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JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

There's one thing I've noticed here that simultaneously impresses and makes me feel stupid is that many of you can think of a player and recall is slash line and what he had for breakfast on some random May game on the spot. You guys must really sleep/eat/dream baseball.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 20:41

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# ¿ May 19, 2013 11:49

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

TUS posted:

One of the funnier ones last year was the Don Mattingly double mound visit. The rule is that you can only visit the mound once per inning (as a coach) the second time you have to make a pitching change. Mattingly went to the mound to talk to Broxton (I think) and was making his way back. Stepping off the mound onto the infield grass is considered "having left" the mound and right after stepping off, Mattingly went back on the mound, which based on the rules, was his second visit so he had to pull Broxton, even though he hadn't gone more then 10 feet away from him.

edit- I forgot why Torre wasn't there.

Ah that game. Torre got ejected for arguing a call or something. That was pretty hilarious. Pretty heads up by Bochy seeing that. Dodgers had to bring in George Sherill and...well you guys can imagine what happened soon after. That whole game was one big clusterfuck

CountingCrows posted:

Is it really a balk if the pitcher touches his face (lips?)? Is it because if he gets spit on the ball it will have unpredictable movement and therefore be harder to hit? Is this ever called? What about when pitchers blow on their hands in a New York November?

Allow me to dig up the rule book, here...

MLB Rule 8.02 posted:

(a) (1) Bring his pitching hand in contact with his mouth or lips while in the 18 foot circle surrounding the pitching rubber. EXCEPTION: Provided it is agreed to by both managers, the umpire prior to the start of a game played in cold weather, may permit the pitcher to blow on his hand.
PENALTY: For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately call a ball. However, if the pitch is made and a batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a hit batsman or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation. Repeated offenders shall be subject to a fine by the league president. "
The penalty for a pitcher licking his fingers on the mound is a ball. If the batter has 3 balls on him this would be considered the fourth ball and the batter would be credited with a base on balls. There is no penalty for a pitcher licking his fingers while not on the pitching mound as long as he wipes his fingers off prior to stepping onto the pitching mound.

Counting Crows posted:

Are there any other super rare rules that get called like once a season that I should look out for? Are there any really funny rules/situations that get called?

Balks are the only thing that I can think of that rarely get called. I think what pisses people off is that they don't know what constitutes a balk. As a pitcher, when you're on that rubber, you have to deliver the pitch a pretty specific way as to not unfairly deceive hitter/baserunner(s).

# ¿ Mar 8, 2011 19:58

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Gee Wizard posted:

What are some of the differences between the two leagues, other than rules? Which is more known for hitting? Pitching? Maybe fielding? Things along those lines would be interesting to read about.

The National League is God's True Form of Baseball. The Devil has possessed the American League with it's foul creation, the Designated Hitter.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2011 21:46

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

rabidsquid posted:

With the pitcher hitting in the NL, doesn't that also make it harder for the eighth hitter to get anything good to hit? Is there any truth to that or is that more old-timey gobbledygook? Or do most teams not have enough good hitters in the day to day lineup for that to matter.

Well if you get on base, the batting pitcher will most likely

#8 guy to 2nd if he succeeds at the bunt. Now you've got a man on 2nd and the top of the line up with 1 or 2 outs. So the pitcher (on mound) is gonna want get Mr. #8 out. So he'll throw off-speed and breaking pitches to strike or induce ground out. #8 hitters aren't that great. They're usually speedy outfielders who don't have a lot of power. So if the throwing pitcher succeeds in getting #8 out, batting pitcher is almost a sure out so you have 2nd or 3rd out.

Now here comes TLR (Tony La Russa, Cardinals manager) to gently caress everything up and put the pitcher as #8. I've yet to figure out why he does that.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2011 05:29

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Jolo posted:

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.

How do you guys keep up with the sport?

You have to have the mind set that baseball is a looooooooong season. Lasts basically April to November in the case of last season. Like the popes toes said, it's easier to stick with a division than try to follow all 30.

Jolo posted:

Blah, rereading this question makes me sound kind of dumb. My question literally is, how do you follow baseball in a non baseball area?

