Carlos Gonzalez, God On The Mountain?
by elcroata on Aug 8, 2010 7:07 AM PDT
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Working on Sunday sucks
We have somebody installing new network or something in our company over the weekend. It is supposed to make everything much better, I’ve heard. I am supposed to test that all our instruments still function and have a window for that: Sunday 10 PM till Monday 6 AM. I am so thrilled…
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Does this mean you'll miss the game?
How horrible
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
They just called me and said they need a couple more hours
So probably I’ll be able to watch
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Yay!
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions
This is awesome, and I did read the whole thing. It makes a lot of sense.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
I am glad you did
I had my doubts that it was too long and when I showed it to my wife, she just rolled her eyes and said “estás como una cabra”
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Which means?
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Warning: This post contains material relating to goats
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Crazy as a goat
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
A mountain goat
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
TWSS
I had my doubts that it was too long and when I showed it to my wife, she just rolled her eyes
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
Hey it's monkeyball!
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 9:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I like the innuendo, Monkey, but it doesn't work.
She didn’t say that. You gotta go with TWHS for that one.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Innuendo is something that
either men or women can appreciate.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
incredible! Stunning conclusion!
With my level of ‘skill’, this would have taken me the rest of my life to compile…
Your evidence is pretty inescapable that it is NOT the curve, but rather the fastball that is most effected by the thin air! Despite what the physicists (the non-throwing ones, at least) would have us believe.
I know you didn’t want to raise the whole CarGon/Holliday trade thing at all, but I think it is the Coors effect combined with the Coli effect that makes it look so bad.
The only observation i can make w/r/t CarGon and Holliday and the whole mess is that I’d just as soon the A’s never trade a position player with the Rockies again- I think there’s a good chance we will always be disappointed with the player we receive, and will perceive the player we give up to be a superstar who ‘got away’.
"Feel so bad, feel like a ballgame on a rainy day"-Lightnin' Hopkins
by justANotherAsFan on Aug 8, 2010 8:14 AM PDT reply actions
But we should acquire fastball pitchers from them in exchange for curveball pitchers
It’s a win-win. I guess we should also acquire more Bartons in exchange for Gonzalezes.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 8:16 AM PDT up reply actions
If we go off the video game analogy, Barton would walk 1bn times in Colorado.
His pitch recognition skills would be 14/10. He’d be Barry Bonds!
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
If Kouzmanoff could play 2B he'd be a Coors kinda guy
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't think he would
I purposely used an example that caps at a certain point. I think people who have great eyes and not such a great swing can only profit that much from recognizing the pitch, and honestly, I don’t think Barton can get much better in pitch recognition. I mean he already only misses 10% of the pitches he swings at – that’s better than Pujols.
At a certain point it comes down to what you do when you don’t miss the ball.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Tongue in cheek.
I agree – I don’t think the difference in movement would affect Barton (once he got used to the altitude). His biggest skill is judging where a ball is going to cross the plate.
The difference in pop would turn him into a better player of course, but that’s a different story.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
If only he had some power.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
This is what I always thought
That cutters and two seamers at higher elevations were compromised and less effective.
Amazing and thanks again Elcroata!
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
Welcome, Buck
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
What I gather from this is that those who argued that Gonzalez was bad on the road at least partially because of a pitch moving a lot more aren't wrong
They (we? though I mostly posited it as an idea, not as fact) just had the wrong pitch.
So here’s the real question about him: Is he incapable of hitting fastballs with good movement, or has Coors “spoiled” him into thinking fastballs don’t/won’t move, and it’s hard for him to adjust when on the road?
If it’s the first one, he’d probably be very mediocre on most teams. If it’s the second one, once he got used to playing all (or, like 90%+) of his games away from Coors, he’d probably be pretty good still.
I don’t think any of us can say for sure which it is.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2010 8:39 AM PDT reply actions
I certainly can't say whitch it is.
There could be so many variables contributing one way or the other, anything I would say would be pure guessing.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I think the 'eye' that elcroata added suggests that the reason Carlos struggles
is entirely down to his pitch recognition. He’s deceived by movement more than your average MLB player.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
But somehow only on fastballs rather than breaking balls
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah that's bizarre.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Couldn't it be that he's on more of a level playing field with breaking balls --
their movement troubles everyone — but that most hitters handle fastball movement better that he does, and so he grades poorly? Ironically, “seeing fastball movement” is graded…on a curve!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Well you'd think that poor recognition skills would apply across the board, but apparently not
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions
It is
Most people have a swing and miss rate of around 25% on curveballs, and Carlos is pretty much an average performer there. His problem is that outside of Coors, he also has 25% swing and miss on fastballs, and that is no recipe for success.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
maybe it's the reaction time on a Fastball
Maybe on a curve one has more time to pick up the spin, so even a player with subpar pitch recognition has time to pick it up, vs a fastball, where the allowed reaction time is much shorter, and it exposes a player’s lack of pitch recognition more.
