed aggregately, pitchers, like hitters, apparently age in predictable ways, with peak years likely to take place between 26 and 31. On deeper inspection, however, it is clear that pitchers are less predictable. A 37 or 38 year old pitcher, or even older, has a reasonable possibility of turning in a personal peak year, whereas a hitter is not likely to do so. Indeed, each of the five oldest peak years for hitters have extenuating circumstances (Bonds (37 and 39) because of presumed steroid use, Williams (38) because service in World War II almost certainly cost him a top season when he was younger, and Cap Anson (37 and 38) because he played in the equivalent of baseball’s pre-historic times, where talent was almost certainly not as uniformly recognized and spread out among the leagues. If those players’ late career seasons are discounted, no top hitter would have had a peak season after 36. By contrast, the top 40 post-war pitchers put up 15 (7.5%) of their top seasons at 37 or older. Nor is it clear that a single type of pitcher is destined for late-career success, as pitchers such as Phil Niekro, Spahn, Randy Johnson, Carlton, Ryan, Smoltz, Koosman, Cone, John, Finley and Reuschel each put up one of their best five seasons at 36 or older. If anything, the late success of pitchers seems to show what baseball fans already understand, that pitching effectiveness is not the result of merely being able to throw hard (no doubt each of these pitchers could throw harder when they were younger). Rather, factors such as an improved or learned pitch, better control, or even better discipline and thought processes on the mound no doubt contributed to many pitchers’ late career resurgences. Another conclusion that should be apparent is that next year’s prized free agent, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Cliff+Lee">Cliff Lee</a>, who will be entering his age 32 season, is not nearly as assured of regressing from his incredible current peak as a 32 year-old hitter would be. No doubt, many GM’s are willing to bet that he can produce excellent seasons in his mid-30’s, just as some great pitchers have done before. * Note that I intentionally omitted <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml">Albert Pujols</a> from that analysis, as it is by no means clear that he may not still have one of his five best seasons in the remainder of his career. In posting that article, the footnote on that subject apparently became embedded. Doug Baumstein is an attorney and Mets fan living in New York.

Chipper Jones and Jeff Bagwell: Two Peas in a Pod

Aside from their difference in positions, the careers of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesch06.shtml">Chipper Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bagweje01.shtml">Jeff Bagwell</a> have been almost identical. The National League rivals each won a Most Valuable Player Award and produced statistics that are almost indistinguishable from one another. While Bagwell and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=Frank+Thomas">Frank Thomas</a> may have been separated at birth — both players were born on the same day (May 27, 1968), played first base, arrived in the majors within a year, won the MVP Award in 1994 (Bags in the NL, the Big Hurt in the AL), and produced career totals that were more alike than not — the similarities between Bags and Chipper are nearly as astonishing. Jones and Bagwell have both been in the news recently. Chipper underwent surgery for a torn ACL this past week, and Bags was named the hitting coach for the Houston Astros last month. The offseason should be an interesting time for these superstars. Speculation will surround whether Jones can fully recover from his knee injury and return in time for the 2011 season, while Bagwell will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Meanwhile, let's take a look at how closely Jones' and Bagwell's career counting and rate stats line up: <img alt="Bagwell-Jones%20Comparisons.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Bagwell-Jones%20Comparisons.png" width="660" height="44" /> It's pretty difficult to separate the two, no? I don't think you can really make a strong case for one or the other based on the counting or rate stats. Given that Jones has played in 111 more games with 223 additional plate appearances, perhaps we can agree that Bagwell edges Jones by the slimmest of margins on the offensive side of the ledger by virtue of his .003 and .004 advantages in OBP and SLG, respectively, as well as his favorable ballpark-adjusted OPS (aka OPS+). Bagwell was actually a better defensive player at his position (1B) than Jones was at his (3B). However, Jones played the more difficult corner infield spot and the difference in positional scarcity is estimated to be worth about 140 runs according to Sean Smith of <a href="http://www.baseballprojection.com/">BaseballProjection.com</a>, whose work on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) has become the industry standard. Based on WAR — which factors hitting, baserunning, fielding, and position — the difference between Bagwell (79.9) and Jones (80.0) works out to 0.1 win. One-tenth of one win over the course of their 15- and 16-year careers. They rank 56th and 57th all time in WAR <a href="http://www.baseball- reference.com/leaders/WAR_career.shtml">among all players</a> and 36th and 37th <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/WAR_bat_career.shtml">among non-pitchers</a>. As far as peak value goes, the nod goes to Bagwell, who produced three seasons (8.9, 8.3, and 8.1) that exceeded Jones' best (7.9). On the other hand, Bagwell had two seasons that were worse than anything Jones has put up to date.* <center> <img alt="Bagwell-Jones%20WAR%20by%20Season.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Bagwell- Jones%20WAR%20by%20Season.png" width="536" height="417" /> </center> * I'm skeptical of the -19 Total Zone assigned to Bagwell's fielding in 2003, which is the primary reason for his abnormally low 1.7 WAR total that season. His basic stats (games, innings, putouts, assists, errors, double plays) are not all that different than 2002 and 2004. Moreover, his Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (UZR/150) was 4.1, which is almost exactly halfway between his 2002 (3.1) and 2004 (5.0) marks. The net effect of this potential glitch is that it reduces Bagwell's value by about two wins in 2003 and, by extension, two wins for his career. The bottom line is that Jones and Bagwell are two of the greatest players of the past two decades. One can make a case that both rank among the top five players at their position since 1900 (with only <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmimi01.shtml">Mike Schmidt</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matheed01.shtml">Eddie Mathews</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml">George Brett</a>, and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/boggswa01.shtml">Wade Boggs</a> possibly exceeding Jones at 3B and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gehrilo01.shtml">Lou Gehrig</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foxxji01.shtml">Jimmie Foxx</a>, and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml">Albert Pujols</a> outdoing Bagwell at 1B). As a result, Jones and Bagwell should be slam-dunk, first-ballot Hall of Famers. Here's hoping that Bagwell gets his due when the results are announced in January and Jones follows up five years after his retirement, which may or may not be in 2010.

Prince or Hall vs. Paul?