My guess would be find the city you would think you have a connection to that has a baseball team and follow them. Another alternative is that if you just want to get into the sport itself, consider attending games of your university. I know you said that they're predominately football but I'm sure they have a baseball program.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2011 01:44

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

CountingCrows posted:

What happened to the 2011 Meet the Team Thread? It was pretty funny and I can't seem to find it!

http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=3387319

# ¿ Mar 12, 2011 17:38

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

So I picked up a copy of Baseball Prospectus 2011 which some of you highly recommend (I see why). There are some stats they use like their True Average and FRA(A). What do you all think of them? They don't seem to like UZR. FRA almost sounds like FIP.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2011 04:08

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Grozz Nuy posted:

AJ Pierzynski ranks right below Scott Spezio in the ranks of players I actively hate. It's not a very long list, though, I rarely begrudge individual players as much as I do teams.

What draws everyones ire about AJ?

# ¿ Mar 16, 2011 20:33

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

I was trying to explain the difference between an earned run and an unearned run to my friend last Saturday and there was something I couldn't quite get right.

Okay. Suppose Jason Bartlett lines a single with two outs. Now Chase Headley hits a grounder to....Jack Wilson! who bobbles the grounder and all baserunners reach on the error. Now by my understanding Jason would be the unearned run because he would score on the "4th out" if the next batter is able to drive him in. Now suppose Orlando Hudson hits a sharp single that only advances runners 90 ft. This is where I get confused. Are all baserunners considered earned runs now? Or is it no matter who crosses the plate, they're unearned runs.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2011 18:53

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Abel Wingnut posted:

Sure, but doesn't the humidor kill that effect? If so, there must be something to its dimensions that gives hitters an advantage. If not, why not...'turn up' the humidor?

Humidor helps make the balls heavier so that they don't travel as far. However, the key fact is that it is 1 mile high. The air density is much lower so there is less friction impeding the flight of the ball.

e: Aaaaaaaaand beaten

e2: The polar opposite, PETCO Park, the reason it is so pitcher friendly is because it a) at sea-level, b) next to the ocean therefore the air has a lot of salt in it, and c) generally cooler than most ballparks esp. during summer months

JediGandalf fucked around with this message at Apr 8, 2011 around 03:40

# ¿ Apr 8, 2011 03:33

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Abel Wingnut posted:

So why not make the ball a tad bit 'heavier'? Or is it just a ballpark quirk at this point?

What OdinsBeard said. You'd have "special baseballs" and even if Selig can be Jedi Mind Tricked into doing that, you'd start throwing off a lot of stats.

OdinsBeard posted:

edit: the humidor doesn't make them heavier, it's just a room that maintains a certain level humidity, I don't think turning up the humidity would make them 'heavier'

Don't they stick the baseballs in there for a long time so that the leather can absorb that moisture? Like you said, once the baseballs hit that Rocky Mountain Air, the baseballs quickly dry out (consequence of Ideal Gas Law

). You're probably right that it adds a negligible weight but makes the baseballs easier for pitchers.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2011 03:46

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

OdinsBeard posted:

You just don't live close enough to their fanbase.

That being....?

Seriously though, it's pretty much Orange County, right? IE is predominately Dodgers.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2011 23:27

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

How come MLB has pretty much done away with double-headers? Financial reasons?

# ¿ Apr 14, 2011 21:37

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Ticallion Stallion posted:

I've been doing that and also paying close attention to PitchFX on MLB.TV so far this season, which helps. I'm also curious about the strategy of different pitch types, as in why a pitcher would throw a changeup at a certain point or why the batter would be expecting certain pitches at certain points in an at-bat if that makes sense.

You don't want the hitters to figure you out so to say. If you become predictable in your pitches, hitters will time you and then start sending lots of balls in play or just draw walks. As the pitcher, you want to keep the hitter on their toes. Certain situations warrant different pitches. If you want to induce a double play, you'll throw either inside to jam the hitter or a slider low and away to get the hitter to chase after it and hit a squib grounder to the infield. A 3-1 count is usually favorable to hitters. Pitcher doesn't want to walk you, wants to get a strike or an out, but doesn't want to throw a meatball in which hitter sends it 430 feet.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2011 17:11

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Pitching metrics question(s):

I know ERA is kind of bunk because it accounts for the other 8 guys on the field who could all be Miguel Tejadas and Yunieski Betancourts.

I know FIP is supposed to remove the other 8 guys and focus strictly on pitcher-batter and the three true outcomes (HR, BB, K) because the pitcher has a lot more control over those. Similarily xFIP normalizes HR/FB meaning did Pitcher get help from PETCO Park or not.