by asfansince1989 on Aug 8, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
This makes some sense
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions
This is very interesting, and very unexpected
I did not figure I’d be seeing that Gonzalez has had MORE problems with fastballs on the road than at home, or that fastballs would be effected the most in Coors. However, it could lead to two common-sense conclusions:
- Rockies pitchers know what’s going on with the fastballs at home more, so they adjust to mix in other pitches more often, and
- Gonzalez may be getting more used to certain effects on fastballs at Coors that he’s had trouble adjusting for elsewhere (I would have thought that to be the case more with breaking balls, prior to this)
Even though the word has been that Coors reduces overall movement on breaking pitches, they’ll still move a certain amount enough that I think hitters are expecting that and can react accordingly much of the time. With fastballs and other pitches in Coors, what it’s saying to me is they’re all ending up in a smaller hitting zone than they are elsewhere, so there’s less of an overall area a hitter has to contend with compared to anywhere else. If that fastball moves a little more at a lower elevation, there’s also that much less time to react to it and a better chance of a swing and miss – even if it’s by a very small amount.
Great work. I’m not asking for it, but it’d be very interesting to see how a conclusion like this looks extended out further. I think it would hold up.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
I guess you're saying hitters in Coors react accordingly to lesser movement and are equally
successful on breaking pitches as they are elsewhere which appears true. The surprising part is that they’re not more successful on breaking pitches in Coors than elsewhere. It’s the fastball and cutter that take the biggest hit in Coors despite the increased velocity.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions
I think that's what the findings appear to be saying so far, overall
And, it might also play into the Rockies hitting much more poorly (by comparison) in other ballparks, with different variables factoring in from one season to the next in terms of roster composition and so on.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
I think this can be explained by the fact that
breaking pitches in Coors do not lose that much movement.
And as for fastball, I think gaining one mile per hour while losing 3 inches of break is a bad trade-off.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I guess the speed difference from the FB is also still there and maybe a tiny bit more.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions
This is a known truth (which this article reinforces strongly)
It’s also one of the things that makes scouting young pitchers so hard. Velocity is “measurable” in a way that movement isn’t. But both are important to make a good fastball.
Straight 96 MPH heat gets Edwin Jackson-like results. Fluky 2009 aside, the guy just isn’t very good.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Very well written
and eloquently argued upon. I can’t wait to see CG at his peak years (28+) to see what happens (or could of happened with the A’s). I was still not sold on him as a power hitter but maybe he’ll peak late like C. Pena…
"Twenty minutes," says Jack Sr. "Thank god for Billy Beane."
"Any fan that wants us to do that is going to be disappointed because that just isn’t us." - Wolff
"Just play for the name in front of the uniform.." - Dallas Braden
"Oakland is the emotional choice, and could still work, but San Jose really is the best choice." - UncleLeo
Thanks, ST
I would like for him to do well, as I said in the article, he has a something nice and fluent about him, I like watching him play.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
His swing is a thing of beauty.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Great piece!
You very effectively argued you points. I love playing with how to best construct a team for their home park. What is the ideal team for the Coliseum?
Better pitching and defense, good team speed, and people who don't hit a lot of pop fouls ;-)
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Or Adam Dunnesque "raw power"
Guys who hit 30-40 balls that will be “out anywhere” are good to have!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I call it McGwirean
Dunn has the longest average HR distance of the possibly available guys, but Jose Bautista also has 12 “No doubters”. How the heck is Aubrey Huff awesome all of a sudden?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
That's a great link
Bookmarking that one.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Isn't it more surprising that Jose Bautista is good all of a sudden?
He has 5.9 WAR in his seven-season career and 4.2 of it has been compiled in the first four months of 2010.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Yes and the No Doubters say that at least part of the improvement is real
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:00 PM PDT up reply actions
With that outfield you need three centre fielders.
It’s cavernous.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
You mean like Davis, Crisp and Sweeney
Or Gonzalez, Fowler and some CF?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't know if Fowler is still playing (don't follow the Rockies too much).
But yeah – having three outfielders than can really cover ground would obviously benefit most teams, but the results would be more noticeable in Denver.