<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8678&position=P" target="_blank">Paul Maholm</a> was recently named the most <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tim_marchman/07/22/underhyped.players/index.html">underhyped </a>player in baseball. Perusing his opposing batter history on <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/p-pvb.cgi?n1=maholpa01">Baseball Reference</a>, I could see why some would think he was underhyped. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4613&position=1B" target="_blank">Prince Fielder</a> has a .071/.152/.071 line against Maholm in 46 career plate appearances. On the other hand, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/players.aspx?lastname=Bill%20Hall" target="_blank">Bill Hall</a>, sporting a .581/.639/1.032 clip in 36 PAs, probably doesn't really see what all the fuss is about. So who would you rather have against <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8678&position=P" target="_blank">Paul Maholm</a>? Going by The Book, first we look at career numbers to get the largest possible sample. Better yet, we can look at a projection system, which distills those career numbers, adjusts them for age and weighs them by season. ZiPS projects Fielder at a .401 wOBA and Hall at a .302 wOBA. Fielder is a superstar while Hall is a utility man. We've got that out of the way. So how to explain the Maholm divide? The Book says to next look at platoon splits. Fittingly, Hall and Fielder have identical .348 wOBAs against southpaws. Furthermore, Maholm has a massive career platoon difference of 100 points in wOBA. That closes the gap, and that's about as far as The Book goes. To get the rest of the way there, I thought PITCHf/x might come in handy, so using movement, velocity, and location as my inputs against LHPs, I tried to predict their success against Maholm's offerings. Maholm throws both his two-seam and four-seam fastballs around 88-90 miles per hour, and throws them on just over half of his pitches. His two-seamer has better movement in my opinion, and has certainly achieved better results, yet interestingly, he throws it less often to same-handed hitters. I'm not sure this is a wise move overall—he might be handicapped by wanting to throw his two-seamer only to his arm side—but against Prince Fielder, his choice of fastball has certainly paid off. I grabbed 1,000 fastballs against Fielder from LHPs and plotted Fielder's success (RV100) by pitch movement. I also added lines to indicate the average movement of Maholm's two fastballs. <img alt="Princemovement.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Princemovement.png" width="439" height="403" /> Fielder is above average on risers but below average on sinkers. Movement is not the only reason that Maholm's four-seam fastball stifles Fielder. The location of Maholm's four-seamers also coincides with Fielder's weakness <img alt="Princelocation.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Princelocation.png" width="439" height="387" /> In fact, Fielder has swung at 23 Maholm four-seamers. All but five he has either fouled off or swung through. As for the five he put into play, all of them were grounders, and only one was a single. Two were double plays. So to sum up, Maholm uses his four-seam fastball a lot facing lefties, and it just so happens that said fastball matches up perfectly against Fielder. Furthermore, Maholm's slider, his best pitch, is death on Fielder, and LHBs in general. However, Maholm only uses his slider 7% of the time against righties. Instead, he takes the changeup out of his pocket and also uses the curve a bit more. But his changeup isn't as good a pitch as his slider, even when accounting for the platoon differential. And against Hall, Maholm's choice of off-speed pitches is asking for trouble. Maholm's changeup comes in at 83, his slider at 80, and his curve at 73, and they follow the PITCHf/x spectrum of movement. His changeup is in the top-right quadrant, dropping the least out of his off-speed pitches and moving the most toward his arm side. His slider is right near the origin, with average values of 0 inches in horizontal and vertical movement. And his curveball is diametrically opposed opposed from his changeup, as it breaks down and in towards righties. Conventional wisdom and PITCHf/x analysis both say that the slider has the largest platoon split of all off-speed pitches, so perhaps Maholm is right to scrap it against righties. But Hall apparently isn't a normal righty. Against off-speed pitches, here is how he does based on horizontal and vertical movement: <img alt="Hall.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Hall-thumb.png" width="650" height="338" /> The troughs in both charts appear in the areas where Maholm throws his slider. This means that sliders might be the best pitch to throw Hall. There's room inside to throw the slider, and he's also willing to chase them in the dirt when LHPs try to backfoot him. But Hall destroys offspeed pitches left out in the zone. Hall has been thrown twelve curves from Maholm. He swung at three of them, connecting for two singles and a double. He was also hit by one of them, and most of the rest went for balls. Hall's put four changeups into play, good for a groundout, a single, a double, and a home run. Again, most of the rest were balls. Prince Fielder is soon to sign a contract worth over $100 million, while Bill Hall might be out of baseball in a year. Yet in certain contexts, Hall might be the better player. Given both batter's substantial platoon split, and more importantly the large platoon split of Paul Maholm, you could project Fielder and Hall to hit Maholm equally. And digging deeper, it is evident that Maholm's strengths match Fielder's weaknesses and Maholm's weaknesses match Hall's strengths. The case can be legitimately made that Bill Hall projects to be a better hitter than Prince Fielder against Paul Maholm.