But something new I've seen from time to time here in SAS and Twitter is SIERA from Baseball Prospectus. I guess it's pretty new since I do have the 2011 BP Guide and they use FRA. Baseball Prospectus fleshes out SIERA but it's kind of a wall of text. This is where I bequeath the SAS MLB cognoscenti. From my understanding SIERA rewards GB% and punishes FB%/PU%. I guess this is to correct flaws in FIP such as a deep fly ball to CF that scores a run but it was neither a HR/BB/K.

There is probably not a One True Stat for pitchers but what would you all consider most fitting stat to accurately measure a pitcher's skill?

# ¿ May 12, 2011 04:52

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Wow...that's a hefty formula. I think I get SIERA now. The wOBA analogy makes sense. A triple is more valuable than a single much like a ground ball is more valuable to a pitcher than a fly ball to OF.

# ¿ May 12, 2011 17:33

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

MontyPiegon posted:

Here's a question: I know that ballparks differ significantly in design and obviously location, to the point that some parks are known as "hitters friendly" or such. How big are these differences? (% homerun differences, for example?) If a player plays their whole career in a very hitters friendly park, is the effect significant enough that stats are discounted when it comes to hall of fame considerations or the like? Finally, though stadium design varies, is there a set of basic guidelines on length, etc that all must follow?

I think you can have an arbitrary length to the outfield wall but there is a definite guideline as to how the infield is shaped. Personally I wish stadiums would have a 400' arc as the outfield wall and that be a standard across MLB instead of arbitrary outfield walls. That way the only "park factor" is the climate in which the stadium is located.

# ¿ May 31, 2011 18:14

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Mornacale posted:

Also I agree that it would be a boring and dumb thing. Having every baseball field be unique is one of the unique and cool things about the sport.

I guess I see that now. Having "bandboxes" and pitcher friendly parks does add something to the sport.

Re Home-field advantage: How would you explain Pirates and Padres having terrible home records and > .500 on the road? PETCO is heavily favored towards the pitcher to the point of absurdity I believe. Does PNC play similarly in favor of the pitcher?

# ¿ May 31, 2011 19:28

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Nachtsturm posted:

Even higher than the "Can a team go through an entire half inning batting without recording a PA"?

Answer: Yes

Can this really happen even like in theory like the Unfielded TP?

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 07:23

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Nachtsturm posted:

Sorry, I meant At Bats.

Also, you can't have an unfielded TP that hits multiple runners. After the ball hits the first runner, the ball's dead.

Ah that's a lot more plausible.

Wacky no AB recorded scenario:

Walk
Sac Bunt (1 out)
Sac Fly (2 out)
E4 (presumably a run, no RBI)
Walk
Walk
2B runner picked off (3 out)

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 16:17

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Wikipedia on "At-Bats" posted:

A batter starts with an at bat every time he faces a pitcher; however, the batter gets "no time at bat" in the following circumstances:

He receives a base on balls (BB).[1]

He is hit by a pitch (HBP).

He hits a sacrifice fly or a sacrifice hit (also known as sacrifice bunt).

He is awarded first base due to interference or obstruction, usually by the catcher.

The inning ends while he is still at bat (due to the third out being made by a runner caught stealing, for example). In this case, the batter will come to bat again in the next inning, though he now has no balls or strikes on him.

He is replaced by another hitter before his at bat is completed (unless he is replaced with two strikes and his replacement strikes out).

So errors DO count as ABs.

Related tangent: Are ABs really purposeful or would everything be better off if PA were used? For shits and giggles, Joey Bats would have a .280/.502/.602/1.104 if PA were used instead of AB.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 18:48

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Batui posted:

Why are errors included in the box score next to hits and runs? It's my least favorite stat since it's incredibly misleading when fielding is concerned, manages to screw up the pitcher's stats at the same time, and it's almost always in the discretion of the official scorer as to whether an error occurred. Giving errors that pedestal on every scoreboard just validates it as an important stat instead of acknowledging what people on this board know, that defense is very difficult to evaluate even with years of stats and advanced analysis. Why didn't they put something else in its place when the box score was created, like walks or left on base (I've seen some broadcasts put this as the fourth stat) or dingers? And why has it stayed there for decades? {I can guess the answer to this, but surely someone has said we can't keep implying that errors are as important as hits and runs).