That said you’re then restricting your batting lineup by putting out three centre fielders. So it’s a risk/reward thing. It’s all about finding that balance.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
They also played Hawpe in RF, maybe figuring that there's a limit to how bad a guy can be
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
They were wrong
There’s really no limit to how bad Brad Hawpe can be.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Hee hee
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions
He is
Normally it’s the two of them and Spillborghs
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I would trade some hackers with power for Seth Smith
I can’t figure out how he is not starting for a major league team right now. He might literally be the best backup in baseball.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Maybe his name's too hard to say?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
No more than Spilborghs
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Here's your answer
Career vs. RHP: .300/.376/.535 – (.911 OPS)
Career vs. LHP: .200/.276/.345 – (.622 OPS)
Also, he has a 1.031 OPS as a substitute against .831 as a starter in his career, a split whose relevance can certainly be argued. Smith starts very frequently against RHP, but he’ll every time against lefties.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 9, 2010 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions
That's a poor answer
or perhaps another way to put it would be it’s an exploitable answer, assuming the team which wishes to exploit it is statistically savvy. It’s really, really, really, really unlikely that his actual platoon split is that large.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Are you speaking about his LHP/RHP split or Starter/PH split?
If it is the latter, I agree wholeheartedly. If it is the former, his struggles against LHP is very real.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 10, 2010 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Love!!!!
Read it word for word, as well as the previous disappearing explanation of spin/break and the mystery of the “rising” fastball. Keep it up, and you will get more love from me.
A Ballade [for the Angels Fan], by Eustache Deschamps: "We are cowardly, ill-formed and weak / Aged, envious and evil-spoken. / I see only fools and sots / Truly the end is nigh / All goes ill."
More similar stuff coming up soon.
Thanks for the love :)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
First of all, this is epically awesome work, elcorata
My conclusions are that:
- Gonzalez’ biggest problem is with tracking movement on fastballs and it’s a big problem.
- He would do fine against 95 MPH fastballs with little movement.
- Everywhere he has ever played where fastball movement isn’t suppressed, he has struggled overall and has put up really low walk rates, and this should be a legitimate concern to any team that has him.
- I still wish we had him.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
"He would do fine against 95 MPH fastballs with little movement"
I think so. He has impeccable physical ability to hit, if he knows where the ball will end up, his bat will be there in time. To beat him, you have to fool him.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Would be interesting to see if the league adjusts to him
Wouldn’t you expect pitchers to throw more breaking stuff, and/or mix up their repertoire, at Coors? It seems like this is the type of exploitable information that good pitchers thrive on.
Great stuff in any case, and a really good read.
Your second place Oakland A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Aug 8, 2010 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Unfortunately pitchers who are into such analysis
really suck at throwing the baseball. Yes, Brian Bannister, I am looking at you.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Although it looks like pitchers, at least Rockie pitchers, do throw more breaking stuff at Coors
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes, I was surprised to see that
I wonder if they are really on to something, or whether they were just going with their instincts.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Maybe it's partly that their fastball gets hit early, they adjust...
And when the dust clears at the end of their start, they’ve thrown more breaking pitches.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
"To beat him, you have to fool him."
Unlike Hannahan or Patterson.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
great post
This is legitimately the best thing i have read on the web in the last year.
by chri5 on Aug 8, 2010 9:52 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Wow, glad you liked it!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
A "musing" question...
Gonzalez’ BB rate this season on the road is 5 BBs in 208 ABs. I’m curious as to how many “very good” hitters there have been who have had this low a BB rate in any 200 AB split (home/road, day/night, whatever), and who they are. It would interesting to compare.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Just taking the guys in 2010 with the lowest BB%, it looks like the best hitters are:
From Fangraphs:
Delmon Young: 4.1% BB, +17.5 wRAA
Carlos Gonzalez: 4.4%, +24
Placido Polanco: 4.5% BB, +7.1
Adrian Beltre: 5.2%, +28.5
Marlon Byrd: 5.6%, +17.5
Alex Rios, Vladimir Guerrero and Martin Prado all BB more than 6% of the time, and Alex Gonzalez is a slightly above average hitter with a low BB rate.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Wow -- Polanco BBing that little surprises me.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Polanco virtually never misses when he swings
so for him to walk, the pitcher either has to not throw anything he swings at, or else he has to hit a foul on every swing in an AB.
Polanco actually has a better-than-average batting eye, but it’s masked by his freakishly high contact rate.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
I wanted him for years
If the A’s really declined a R. Rincon-Polanco trade, then I’m a sad, sad man. I find it hard to believe, though.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Would you believe Rincon for Giles?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Is Delmon Young now considered a good hitter?