WAR and the Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft dates back over a century, and Retrosheet has a fair chunk of Rule 5 data. The Rule 5 draft as we know it began somewhere around 1965, so I took all drafted players since then and their WAR in the following years. As it turns out, the Rule 5 Draft is a market for more-or-less freely-available replacement-level talent. Most years, 80-90% of one-time Rule 5 picks either don't play or accumulate 0 WAR. That means that in the first year after being drafted, 35% don't play, while 55% occupy a Major League roster and play at replacement level. Five years removed, 70% of Rule 5 picks aren't playing, but at least most of those who do are competent Major Leaguers. Many Rule 5 picks don't play for the team that drafted them. For example, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1001168&position=3B/OF" target="_blank">Bobby Bonilla</a> was a Pirate before he was taken by the White Sox, but he was traded back to Pittsburgh before he became <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1001168&position=3B/OF" target="_blank">Bobby Bonilla</a>. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=755&position=P" target="_blank">Johan Santana</a> was drafted by the Marlins, but that was only in a pre-arranged swap of picks with the Twins. And <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1875&position=OF" target="_blank">Josh Hamilton</a> played only a year for the Reds, yet that in turn was only because the Reds were able to buy him from the Cubs, who had selected him in the Rule 5 Draft. Only 14 players have amassed 2 WAR the year after they were taken. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1002608&position=P" target="_blank">Doug Corbett</a> picked up a whopping 5.9 WAR. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1000020&position=P" target="_blank">Ted Abernathy</a>, 10 years into his Major League career, was somehow a Rule 5 pick, and he quickly had the best year of his career at 5.6 WAR, finishing 20th in MVP voting. After that, the familiar faces of <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=6941&position=P" target="_blank">Joakim Soria</a>, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3442&position=2B" target="_blank">Dan Uggla</a>, and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1875&position=OF" target="_blank">Josh Hamilton</a> made the most immediate impacts. 14 players have been drafted twice, and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1677&position=OF" target="_blank">Shane Victorino</a> is the most successful. The Twins have been the best drafters, and that doesn't even count their trade for Santana. Minnesota was the team that got that value out of Corbett, and the Twins also sapped all the talent out of Shane Mack after selecting him in December of 1989, which you can see from the table below. <div class="sr_share_wrap"> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 0.83em;" class="sr_share" id=""> <thead> <tr id="" style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class=""> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" align="left">Year</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" onmouseover="" align="center">Age</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" align="center">Tm</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" onmouseover="" align="center">Lg</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" onmouseover="" align="center">PA</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" onmouseover="" align="center">WAR</th> <th onclick="" onmouseout="" style="background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 2px;" class="" onmouseover="" align="center">Salary</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1987</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">23</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SDP/1987.shtml" title="San Diego Padres">SDP</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1987.shtml">NL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">267</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">-0.2</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$62,500</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1988</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">24</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SDP/1988.shtml" title="San Diego Padres">SDP</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1988.shtml">NL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">140</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">0.7</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$73,500</td> </tr> <tr id="" onclick="" style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="1989" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="1989" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1990</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">26</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1990.shtml" title="Minnesota Twins">MIN</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1990.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">353</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">2.5</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$105,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1991</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">27</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1991.shtml" title="Minnesota Twins">MIN</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1991.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">489</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">4.9</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$270,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1992</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">28</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1992.shtml" title="Minnesota Twins">MIN</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1992.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">692</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">6.0</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$1,075,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1993</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">29</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1993.shtml" title="Minnesota Twins">MIN</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1993.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">553</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">1.1</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$3,050,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1994</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">30</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1994.shtml" title="Minnesota Twins">MIN</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1994.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">347</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">4.0</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$3,250,000</td> </tr> <tr id="" onclick="" style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="1996" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="1996" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1997</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">33</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1997.shtml" title="Boston Red Sox">BOS</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1997.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">146</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">0.7</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$1,850,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left">1998</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">34</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1998.shtml" title="Oakland Athletics">OAK</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1998.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">2</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">-0.1</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">$450,000</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="" onmouseout="" class="" onclick="" id=""> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="1998" align="left">1998</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" csk="0.34" align="right">34</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCR/1998.shtml" title="Kansas City Royals">KCR</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="left"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1998.shtml">AL</a></td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">229</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right">0.2</td> <td class="" onclick="" onmouseout="" onmouseover="" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap;" align="right"></td> </tr> </tbody> <tfoot> </tfoot> </table><div class="sr_share" style="font-size: 0.83em;" id="">Provided by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/sharing.shtml">Baseball-Reference.com</a>: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/macksh01.shtml#batting_value">View Original Table</a> </div> </div> The Pirates have seemingly been pillaged by the Rule 5 draft, but again, they were able to reclaim Bonilla, which offsets some of their losses. The real question is, why didn't the Pirates protect Bonilla in the first place? They took another hit when they let <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1011023&position=2B/OF" target="_blank">Bip Roberts</a> go. The Pirates had drafted Roberts twice, and were able to sign him when they used their first-round pick on him the second time, but he was plucked clean by the Padres, and went on to develop into a nice player. The Diamondbacks, in their short time, have only had a handful of players taken from them, but those include <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3442&position=2B" target="_blank">Dan Uggla</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1650&position=P" target="_blank">Luis Ayala</a>. The Giants and Red Sox have made about 20 Rule 5 picks each, and have had 0 pan out as players, unless you want to count Javier Lopez. I don't. In fact, many teams have gotten no return from the Rule 5. Evaluating a Rule 5 pick is in parts straightforward. The drafted player will make the league minimum salary. $50,000 per selection is $50,000. The tricky part is how much value to place on losing the flexibility of a 40-man roster spot. Most Rule 5 picks never become more than replacement level, especially not in that first year when they're guaranteed a roster spot. I'd say that five players a year are, or become, better than replacement level, while 15 picks are made per year. So if a team covets a player, using a Rule 5 pick on him can be worth the while, but 10 picks in, teams are just as well off passing on their selections, which they often do. I don't see any hidden value in the Rule 5 Draft. I struggle to even see the purpose of this outdated draft model. A boring draft makes for boring analysis.