So we can all further point and laugh at the Cubs for being even more inept at baseball

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 22:50

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

leokitty posted:

Going to Yankees games when it's the height of summer in New York is brutal as loving Hell, I can only imagine it is worse in Miami.

Average temperature for Miami, FL for July and August: 89�F with the occasional threat of a hurricane. New York: 84�F, 82�F. Isn't one of the problems with Florida's teams the fact that it's filled with a lot of transplants (read: retired old people) and they bring their teams with them? That's one of the things with San Diego. San Diego having four military bases within one county and a large biotech industry brings in a lot of ~~dirty filthy foreigners~~ transplants from other states to San Diego. It's very noticeable with the Cubs, Cardinals, Phillies games. Also this attracts many people here, San Diego: 76�F (July), 78�F (August).

# ¿ Jun 8, 2011 17:05

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

This is in regards to the article I posted about possible realignment in MLB but I figured my question is best suited here. Practically every sport I know has interleague/interconference play almost all the time and it's really no big deal to anyone. Yet in baseball if we were to have interleague play (almost) all 162 games some of you would be up in arms. Why is that so? Is it because there are actual rules (DH) differences between the two leagues?

# ¿ Jun 14, 2011 21:15

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

oystertoadfish posted:

it's mainly just tradition, i think. the NL and AL hated each other for a really long time, and that built up a tradition of no interleague play.

If my baseball history knowledge holds true, didn't the NL attempt to drive AL out of business when the AL was first starting? That could make for some bad blood.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2011 22:58

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Dusseldorf posted:

Do you get and RBI for a not forced double play like a sac fly where the runner on third gets home and the runner on second gets gunned down at third?

If the runner at third scores before the 3rd out is made I believe, yes you do get the RBI. The runner at 2B didn't need to tag and if he's a slow fat-rear end and gets thrown out 9-5, well getting the inning ending out is on him, not the batter. He's already out on the catch.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2011 08:25

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

jeffersonlives posted:

A player that is substituted into the game for a player next up in the batting order.

Corollary: When someone is pinch hit, the batter replaced is no longer available in the game. When you've been replaced in the field, bases, mound, or line-up, or the umpire ejects you, your day is done. This is important because you will understand why some of the wacky hi-jinks happened such as TLR (Tony La Russa, Cardinals manager) needing to use a position player to pitch or Roy Oswalt (pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies) playing left field. You usually see these fun things happen in deep extra-inning games. By the way, who got tossed in that game? Victorino?

# ¿ Jul 1, 2011 07:56

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Even when he basically trashed "Moneyball"?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2011 04:57

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Xenophon posted:

I've been going to Angel Stadium since I was a kid (as a White Sox fan) and it is pretty horrible. The rally monkey thing is stupid, there is a ton of advertising, and they have absolutely no idea when to put up "MAKE SOME NOISE" or whatever on their screens.

I took my friend (a Padres fan) who had never been to Angels Stadium to a White Sox/Angels game, and his first comment was, "The people here look weird."

It's Orange County. Everyone is made of plastic.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2011 15:04

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

I know we all think pitcher records are dumb but in last night's Padres-Mets, how come it was Chad Qualls that earned the L and not Josh Spence. Josh walked in the Mets' go ahead run. I thought it was the last pitcher used when the lead changed that became the pitcher of record.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2011 20:23

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Mozi posted:

Tonight was the first time I kept score at a ballgame. Despite somehow ending up with the incorrect amount of runs scored at the end of an inning multiple times it was a lot of fun and takes up time in between things happening. So thanks SAS!

edit: the grisly evidence

Forces you to watch the game doesn't it? Even when I go do beer runs, the scorebook comes with me and I watch the game on the TVs while I wait in line and keep score.

Not to turn into a "post your scorebook" but here is my scorebook. This one is incomplete because I couldn't stay for Bonus Baseball. Feel free to take away any scorekeeping techniques I use.

# ¿ Aug 17, 2011 16:18

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

I was thinking this a couple of days ago. Why would an "NFL style" system in which "prospects" learn their skills in college and are then drafted, not work (or possibly will work) in MLB?

Let me also pose it like this. Say said system were implemented next season. All minor league affiliates are gone. "Prospects" go to college and then are drafted into the MLB. Who would lose the most out on this? Pitchers?