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Amazing huh. And he's only 24
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
.325/.355/.529
He’s certainly having a good hitting year despite the low walk rate.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2010 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Never takes a walk but he's awesome with runners on
I’ll admit to being abhorred he doesn’t value a walk, but really, when the guy is this good at hitting in RBI situations I have a very very hard time complaining. Twinkie Town has an excellent article about Delmon’s ability to hit when RBIs are at stake here. Can you imagine if we had somebody like that on the A’s? So many fewer LOB and so many more runs scored. It’s anti-moneyball but all those precious runs…
Well we had Jay Payton and Emil Brown. Does that count?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 9:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I wish
Sadly neither of them are elite hitters like you’d need to be to pull the Delmon Young stunt off. I was never very against either of them, but both were just more OF filler; too often injured and neither player is going to elevate a team from mediocrity. Reminds me of the OF right now, actually. Hopefully that will change.
The annoying thing about Payton was that Macha sat Kielty against
lefties sometimes and played him. I can see putting Kotsay out there to avoid the whining and mutiny - OK not really and it didn’t work anyway - but then why Payton over Kielty. I guess some things will always remain a mystery.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 10, 2010 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh my.
Blew me away, elcroata.
And now that I think about it, the fastball-at-Coors stuff completely makes sense. What pitch, in all of baseball, is always thrown with more spin than any other? The fastball. For example, Wuertz’s fastball generally lives somewhere between 2000 and 3000 rpm. The slider, though, rarely hits 1500, and is more often at the 500-800 range.
And with more spin comes more movement. The only reason that the fastball doesn’t move as much as other pitches is because it’s fighting gravity (a curveball is working with it), which is why the fastball-at-Coors stuff seems counterintuitive.
You never disappoint, elcroata. Wow.
by danmerqury on Aug 8, 2010 10:02 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Thanks, Dan
Yes, I think we sometimes underestimate the importance of the spin on the fastball. Take Happ and Okajima, for example. They both throw the four-seamer under 90mph, but they get 13 and 12 inches of rise, respectively, and lead the Majors in that category.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
It's easy to understanding why hitters can't see Okajima's pitches
Even HE can’t see them.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I really don't like the term "rise" since it's not actually rising
It’s just not falling as much.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2010 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I always make sure to put rise in quotes for that very reason.
Otherwise, it may be misleading.
I agree
Yet, I have stated it so often that a rising fastball doesn’t really rise that I felt everybody would know what I mean.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Are you quivering?
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I dropped a link to this over on Purple Row
I wonder if they'll want elcroata. I don't think his value has been higher.
I wonder what we could get back in a trade.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I love elcroata to death but if they offered Troy Tulowitzki, I'd send him packing in a hearbeat
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Baseball is a heartless business
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Hey, whatever is best for the team
You better hurry, though – before I reach my 10 & 5 status.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Incredible
I just checked my login and today is exactly five years since I joined AN.
Happy birthday to me, can’t trade me anymore!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I'll tell the Rockies they get to keep Tulowitski after all.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Silly danmerqury
You obviously haven’t seen how often Reynolds stricks out.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Yeah, but have you been posting on interwebz blogs for 10 years? If not, we can still move you in the right deal.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2010 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
10 fanposts, 5 in a row for the same site?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I want cargon, too
otherwise we keep elcroata
Your second place Oakland A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Aug 9, 2010 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions
You deserve a medal for this.
Or at least money or something.
When I put my mind to it I’m pretty good at maths (though it’s been a few years!). You’ve broken it down to a level which means I haven’t had to put my mind to it! Great work.
Definitely some interesting conclusions. I’d never have thought Carlos struggles to hit the fastball away from home. That’s surprised me, but your analysis suggests that’s the reason. I’d LOVE to see an interview with a Rockies pitcher to see how they explain the affects of the altitude on their pitches. It’d make a great companion piece to this.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Maybe if a Purple Row guy saw that suggestion he/she could make it happen
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanksa lot
And it is a definitely great idea about the interview. The only one I might be able to get a hold of is Jason Grilli, but perhaps people closer to the A’s like Nico could get to Huston?
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Or you could just be like Pedro Alvarez last night and get to Huston that way
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Not now, no.
He played against us some years ago
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
And to help me prove my point
Carlos Gonzalez just homered of Paul Maholm in Pittsburgh. A pitch? A 69 mph curveball, thank you very much.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Too bad Maholm didn't read this before throwing that pitch.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
And too bad he doesn't have a fastball.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
AND Esmil "It's A Thousand" Rogers is pitching in this game
I have to watch that one
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I just watched his last at bat against a struggling Paul Maholm
He fouled of five fastballs before hitting an off-speed pitch. You would think he would be able to put one of those pitches in play against a 89 mph fastball.