Scouting Reports from the 2010 Area Code Games

The 24th annual <a href="http://www.leagues.iscorecentral.com/areacode2010" target="_blank">Area Code Games</a> were held at Blair Field during the past week. The summer showcase has been one of the premier national events for high school baseball prospects since it was moved to Long Beach in 1994. The wood bat tournament consists of eight teams and over 200 players invited from around the country, the vast majority of which will be offered major college scholarships and/or drafted in June 2011 or 2012 as the case may be for about 10 percent of the participants. <img alt="Screen%20shot%202010-08-08%20at%2010.35.23%20AM.png" src="http://baseballanalysts.com/Screen%20shot%202010-08-08%20at%2010.35.23%20AM.png" width="171" height="182" align=left hspace=20 />Unlike many showcase events, the players don't pay to play. Instead, several hundred professional scouts, scores of college coaches, and dozens of agents are charged a fee for attending these games. One of the scouts in attendance (Scott Boras) is also the father of a prospect (Trent Boras, who preps at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA). There was an even more famous father-son combo with Wayne and Trevor Gretzky (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village, CA) prominent in the stands and on the field, respectively. In addition, there were six sons of former MLB players and a brother of an active big-league pitcher: Alec Bankhead (Greensboro, NC), son of Scott; Brandon Bonilla (IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL), son of Bobby; Shawon Dunston Jr. (Valley Christian, San Jose, CA), son of the father by the same name; Brett Geren (San Ramon Valley, Danville, CA), son of current A’s manager Bob; C.J. McElroy (Clear Creek, League City, TX), son of Chuck; Drew Stankiewicz (Gilbert, AZ), son of Andy; and Joe Ross (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland, CA), brother of A's pitcher Tyson. The tournament featured eight teams: Milwaukee Brewers (California) sported Blue and White entries, Texas Rangers (Texas and Louisiana), Chicago White Sox (Midwest), Washington Nationals (Pacific Northwest), Oakland Athletics (Southeast), New York Yankees (Northeast), and the Cincinnati Reds (Southwest and Rocky Mountains). As noted, the geography of the big-league clubs and their Area Code teams don't necessarily match. Nonetheless, the players wore the colors of their MLB teams with "Area Code" in script across the front of all jerseys. Each team played five games over six days (Thursday, August 5-Tuesday, August 10) with most contests scheduled for seven innings and a few for nine. Day One (Thursday, August 5) In the opening game on Thursday, Henry Owens (Edison, Huntington Beach, CA) of the Milwaukee Brewers (Blue) pitched the first two innings and struck out six of the seven batters faced. He walked the other one. The lefthander threw 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. He was throwing 87-89 mph. At 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds (with size 17 shoes), his fastball plays up a bit due to the fact that he throws on a downhill plane. Moreover, his body offers lots of projection although a scout I spoke to noted that Owens' velocity is down a couple of ticks from his sophomore season in 2009. Nonetheless, he may be the most highly regarded prep pitcher in the country and could be drafted in the top half of the first round next June. A member of the USA Baseball 18U National Team, Owens has had a busy summer. He was 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five appearances and four starts, whiffing 31 batters and walking nine in 19.1 innings. He was also named to the Aflac All American Baseball Classic, which will be held on Sunday, August 15 at 5 p.m. PDT in PETCO Park. The game will feature the nation’s top 38 high school players heading into their senior year. Baseball America offered the following report in its Aflac Classic player capsules: <blockquote> Scouts love Owens' frame, which has plenty of room to fill out, and he adds to the package by showing a good arsenal—and all from the left side. His fastball sits 88-91 mph from the left side, and he also works with a sharp, two-plane curveball and mixes in a changeup. </blockquote> Area Code and Aflac teammates Travis Harrison (Tustin, CA) and Christian Lopes (Edison, Huntington Beach, CA) each went 2-for-4. Harrison is a 6-2, 220-pound outfielder with big-time power, as evidenced by the 504-foot home run he jacked at the Power Showcase in January, breaking Bryce Harper's record from the previous year by two feet. Lopes, a 6-0, 185-pound shortstop, has been well known in prospect circles for several years. He and his younger brother Timmy Lopes (class of 2012) transferred from Valencia to Edison last January, joining Owens and Eric Snyder, who has committed to UCLA. All four players are on the same team in the Area Code Games, too. Their high school club promises to be one of the best in the nation next year. In the second game, Owens' 18U teammate Derek “Bubba” Starling (Edgerton, Gardner, KN) led the Chicago White Sox to a victory, pitching two innings (2-1-1-1-1-2) and knocking in the first run with a ground-rule double that the left fielder lost in the sun and bounced near the warning track and over the outfield wall that measures 348 feet down the lines, 387 to the power alleys, and 400 to center. His fastball sat in the high 80s and touched 90. The righthander has reportedly thrown in the low 90s but hasn't pitched much this summer. He hit .339/.474/.532 with three HR and 16 BB and 12 SO in 78 PA and tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with 7 SO and only 1 BB for Team USA last month. The tall and lanky Starling (6-5, 195) is an outstanding two-sport athlete who has verbally committed to play baseball and <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=102769" target="_blank">quarterback at Nebraska</a>. The five-tool player ran a 6.56 in the 60-yard dash, tied for the fifth-fastest time in the SPARQ testing on the first day of the Area Code Games. I like the Matt Holliday (who was also one of the top high school QB in the country) comp that New York Yankees Director of Scouting Damon Oppenheimer <a href="http://rise.espn.go.com/baseball/articles/2010/08/07-A-boy-named-Bubba.aspx">made to ESPN Rise</a>, a part owner and sponsor of the event. White Sox center fielder Charles Tilson (New Trier, Winnetka, IL) showed off his athleticism on Thursday by running the fourth-fastest 60 (6.54) and stealing three bases that evening. On Saturday, a scout sitting in my row clocked the lefthanded-hitting center fielder at 3.98 while an area supervisor in front of me had him at 4.0 exactly on an infield single that didn't even draw a throw. So as not to be labeled a one-trick pony, Tilson opened Sunday's game by slugging the first home run of the tournament. It was an impressive blast to right field into a slight breeze coming off the ocean. He singled and stole two more bases later in the game and threw out a runner at third to top it all off. Teammate Johnny