2009 MLB Thread

[yesno]

I'd worry that an expanded playoff would be too tournament-y. 

That's why I think the World Series victory should just automatically be given to the team with the highest average VORP.

[nec13]

What is it with you Bill James acolytes and your newfangled statistics?

[yesno]

What is it with you Bill James acolytes and your newfangled statistics?

I just love sinister-sounding acronyms! I'd rather just get rid of teams and players and just replace them with mathematical models.  If I can get some time on the BlueGene/L supercomputer I can just simulate the next 10,000 years of baseball.

In fact, I'm bad at being a baseball fan of the Bill James kind because I suck at math, though I appreciate what they do.  (And I agree that RBIs are a barely useful stat.)  But I'm also bad at being a regular baseball fan because I have no memory for names.  I also only have about 7 innings of attention span.

[nec13]

I was just kidding. In fact, I have the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract on my bookshelf. I love baseball statistics and all of those stupid acronyms: PECOTA, UZR, DIPS, OPS+, RC27, etc.

[Gilly]

I was just kidding. In fact, I have the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract on my bookshelf.

One of the best books ever.

[dave from knoxville]

I was just kidding. In fact, I have the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract on my bookshelf. I love baseball statistics and all of those stupid acronyms: PECOTA, UZR, DIPS, OPS+, RC27, etc.

We make jokes about how things will "change your life", but I can honestly say that Bill James and Pete Palmer did.

Also Raymond Smullyan, though I don't know his stance on baseball.

[nec13]

One of the best books ever.

Yes it is. Although, I don't understand his beef with Dick Allen. He was probably the best pure hitter during the late 1960's and early 70's and should have been in the BBHOF a while ago. He's at least as qualified as Jim Rice.

Sorry, I got sidetracked. But yeah I do enjoy the work of Bill James.

[ben]

I would strongly suggest expanding the playoff format in both leagues. Make it like the NFL where six teams from each league get in the playoffs. Give the teams with the two best records in each league a first round bye and let the other four teams battle it out. That would be one way to make it fair to teams like the Orioles, Blue Jays, Indians, etc.

I like how making the playoffs is special in baseball.  Basketball, hockey so many teams make it.  NFL - that's a different story and I like the way that works.  The Brewers making the playoffs last year was a special event.

[buffcoat]

My office is doing a cool pool.  You get to pick one team from the AL and one from the NL.

The winner is the team that first scores exactly 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 and 12 in individual games.

It requires no skill, but boy did I get pissed off when the Tigers started off scoring 5 (easy number to get), 4 (easy), 5 (double! the worst except for...) --- 15, which means they scored 12 but then kept on going too far.

I think the Indians were the "winners" last year, sometime in May.

[nec13]

I was sad to hear about the unexpected death of Phillies broadcaster and NFL Films voice Harry Kalas. He had quite the set of pipes. He will be missed.

[hugman]

I was sad to hear about the unexpected death of Phillies broadcaster and NFL Films voice Harry Kalas. He had quite the set of pipes. He will be missed.

While we're on the subject of RIP's, FOTs, we gotta pour some on the ground for Nick Adenhart.

Interesting fact.  Adenhart wore number 34, the same number worn by late Cardinal pitcher Josh Hancock.

[jbissell]

RIP Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

[nec13]

It hasn't been a very good week for baseball.

[hugman]

Chris Carpenter injured again after pitching 10 (steller) whole innings in 2009.  At least it happened before I shelled out 200 bucks for the directv extra innings package.

[gravy boat]

RIP Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

not a fan but Alan Trammel was decent enough