And stole third right away with two outs. He is fun to watch.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Do you follow him on Twitter?
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Aug 8, 2010 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions
Why the HELL did he throw him an off-speed pitch if he wasn't able to handle the fastball?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2010 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions
"He keeps fouling the fastball off so maybe I'll try something else"
Maybe?
Last of the Ninth - Photography
It's the Dennis Eckersley strategy
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Too soon.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I still don't believe what I saw 22 years ago
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Gonzo!
Great post, really appreciate the in-depth research. Only on AN would you find such a post about a different team! Love it. Also, Gonzo leads the Rockies in every major offensive statistical catagory. What can we conclude from that?
Excellent work and very revealing in unexpected ways.
Swisher on Ellis - "every day he does something that makes me say, 'Well, I'll be damned, look at that!'"
by Mantecan As Fan on Aug 8, 2010 11:05 AM PDT reply actions
It is articles like this that make me
get on AN every day. Many days I am disappointed but reading research like this makes me forget about the slow days. Great article. I always remind myself that CG wouldn’t be doing this well in Oakland and the AL so the trade is easier to accept.
This is incredible
I hope for their sake that the Rockies employ knowledgeable researchers to perform similar type analysis to exploit their remarkably different stadium. I would think they should be able to use it to their advantage by getting guys for below-market value as they are less useful on other teams.
Based on this analysis I was going to suggest they acquire pitchers who don’t rely as much on their fastball, but guys like Daryl Kile and Mike Hampton struggled despite being more famous for their offspeed stuff. It would be interesting to know if their struggles were due to their fastball or offspeed pitches.
by Henduland in Texas on Aug 8, 2010 11:15 AM PDT reply actions
You are what I inspire to be in terms of baseball analytics
This is quite frankly amazing. I have nothing to add; my mind is simply blown.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
I think a couple things that helped me a lot were:
- graphics! and
- it was explained in a pretty easy-to-follow way and I liked the summary at the end to sort of recap everything I’d just looked at.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
And the topic was one that hasn't been widely hashed, and he did it in a non-condescending or self-promotional tone
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Regarding the summary
I just read an article about Asian baseball interpreters the other day. The bit that made me smile was the explanation why longer English phrases or speeches often sound much shorter when translated to, say, Japanese.
The interpreter explained that “we Westerners: say what we’re gonna say, say it, say what we said”, whereas they just go and say it. Liked that.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Not "I'm gonna say I liked that. I liked that. I said I liked that"
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
I guess that makes sense
At least in something like this, there’s a lot to process at once and if I have distractions around me it’s easier to forget “where I was.” So, having the recap at the end is a good way for me to refresh my memory about the main points.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
I also wonder, if in a way, you not speaking English as your first language helps you get to the point faster and stay there
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Or "I speak short sentences"
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions
And my wife's drawing! :)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Yes, sir.
I played in them all the way to my last game. And in this case she did a baseball player / mountaineer crossover.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Yay Mrs. elcroata!
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks a lot
A lot has been made easy for me because there is such a variety of available data out there, and there is so much shared knowledge how to get to the data, that with some technical knowledge incredible amounts of data can be processed very quickly.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Maybe you can process it very quickly.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions
As long as it doesn't move too much.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
When I read articles like this I experience both admiration and inferiority.
Amazing statistical breakdown with lucid clarity in both word and graphic. Thanks for putting in the hours to make this happen.
But can you write a limerick?
JJ Martin
The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up. ~Bob Uecker
Not even a lousy one :)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Excellent post, though I have one question/concern/confusion
He swings and misses on 24% of fastballs on the road, which is between double and triple what the league does. Or put in different words, CG swung at more than 100 fastballs while playing away games this year. He managed to put less than a quarter of the ones he swung at in play, while the league succeeds at it more than the half of the times.
The first sentence, I take to mean: If he were to swing 100 times at fastballs on the road, he would miss ~24 of them.
The last sentence, I take to mean: If he were to swing 100 times at fastballs on the road, he would hit ~24 of them.
You're right, it's not clearly written
First sentence: If he were to see 100 fastball strikes, he would swing and miss on ~ 24 of them
Second sentence: If he were to swing 100 times on a fastball, he would put ~24 them in play.
Is that any better?
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Don't have the time to read all of this now
But from glancing at it, I have to say it looks mightily impressive. A huge tip of the cap to elcroata, and a general tip to the anti-Gonzalez crowd at large, who appear to have been on to something.
the oakland athletics: hittin' ain't easy
This was an incredible effort ... great job.
But just to be clear … I’m still allowed to think we’d be better off with Gonzalez on OUR team, correct?