Eierman (Warsaw, MO) is another speedster who had the second-fastest time in the 60 at 6.41. The 6-foot-1 shortstop and quarterback is coming off a junior year in which he was an all-state selection in baseball and football. The LSU commit slugged three home runs during batting practice on Thursday but struck out in five of six plate appearances after going 2-for-3 with a triple in the first game. While Eierman doesn't lack for load or bat speed, he may need to alter his swing plane in order to make more contact at the next level. Nicholas Burdi (Downers Grove, IL) threw three innings in relief, striking out five without allowing a walk. The 6-5, 215-pound righthander was dialing his fastball up to 90-91 while flashing a hard slider at 84-85 and a changeup with good arm action at 81-82. Lefty Cody Kukuk (Lawrence, KS) and righty Michael Fulmer (Deer Creek, Edmond, OK) both touched 90 on the radar guns in the later innings. The opposing starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals, Dylan Davis (Redmond, WA), threw 92-94 in his only inning of work. His heater was the fastest of the evening. It appeared as if he only threw one other pitch, a short slider that Baseball America tabs at 83-84. The smallish righthander, generously listed at 6-0, 200 pounds, gave up two runs (one earned) on Thursday but bounced back to toss two scoreless innings on Sunday. An Aflac selection, Davis has committed to Oregon State. Cole Wiper (Newport, Bellevue, WA) topped out at 91 with his fastball, 83-85 with what a scout told me was a cutter, and a 78 mph curve he left up in the zone that was pulled for a triple down the right-field line. He has thrown three innings overall, struggling with his control on Sunday when he walked three of the seven batters faced. Porter Clayton (Bonneville, Idaho Falls, ID), a southpaw with a pronounced leg kick, struck out three batters around a hit and walk in his only inning of work. He was 88-89 with a good breaking ball. Kevin Moriarty (Shorewood, WA) K'd five out of six batters, showing excellent command of an 84-87 mph fastball and a slow curve. Spencer O'Neil (Southridge, Kennewick, WA) stood out in the pre-game infield, displaying a strong, accurate arm in right field with all four throws to third base and home arriving on a clothes line with no hops. However, O'Neil, one of three returning players from the 2009 Area Code Games, has taken the collar at the plate, going 0-for-10 in the tournament. Day Two (Friday, August 6) Jordan Ramsey (North Davidson, Lexington, NC), Chris McCue (Ardrey Kell, Charlotte, NC), and John Hayman (Ware County, Waycross, GA) of the Oakland Athletics threw a combined, seven-inning shutout over Washington, which was forced to play the last game the previous evening and the first contest the following morning. McCue, an undersized righthander who has committed to North Carolina, had the most impressive arsenal of the trio, with an 89-92 mph fastball and a solid-average curveball and changeup. Alex Blandino (St. Francis, Mountain View, CA) went 3-for-3 in the opener but competed for playing time throughout the tournament with several middle infielders on Oakland despite a solid swing that produced six hits in 10 trips to the plate. Washington's Tyler Gonzales (Madison, San Antonio, TX), class of 2012, struck out the side in his lone inning of work. Teammate Dylan LaVelle (Lake Stevens, WA), another junior-to-be, hammered a triple that one-hopped the wall in center field to lead off the game for the Nats. Although LaVelle made a couple of errors at shortstop during the tournament, he was involved in three double plays and appears to have the glove, footwork, and arm to handle the position. His keystone partner, Erik Forgione (W.F. West, Chehalis, WA), was equally adept defensively, making at least one highlight reel play at second. He also doubled to right center on Saturday, one of the few hard hit balls that day. Michael Conforto (Redmond, WA), who is playing in his second Area Code Games, stroked two hits. A lefthanded-hitting right fielder, Conforto has a powerful swing and a strong arm. Before knowing that TrackMan had measured his max exit speed at a tournament-best 105, I had written down "plus bat speed" next to his name on my roster. Keep an eye on this 6-0, 200-pounder with good bloodlines. His mother won two gold medals in synchronized swimming in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and added a silver in the 1988 Games in Seoul, while his father played linebacker at Penn State for Coach Paterno in the 1970s. In the game between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, Bryan Brickhouse (Woodlands, TX), a 6-2, 190-pound righthander, was throwing 92-94 mph gas in the first inning, striking out the side around one walk. He allowed another free pass in the second as well as a single and triple off the bat of Rio Ruiz (Bishop Amat, La Puente, CA), a third baseman and pitcher from the class of 2012, who knocked in two runs and closed out the final inning for the Yankees, lighting up the radar guns with a low-90s fastball. Fernelys Sanchez (Washington, Bronx, NY), another junior-to-be, ran the best 60 (6.35) on Thursday and stole two bases. Matt Dean (The Colony, TX), an Aflac selection, had a tough time at the plate, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He was 3-for-17 with no XBH or BB and five SO for the tournament. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound third baseman is a two-sport athlete who has committed to Texas to play baseball but is expected to be a high draft pick next June. Teammate Daniel Mengden (Westside, Houston, TX) will also be at the Aflac game next week. In the final game of the day, Robert Stephenson (Alhambra, Martinez, CA) led the Brewers White to a 6-1 victory over the Reds. The 6-2, 185-pound righthander struck out six batters without allowing a walk or run in three innings. The Aflac All-American was popping his fastball in the low 90s in one of the more impressive outings of the day. Teammate Billy Flamion (Central Catholic, Modesto, CA) was the offensive star of the game, banging out two hits (including a double) and stealing a base. The 6-1, 195-pound, high-energy outfielder went 5-for-17 for the tournament and his big, powerful swing will be on display next Sunday in the Aflac game. On the other side of the diamond, Blake Swihart (Cleveland, Rio Rancho, NM), a 6-1, 175-pound switch-hitting catcher, had two hits and drew rave reviews from many talent evaluators for his offensive and defensive prowess. He is another Aflac selection who hit a team-leading .448 AVG (26-for-58) and .845 SLG (6 2B, 1 3B, and 5 HR) for the USA 18U club. He has also committed to play for the Texas Longhorns. Swihart caught Bonilla, a lefthanded pitcher whose line (2-3-3-3-3-4) left a lot to be desired. However, the University of Southern California commit, who works out of the stretch, flashed good stuff with a fastball that sat in the upper 80s and reached 90 as well as a curve that showed some promise. Interestingly, he walked Dunston, a lefthanded-hitting, fleet-footed outfielder, on four pitches. The