Actually I just thought of a big reason why this would bust. Colleges use aluminum bats and that is sure as poo poo not going to change if Mizuno et al have any say in it.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2011 05:23

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Mornacale posted:

The biggest problem is that baseball is physically taxing in a very different way than football. Because it's lower-impact and requires less pure speed (and more experience), baseball players' peaks are several years later than most football positions. Furthermore, the pro baseball season requires a level of endurance that you simply can't get in college. For these reasons, almost no college player is MLB-ready.

That is true. 162 games is a long season. 162 out of 183 days (Mar 31. - Sept. 30) and you get what three weeks off cumulative or something like that? Still better than my vacation usage (worked straight without vacation for three years once and I still have like 130 hours). But I digress.

Mornacle posted:

Furthermore, any such plan would require drastically expanding rosters--if you get rid of the minors, how do you replace injured players? But this would naturally cause an extreme change in the way the game is played. For instance, try to imagine games where each team has 20 men on its pitching staff. You'd either have 5 pitchers on your team that never played, or you'd end up with like 15 pitching changes in every game. In the meantime, managers would be pinch-hitting and -running like crazy. Every game would take 5 hours.

10-man rotations! Yes, that is a bit on the ridiculous side.

The moral am I to learn from you all is that the protracted nature of baseball would just make this hypothetical system totally infeasible.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2011 08:26

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

There has been some demand by fans to bring outfield walls in especially the right field wall at PETCO Park. I agree with that sentiment. PETCO is stupidly in favor of the pitcher especially in April. Going to pitcher duel after pitcher duel gets old really fast. However, that park can be "beaten". The very spacious outfield is good for line-drive singles and doubles through the gaps. 1B your way to victory!

That said, I would be really interested to watch the Home Run Derby played at PETCO Park.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2011 20:10

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Game score? What is this manner of sorcery?

e: Shame on me for not going to

first. Apparently it is yet-another-pitcher-metric. If I am to believe SSI, it's a crap stat yes/no?

JediGandalf fucked around with this message at Oct 1, 2011 around 16:35

# ¿ Oct 1, 2011 16:33

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

DannoMack posted:

What are the rules regarding the number of AAA and AA affiliates a team is allowed to have? Is there a maximum number of players allowed in a system total?

Well you have the 25-man ML roster plus an additional 15 men (to make 40) also called the "Expanded Roster". Those 15 guys are players signed on major-league contracts yet are either on DL (15-day) or been optioned to the minor leagues. As for the rest, those are guys signed to minor-league contracts. I think there is no limit set for minor-league contracts. And this is where I'm testing my knowledge on these things here but someone on a minor league contract can be put on the 40-man if a) someone existing goes on the 60-day DL or b) gets the Designated For Assignment. That means you suck and you're being kicked off the 40-man for someone hopefully better.

How did I do?

# ¿ Oct 11, 2011 18:57

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Try throwing a baseball like this.

I'm not sure I'm even holding a knuckleball right.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2011 16:36

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Private Snowball posted:

What is the best ballpark in SAS opinion for watching a ball game?

PETCO Park, bitches.

I did like Busch Stadium, though. Dodger Stadium for as old as it is, is still a good venue. Angel Stadium, I would support demolishing. I didn't like my (brief) experience there.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2011 00:44

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Gunfighter_IX posted:

Awesome, thanks.

Can you (or anyone) expand on why advanced metrics are unreliable? I assume that's why they suck.

The only advanced metrics you're going to hear from the SAS MLB crowd are defensive ones. There isn't yet a good objective means to measure defensive performance, yet. You have Baseball Reference's Total Zone, Fangraphs Ultimate Zone Rating. What's Baseball Prospectus? FRAA? UZR needs 3 years of data to be worth anything?

Apart from that, we'll sing praises of OBP, SLG, wRC, FIP, xFIP, SIERA, OPS...

# ¿ Nov 19, 2011 05:03

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# ¿ May 19, 2013 11:49

JediGandalf: Sep 3, 2004; Savior

Which stat(s) are best to compare pitchers? I'm told FIP is more of a predictor stat than a "how good is he right now" stat. Also doesn't K/9, BB/9, etc suffer the sample size problem for relievers because they pitch far fewer innings than starters?

# ¿ Dec 8, 2011 20:36

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