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
One hundred per cent allowed
I never intended to prove otherwise, and even if I did this would fall short.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
BTW, Fangraphs says Carlos was -13.9 vs the fastball and cutter with Oakland and is
+24.6 with the Rockies. Maybe this article helps explain that a bit. He’s a bit better across the board, but this is the biggest improvement.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
Great find!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Does anyone know how much of a sample those numbers need?
Is it the same as other batted ball stats (in which case this is clearly significant)?
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
I'm not sure there is such a thing as "enough" of a sample
The pitch-values numbers, while neat, suffer from fundamental methodological flaws, in much the same way that, say, RBI and WHIP do.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
Sure
But I don’t have a better methodology, so this one gets more accurate over samples. My question is: how many to show that this measurement is providing significantly different values in Colorado?
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
This is excellent work
I need to get into more baseball fights here so I can keep you busy.
My question: It looks like both the two-seam, sinker, and the changeup are more different than the four-seamer. How does he do on those?
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
I packed all the fastballs together
to get a more representative sample size. The two seem fastball, albeit in smaller sample size, seemed to be the one he was having the most problems with
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Two seem = two-seam, sorry
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Highly enjoyable piece of writing
As good as anything I’ve seen on Fangraphs this year. Nice work.
"As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use."
-Gustave Flaubert
Better than almost anything there actually for me
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions
An excellent analysis
This is an excellent presentation, laced with humor and, told like the conclusion of a good mystery novel.
I can’t vouch for the stats, but it makes an awful lot of intuitive sense. After all, why do a lot of flamethrowing fastball pitchers get lit up in the majors? Because their ball is straight, and pretty easy for big league hitters to deal with.
What you’re arguing is that Colorado air transforms fastball pitchers, who might otherwise have good movement, into guys with straight pitches. This turns Gonzalez, who struggles with fastball movement, into a worldbeater at home.
I had just about given up on the Gonzalez posts, because they quickly degenerate into familiar spats without new insights or expanations. This post provides an awful lot of well-researched data to back up the conclusions.
Great job!
Does rather beg the question though:
If fastball movement is rather unimportant at Coors, why are they going to so much trouble to throw so many sinkers?
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
The sinkers don't look like they're affected that much in Coors if I'm reading the 2nd chart
with dots right. At least not vertically. Horizontally they are.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2010 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess sinkers, regardless of the amount of the movement
still are most likely to produce groundballs and Coors is a HR park. And I really think that Bob Apodaca can teach it well.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Is it really a HR park though?
I was under the impression that it wasn’t particularly HR friendly (the fences are like 20 feet deeper than other parks, counteracting the altitude) and the offensive juice was primarily a consequence of the cavernous outfield created by having such deep fences. I.e. the park effect on batting average, BABIP, etc is stronger than that on HRs.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
ESPN Park Factors for HR in Coors
for last 5 years are:
1.286
1.082
1.299
1.218
1.167
Which definitely ranks Coors as one of the Top 5 HR friendly stadiums in the Majors.
Now, these are calculated in a very simple fashion (comparing home and road HR) and not taking in account the specifics of hitting at Coors. Still, it’s the best I could quickly find.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
statcorner has it as 110/114 for LHB/RHB
hittracker says 16 of the 120 HR hit there would have been out of fewer than 16 parks. I’ve no idea whether that’s a lot or little.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 9, 2010 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Loved that movie
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Loved that FanPost, too
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Thanks
I would say “straighter” pitches, rather than straight.
And yes, I am also very thankful to everyone commenting in this thread for not turning it into one of the patented repetitions of polarized shouting. The responses I got just reinforce my opinion that AN is a perfect place for posting stuff like that, a site that can be both knowledgeable and respectful way above the “sports blogs standard”.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
This is awesome
although, as elcroata very correctly notes, it’s only a starting point for actually trying to assess Carlos Gonzalez. The next step, IMO, is trying to baseline his performance against the performance of other Rockies hitters.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
I did that
Their swing and miss rates on the road increase by several percentage points, but as a group not nearly as drastic as CG. I haven’t broken it down to single batters versus single pitches, as it is a lot of work.
And, of course, I agree – this is an interesting finding that might help explain a tiny bit of CG mystery, but it is far from a complete solution and was never intended to be.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
This is really wonderful, elcroata
Thank you for doing the research and analysis, and for putting together such a great presentation. It would be interesting to see whether old-fashioned advance scouts have seen this difference, too. After all, that’s what they’re paid to do.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I would give them the benefit of the doubt
Lot of them have really, really skillful eyes that see so much more than you and me and normal baseball players do. On the other hand, we are better in spotting the hot brunette in the 18th row.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I tend to think they must have seen this
“Will hit any fastball in the zone” and “Struggles with moving fastballs” are exactly the kind of thing a scout would notice and write about, and the difference for CarGon, as you mentioned, is very noticeable.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
so...
has anyone thought he may just be maturing and developing into a great hitter? His numbers have improved each season, might it be he is just getting comfortable?