latter drew four free passes in 19 plate appearances while stealing two bases and scoring five runs, including a jaw dropper from second base on a dropped third strike and throw to first. Day Three (Saturday, August 7) With all of the teams having played at least once heading into the weekend, the biggest names were generally covered in the recap of the first two days. Nonetheless, there were new pitchers who stood out and a few hitters who jumped to the forefront such as Aaron Brown (Chatsworth, CA), who went 4-for-4 in the morning game on his way to a tourney-leading eight hits in 15 at-bats. The L/L outfielder-pitcher has excellent bat and foot speed and flashed a strong arm on Monday when he struck out five batters over just two innings. Milwaukee White teammate Tyler Goeddel (St. Francis, Mountain View, CA), a 6-4, 170-pound third baseman, jacked a stand-up triple into the gap in right center, showing both power and speed on the same play. He has also displayed a great approach at the plate, drawing seven walks while striking out just once. Desmond Henry (Centennial, Compton, CA) sparkled in the 60-yard dash on Thursday with the third-fastest time of 6.47 before transferring his athleticism to the baseball field on Saturday with two doubles. He went 5-for-13 with two BB and two SO overall. Lots of radar guns went up in the second game when Jerrick Suiter (Valparaiso, IN), a 6-3, 210-pound righthander with a smooth delivery, entered the contest in the fifth. He worked two innings on Saturday and came back and tossed two more on Monday. The three-sport star allowed only one hit, one walk, and no runs while punching out seven of the 14 batters faced in his two outings. Suiter coupled an 88-92 mph fastball with a 73-74 plus curveball. Patrick Hope (Broken Arrow, OK), a 6-3, 185-pound righthander, was 90-91 with a 72-73 hammer curve that was without question the best breaking ball I saw all week. Fellow righty teammate Clayton Blackburn (Santa Fe, Edmond, OK) was 89-90 with a sweeping breaking ball. In the third game, Lucas Giolito (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood, CA), class of 2012, just turned 16 in July, yet matched the best fastball of the tournament by consistently hitting 91-93 and touching 94 on at least one occasion according to the scoreboard display facing the press box. (Note: TrackMan registered his average fastball velocity at 95.8, or 3-4 mph faster than the consensus of the dozens of handheld Stalker Sport radar guns employed by scouts. TrackMan may measure the velocity at the pitcher's release point whereas radar guns and PITCHf/x estimate velocity at about 50 feet from home plate. There may be an additional explanation as well, which I would enjoy receiving from any expert in this area. In the meantime, the TrackMan leaders can be viewed <a href="http://rise.espn.go.com/baseball/Events/2010-Area-Code-Baseball/2010-Area-Code-Baseball-Games/More-Stats.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.) Giolito was wild with his entire repetoire of pitches (which included a 76-80 mph slurve and what appeared to be either a hard change or a two-seamer with more than decent arm-side run). With additional experience, the 6-5, 215-pound righthander may be able to improve upon his command, which was lacking on Saturday as evidenced by the 24 balls against 23 strikes and four free passes in only two innings. If so, he projects to go early in the 2012 draft. Teammate Adam McCreary (Bonita, La Verne, CA) entered the game in the sixth inning and was announced as Henry Owens due to the lefty's handedness, similar number (38 vs. 36) and size (6-8 vs. 6-7). The PA announcer corrected his mistake, noting the "even taller" McCreary, who pitched a scoreless inning by exhibiting a mid-80s fastball, a 78 mph slider, a 72 mph curve, a 75 mph change, and a good pickoff move to first base. The combination of his polish and projection makes him an intriguing prospect. Three Yankees pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts in the nightcap with Aflac All-Star Tyler Beede (Lawrence Academy, Groton, MA) and Karl Keglovitz (Nazareth, PA) leading the way with six each. John Magliozzi (Dexter, Brookline, MA), another Aflac selection, chipped in with five Ks. The Florida commit worked in the low 90s. Keith Law, whom I chatted with in between games on Saturday, <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=mlb_draft&id=5446599" target="_blank">noted that Magliozzi might be more suited for a relief role</a> due to his arm slot. I agree and believe his lack of height (5'11") may also work against him at the professional level although I overheard one scout liken him to Tim Hudson. Beede (3-2-0-0-0-6) exhibited outstanding command of a low-90s fastball and solid secondary pitches. The 6-4, 200-pound righthander has committed to Vanderbilt. Day Four (Sunday, August 8) The two early games were low-scoring affairs with Phillip Evans (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad, CA) the only player to produce two hits in the opener. He plays hard but is not the best-bodied or most toolsy athlete in the tournament. However, he did make an over-the-shoulder catch that turned heads earlier in the week. Although he gave up two runs, righthander Mathew Troupe (Chaminade, West Hills, CA) fanned seven batters without allowing a walk in three innings. The Oregon State commit, who is now up to 6-1, 185 pounds, consistently pounded the strike zone (41 strikes and 14 balls) and may turn out to be an effective, if unspectacular pitcher. In the third game, the White Sox's Mason Snyder (Marquette, Ottawa, IL) followed Tilson's aforementioned dinger with a double high off the 348-foot mark on the left-field wall. Dylan Delso (Broken Arrow, OK) went 2-for-2 en route to a 6-for-9 tourney with three BB and no SO. He topped all hitters in the Triple Crown of rate stats, putting up a line of .667/.750/1.000. Kyle Shaw and Ty Hensley (both from Santa Fe, Edmond, OK) touched 90 but generally worked in the mid- to high-80s. Kevin Comer (Seneca, Tabernacle, NJ) of the Yankees was the most impressive pitcher of the game as he whiffed nine in four innings while allowing only one hit, one walk, and one run. The righty's fastball sat at 87-89 and peaked at 90 but it was his secondary pitches that caught my eye, including a 76-78 mph slider with good tilt, a changeup with fade, and a two-seamer with tailing action that he used primarily against LHB. In the finale, Elliot Richoux (The Woodlands, TX), a lefthanded-hitting first baseman, bombed a double off the top of the wall in right field (although it should be noted that the pitch was an 80-mph "fastball" from someone who will most likely stick at his more natural first base position). McElroy picked up a couple hits en route to a 4-for-7 tourney with two stolen bases. The righthanded lead-off hitter and a bunt single and ran a 4.39 to first base on a broken bat groundout to the second baseman. Nick Williams (Ball, Galveston, TX), a 6-2, 185-pound outfielder, deserves mention for recording the best SPARQ test results on Thursday despite being a member of the 2012 