It seems like when he was in Oakland it was obvious he had the tools to be a great player, but something was just a little off. Guy has a sweet swing, nobody would disagree. A little patience with him may have resulted in him still in the green and gold.Just don’t see why everyone has singled out a specific player to describe why our outfield is soo terrible this year. He isn’t the first stud we have traded for by no means.
That being said, the dedication you showed in accumilating those stats was commendable. I love this web site
Brilliantly written and pretty colored graphs
makes me very happy. Great piece!
AN: We is all growed up now.
Exactly my reaction!!!!
So who’s Carl Gonzalez?
-Cindi
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Thank you
Thank you for a clear and concise post that gets to the heart of the problem. It’s very refreshing to know a well written article can lead to intelligent observation and debate and not stray into vitriolic or childish arguments. One of the best articles I’ve read since you don’t need a math degree to get into the stats! The physics are very interesting though, since they run counterintuitive into what most would think is going on.
In an article read long ago on how Joakim Soria came out of nowhere with his surprising stuff, I can’t remember the particulars spoken of in the article (maybe a Joe Posnanski blog?) but the gist was that Soria slipped through to the Rule 5 due in large part to the elevation he pitched at – took away all the movement he’s found at sea level.
It would also be very interesting to see a stadium by stadium extrapolation of this data. Do pitchers subconsciously adjust only in Coors or are there smaller deviations based upon how high or low the stadium is to sea level? I’d expect, based on the findings in this article, there would be little disadvantage to fastball movement at low stadiums like the Coliseum and Tropicana while parks of teams like he Diamondbacks and Braves may not be so favorable to the fastball (although Coors is 5x the elevation of those “high” parks!). Here’s a listing of ballpark elevations – no idea how accurate or up to date it is, but it should give a starting point at least.
at risk of being superfluous on top of earlier comments on this post:
nice, nice.
by rollierollieOxenfree on Aug 8, 2010 9:03 PM PDT reply actions
Don't worry
I don’t mind ;-)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I read this and understood this.
I am greatly impressed with both the style and substance of this post.
sock puppets have never successfully defended castles, except when working with squirrels, which would never happen because squirrels know better than to trust sock puppets, except when their nipples have magical powers. -nm
So true.
We have many writers with great style, and many others with great substance. This article is superlative in both.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Thanks, Mark
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
First, I want to echo the earlier comments and commend the excellent work here
I was definitely one of the people who thought his performance in Coors had a lot to do with less movement on breaking balls so this was definitely an eye opener.
One thing that this got me thinking about was how much Gonzalez might be benefiting from not only less movement on fastballs at altitude but also the location. Without getting into actual research (because I’m lazy) I would think that there might be an issue with visiting pitchers being used to starting their fastballs over the plate and letting the natural movement of the pitch move it to the corners. With Coors straightening out fastballs it could lead to pitchers who are not accustomed to the altitude leaving a lot of fastballs over the heart of the plate.
elcroata, I really enjoy your articles
. . . wish I could subscribe to them!
Thanks
Really? Can one subscribe to articles from a selected poster here? How?
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Finishing touch was Power Point
Perl→C#→SQL→Excel before that
I do so many things in Power Point that are supposed to be done with other tools that people often laugh when I tell them what program I used.
True story: We bought an apartment in downtown Stuttgart five years ago. It is in an older four apartment building and it has a single car subterranean garage that we bought along with it. The problem is that the entrance to that garage runs in the straight line sideways form the street, is short and therefor rather steep. The other problem is that my Alfa Spider has a rather low chassis.
The combination of the two made it impossible for me to enter the garage, as the bottom of the car would “sit” on the street edge of the entrance approach as soon as the front wheels would reach about the half way mark of the approach.
I had very little room for design. I couldn’t lower the street, obviously, and I could only elevate the floor of the garage so much without the height of the entrance becoming too low to walk through without bending. So I designed it as a wave, little bit like this:
The funny thing is that I used some advanced trigonometry to find the optimal curvature, yet I made the complete construction design, with scale and all in Power Point. When my wife, a licensed architect, heard that I was going to contract the construction company with a construction design made in Power Point, she nearly lost it.
Needless to say, it worked perfectly. :)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
This is like a very geeky version of the "Stonehenge" bit from Spinal Tap!
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Where do the demons dwell and the banshees live well?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 9, 2010 8:04 AM PDT up reply actions
And good garage space is critical for an Alfa
Since they tend to spend so much time not running.
Everybody's got a little light under the sun.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Aug 9, 2010 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I am knocking on the wood as I write this
but mine has 230,000 km and counting…
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
OMG ELCROATA THIS SUCKS WHAT KIND OF HALF ASSED "ANALYSIS" IS THIS CRAP ANYWAY?
sorry, everybody else was showering you with so much praise I wanted to try and keep you level.
Good stuff.
Pam liked my old sig better.
This
and the fact that you carry a big knife will go a long way in keeping me level. Thanks, bud!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
I might be the only person who thinks this
But I dont think CarGo would have anything higher than a 725 OPS if he were still here. His glove is great and that will make up his value and keep him in the game, but his bat isnt anything special.
Im also a firm believer in that the NL is easier to play in than the AL and that has a lot to do with his success. But thats an unpopular view….
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
Whether that view is unpopular or not
is besides the point. You repeat it over and over and over regardless whether the topic on hand has anything to do with this.
I explicitly asked for only one thing – do not bring your personal agenda on CG into this thread. There are numerous other ones where this can be and is done.
So, thanks for completely ignoring that.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Quick question
In introducing your first pitch movement chart, you say this:
I only used the ones where Pitch F/X pitch recognition confidence was more than 90%.
Is the recognition confidence rate at Coors different from the rate elsewhere? Is the difference significant?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Great question
I just ran a simple query on that and it seems that recognition rate (or better said the one with very high confidence) is about 15% lower in Coors. Makes sense, too.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
This should be fanshotted at Beyond The BoxScore
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 9, 2010 9:45 AM PDT reply actions
I saw that Flashfire's shutout over at Purple Row
made it as SBN Denver Editor’s pick. Cool. :)
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Absolutely. You'll get some nice discussion there.
Or, at least, people won’t chalk it up to a better hitter coach.
Heh
To be fair, the following comments were much more insightful.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Which was odd, because Gonzalez was a more balanced hitter home and road last year
So why would a better hitting coach lead to a wider difference? It made me laugh.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
If he helped him at home and had little impact on the road?
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 10, 2010 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Most Rockies fans want Baylor out
The home/road splits as a team haven’t been this bad since the humidor was put in, and there have been long spells of inadequacy. Fowler, Iannetta and Stewart haven’t progressed as hoped. Meanwhile, most articles with Baylor’s name in it have him pining for a managerial position elsewhere.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 10, 2010 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions
OK, I gave it a try
Also wanted to elaborate a bit on some comments on Purple Row, but I guess it will have to wait for another 24 hours.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Great great work
Very clear, interesting and compelling. The graphic work too.
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - dannycakes
Thanks, Ed
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Wow! Very impressive.
I always wondered about the “Coors” effect, but until now, I didn’t understand it.
Apart from the praise and the recs,
which I really, really appreciate, how many modern-era FanPosts can boast with comments from both Monkeyball and FSU? Yes, I know that they have nothing to do with the topic on hand, but it’s my parade and it will not be raining today.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Elcroata - I just got around to reading this right now
If FanPosts were awarded real prizes, this would win the Pulitzer. Fantastic!
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
Chicken Stanley is the pullet surprise.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Wow, thanks!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Elcroata!
Good work gets recognized, man.
http://www.purplerow.com/2010/8/9/1612002/monday-rockpile-what-losing-to
http://baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/as_chavez_mulling_retirement/ (in the comments)
Really cool
Thanks for posting this (and finding it in the first place)!
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Ya some guy said it should be posted on BTF but it was never done. Slackers.
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 11, 2010 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Coliseum elevation
So should we consider here that if we just raise Oakland’s elevation about 5100 feet, we could get CarGon back?! Or we might have more HRs from our team? Hmmm.
(Great writing!)
"We're not the doormat anymore" —Dallas Braden, 4/22/10
Not Oakland, just the stadium
You have retractable roof? We have elevation adjustable diamond, thank you very much! It could be built above AT&T stadium, just in jest, as I am sure there are no MLB territorial rights for the sky. And I say lift it up and bring it back down every half inning, give the true meaning to the home-field advantage. Have the official announcer accompany every movement with the appropriate comment so that the crowd knows what’s going on: “Now climbing to 22,000 feet, the last sighting of a Ryan Sweeney home run”
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
Wouldn't this lead to mass nausea....bloody red eyes
I hate Bob Geren and his peanut brain so much -- lenscrafters
by WaddellCanseco on Aug 11, 2010 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions
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