class. Only 16, his baseball skills are still a bit raw but his athleticism coupled with his tall, projectable body suggest he could be one of the top players in the Area Code Games next summer. Zac Freeman (Lowndes, Valdosta, GA) was, for me, the most impressive player on Oakland's squad. He went 3-for-10 with a double and a triple plus three walks and made an outstanding diving catch going to his left in shallow center field. Disregarding his poor pitching performance on Monday, the only criticism is perhaps an overly aggressive swing that led to six whiffs in 13 plate appearances. Parker French (Dripping Springs, TX), a big righthander, started for Texas and pitched two shutout innings with four Ks. He was popping the catcher's glove with a 90-93 mph fastball and threw several 76-78 slurves, as well as at least one plus changeup. Hayman was 90-91 but lacked consistent command in his second appearance and Darren Whatley (Bibb County, Centerville, AL) was 88-90 with his four-seamer and generally 85 with his two-seamer. Day Five (Monday, August 9) I didn't make it out to Blair Field on Monday in what was the final full-day schedule of the six-day tournament. The primary attraction was the all-California matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers Blue and White teams. Of note, all of the players on the Blue side are from Southern California while the majority of the players on the White are from Northern California. As it turns out, the Blue beat the White, 5-1. Owens made his second start of the Area Code Games, hurling two hitless, scoreless innings while striking out and walking two. With four innings of no-hit, no-run ball and eight Ks, Owens was probably the star of the showcase event. Assuming good health, the sky is the limit for this special talent. Aflac All-American Daniel Camarena (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, CA) knocked in the first run for the Blue with a long double to straightaway center. The 6-2, 200-pound L/L is a two-way threat who has committed to University of San Diego. <a href="http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2656#more-2656">Baseball America</a> sees him as a "high average, low strikeout, gap-to-gap, line drive hitter." Teammate Austin Hedges (JSerra, San Juan Capistrano, CA), also an Aflac selection, had two hits and was 4-for-10 overall. He is an outstanding defensive catcher with a strong arm that was obvious to anyone paying attention before and during the games. Flamion just missed jacking a home run down the RF line for the White, <a href="http://rise.espn.go.com/baseball/articles/2010/08/09-area-code-day-5.aspx" target="_blank">a blast that TrackMan recorded at 385 feet</a> or what would have been the longest hit of the tournament had it gone fair. The Brewers White team played back-to-back games, coming off a 10-1 win over the A's before facing their Blue rivals. Dante Flores (St. John Bosco, Bellflower, CA), Blake Grant-Parks (Yuba City, CA), and Kevin Kramer (Turlock, CA) each contributed two hits in the victory. The 5-10, 160-pound Flores (5-for-10 with three 2B, two BB, and only one SO) is a highly skilled SS/2B, a <a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_15691064" target="_blank">local favorite</a> who is likely to honor his commitment to USC. Cincinnati's Kavin Keyes (Alta, Sandy, UT), a switch-hitting infielder, led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and finishing the tourney with a .500 AVG (7-for-14). Stankiewicz, meanwhile, sparked the defense with two web gems at second base. The switch hitter has committed to Cal State Fullerton. The Nats' Clint Coulter (Union, Camas, WA) and Austin Diemer (Rocklin, CA), a late add to Washington's roster, produced all five of their team's hits in 2-0 victory over the Yankees. Seven pitchers threw one inning each with only Blake Snell (Shorewood, Shoreline, MA) striking out two. Day Six (Tuesday, August 10) On the final day of the Area Code Games, the manager of the A's let McCue stretch out his arm by throwing 69 pitches over the first four innings (4-4-1-1-1-4). He led all pitchers with six innings of work. Cameron Gallagher (Manheim Township, Lancaster, PA), an Aflac All-American catcher, went 2-for-3 with a double, raising his overall average to .273 with three hits in 11 AB. The 6-3, 215-pounder has committed to East Carolina. Although hope and change has been a popular phrase the past two years, it's really Hope and his curveball. The Chicago righthander threw two scoreless innings, once again using his put-away breaking ball to strike out five batters to give him a total of eight in just four frames. Kukuk, Fulmer, lefty Brett Lilek (Marian Catholic, Chicago Heights, IL), and Shaw followed Hope to the mound, combining to pitch six innings while allowing just one hit two walks, and one run. Lilek struck out the side in the seventh. It was a bit of redemption for the junior-to-be as he allowed three runs (two earned) in his only other outing of the tourney. Eierman was the offensive star, going 3-for-4 and lifting him into the top ten for H, AVG, SLG, and RBI. In the final game of the tournament, McCreary started for the Milwaukee Blue club and threw two innings but failed to punch out anyone in his two appearances. Giolito gave up five hits, two walks, and seven runs in 1.2 IP, showing once again that he is far from a finished product. Camarena tripled and scored two runs. At the other end of the spectrum, Max Homick (Rancho Bernando, San Diego, CA), projected by Baseball America to go in the first round in 2011 in a <a href="http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2010/269675.html" target="_blank">mock draft back in March</a>, had a forgettable tournament, failing to get a hit in 11 AB while striking out four times. His highlight was throwing out a runner at home from left field. Keyes and Brett Harrison (Green Valley, Henderson, NV) had two hits each for the victorious Reds. The latter went 5-for-11 with four BB, one HBP, and three SO in 16 PA overall. The following players were the most notable in my judgment: Top 5 Hitters <li> Travis Harrison, OF, Tustin HS, Tustin, CA. <li> Michael Conforto, OF, Redmond HS, Redmond, WA. <li> Billy Flamion, OF, Central Catholic HS, Modesto, CA. <li> Derek Starling, OF, Edgerton HS, Gardner, KN. <li> (tied) Johnny Eierman, SS, Warsaw HS, Warsaw, MO and Daniel Camarena, 1B/OF, Cathedral Catholic HS, San Diego, CA. Top 5 Pitchers <li> Most advanced: Henry Owens, LHP, Edison HS, Huntington Beach, CA. <li> Most polished: Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy, Auburn, MA. <li> Best fastball: (tied) Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard Westlake HS, Los Angeles, CA and Dylan Davis, RHP, Redmond HS, Redmond, WA. <li> Best breaking ball: Patrick Hope, RHP, Broken Arrow HS, Broken Arrow, OK. <li> Most upside: Owens and Giolito. For those of you who are interested in following high school prospects, be sure to tune in to the 2010 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic on Sunday, August 15 at 5 p.m. PDT. The game will be broadcast live nationally by Fox Sports Net.

SABR 40's New Technologies in Baseball Panel

Edit: Alan has uploaded PDFs of our talks for download <a href="http://webusers.npl.illinois.edu/~a-nathan/pob/SABR40Panel.zip">here</a>. This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the SABR 40 in Atlanta. I had never been to a SABR meeting before, but was invited to be on the New Technologies in Baseball panel by Alan Nathan. It was a great opportunity to talk with and hear the ideas of the other panel members: Alan; Rand Pendleton of Sportvision; Rob Ristango of Trackman; and Josh Kalk, <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/jkalk">former THT writer</a> and current Baseball Operations Analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays. It was also cool to meet or reconnect with some people I had usually know only over the internet, <a href="http://twitter.com/schwartzstops">Cory Schwartz</a>, <a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/authors/studes/2010/">Dave Studeman</a>, <a href="http://cybermetric.blogspot.com/">Cyril Morong</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/">Sean Forman</a>, Eric Van, and the great <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot">Rob Neyer</a>. I thought it would be interesting to give a quick recap of the New Technologies in Baseball Panel. Rand led off and gave a quick history of Sportvision (they started in 1998 and their first big thing was putting the 1st and ten line on NFL broadcasts). He then gave the history of the pitchf/x and hitf/x systems, which have been written about before and I will not rehash here. But then he talked a little bit about Sportvision's new product fieldf/x. Most of us got our first preview of fieldf/x in last year's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/sports/baseball/10cameras.html">NYT article</a> and then at last year's pitchf/x summit. Rand said the system is being tested right now in AT&T park in San Francisco. Like the pitchf/x system fieldf/x uses two cameras, but these cameras have higher resolution than the pitchf/x ones and are framed on the entire field rather than just the pitcher-catcher area. The aim is to track everything on the field: fielders, runners, the ball in play, throws. That is a very exciting prospect and the video from it that Rand showed was very cool. We will know more about the fieldf/x system in a couple weeks at this year's pitchf/x summit. Next was Rob Ristango who talked about Trackman, that is a doppler-radar system that also tracks the pitch and ball in play. The system was originally designed for golf, where it is widely used, but is now being used in baseball, cricket, and soccer. The system has one radar, high and behind home plate. Rob said that the system is installed and running in a number of MLB parks, when pressed for a specific number by a questioner he responded that the number is greater than one but less than thirty. Trackman, which measures the location of the ball 48,000 times every second, directly measures the spin of the ball, rather than back calculating it form the trajectory like the pitchf/x system. Based on this Rob showed some very cool data already collected by the Trackman system. For example, curveballs with a higher spin rate had a greater swing and miss rate than those with a smaller spin rate. He also showed that the lower the vertical release angle on a curve out of a pitcher's hand the higher the swing and miss rate. Rob explained that since curves are slower and have more drop coming to the plate than other pitches pitchers have to release them at a higher angle else they end up in the dirt. But if the angle is too high batters can easily tell the pitch is a curve. So the lower the release angle, though still higher than the release on a fastball, the better the deception and higher the swinging strike rate. Finally Rob said that although the Trackman data is not pubically available if you would like to contact them about your ideas of the data you can get in touch with Josh Orenstein who heads the Trackman Insights Lab (jko@trackman.dk). I was next and I discussed some of my results on the success of a pitch based on its location in the strike zone. Readers here have surely seen this before and I will not bore you with a rehashing of that. Next up was Josh Kalk. Josh, a former physics teacher, gave a great prop-based talk on the red dot that appears on sliders. As background he played some audio from an interview <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113683313">Reggie Jackson did on NPR's Fresh Air</a>. On the clip Jackson talked about how good hitters have to be able recognize different pitches, and specifically mentioned the red dot seen on a slider. To talk about how the red dot happens Josh showed how different pitches spin. Josh had a baseball with a dowel drilled in it. Josh held the dowel out so it was parallel to the lines of seats of the audience. He twisted the dowel back towards himself and told them to picture the ball coming towards them. This was pure backspin, the type of spin you would find on a four-seam fastball and that causes the pitch to drop less than expected due to gravity as it travels to the plate — a rising fastball. Then he twisted the dowel in the other direction, towards the audience. This was pure front spin: the type of spin that causes a pitch to drop more than expected due to gravity, and is found curveball. Then Josh held the dowel perpendicular to the audience, holding the dowel with the ball out in front of him towards the audience. Again he told the audience to think of the ball coming towards them and he twisted the dowel clockwise (from the audience's perspective). He told the audience this clockwise spin had a rifling effect, this spin will not cause the pitch to 'move' off its initial trajectory and will actually work to keep the pitch on this initial trajectory (like the rifling action of a bullet out of a rifle). The gyroball has this type of spin, and in pitchf/x parlance would have close to 0 pfx_x and 0 pfx_z. Sliders — which tend to have small pfx_x and pfx_z values — have a spin very close to, though not exactly, this rifling spin. Now picture if a seam is facing the batter while the pitch spins this way. Part of the seam will always be right in the middle of the ball as it rifles towards the batter. This will cause a red dot to appear. Because of the way pitchers hold the ball when they throw a slider there will tend to be a seam facing the batter. To demonstrate this phenomenon Josh had another prop, a ball affixed to the end of a power drill. When Josh fired up the drill the ball spun around and the red dot appeared. Josh slowly panned the drill around so that all members of the audience could get a chance to see it. Unfortunately the ball was not perfectly attached, and part way through the demonstration the ball went flying off, nearly hitting Alan and bouncing under the table were we sat. Some real excitement! Even with the technical difficulties, and maybe because of them, Josh gave quite an informative and entertaining talk. Alan was up last and gave four examples of new technology in baseball. The first two involved Marinao Rivera, showing his incredible bimodal pitch distribution, which I have talked about here, and then showing how the trajectory on Rivera's cutter gives it the illusion of having late break. Alan then showed, using hitf/x data, how BABIP and HR rate vary by launch angle and exit speed. BABIP peaked at 11 degrees while HRs at 30 degrees. This demonstrated the tradeoff between hitting for average, high-BABIP line drives, and hitting for power, high-HR fly balls. Finally Alan showed how he used hitf/x and <a href="http://www.hittrackeronline.com/">Hit Tracker</a> combined to reconstruct the full trajectories of HRs from 2009. With the complete trajectory he could compare how far the HRs actually went to how far they would have a vacuum. He used this quantity to measure the effect environment (wind, temperature, elevation) on fly balls in each park. This was work Alan had presented at the 2009 pitchf/x summit. All in all it was a great time and very cool to see the work that Sportvision and Trackman are doing to develop new ball-tracking technologies and the work that others (people like Alan, Josh and me) are doing to analyze that data.

Major League Team Coverage

Odds of Winning
2009 World Series *

Team	Odds
New York Yankees	4-1
Boston Red Sox	13-2
Chicago Cubs	17-2
New York Mets	9-1
Los Angeles Angels	11-1
St-Louis Cardinals	18-1
Cleveland Indians	20-1
Los Angeles Dodgers	20-1
Chicago White Sox	32-1

* Odds of winning the World Series - as of Mar 4, 2009 (courtesy of bodoglife.com)

Odds of Winning
2008 World Series **

Team	Odds
Boston Red Sox	4-1
New York Mets	4-1
New York Yankees	6-1
Detroit Tigers	6-1
Chicago Cubs	7-1
Los Angeles Dodgers	20-1
Chicago White Sox	40-1
St-Louis Cardinals	75-1

** Odds of winning the 2008 World Series - as of Apr 1, 2008 (courtesy of sportsbook.com)

Bwin - bwin sospronostics

Scores and Odds