Comments on: Game 122: Orioles at Tigers

By: ron

ron — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:50:19 +0000

Thanks Sean C. I grew up way before such data was readily available. The newspaper was my sole source and still is. I don’t want to know this much about any one player. It’s a game of futility anyways. The Tigers could statistically field the best team, have no injuries, have (4 )20-game winners, win 115 games and still be World Series Losers similar to the 54′ Indians. If you were an Indian fan in 54′, you’d throw your hands up and wonder what happened. Heart and desire can’t be measured and I truly think is a big part of the game. Go ahead and skewer me, what the heck do I know? Nice job dumming it down though. You took the time. Appreciate it.

By: Sean C. in Illinois

Sean C. in Illinois — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:08:01 +0000

A lesson:

Play (bases occupied, outs, pitches) WPA%

WALK (1B, 1 OUT, 5P) +5%
GDP 5-4-3 (1B, 1 OUT, 2P) -3%
SINGLE RF (1B-2B, 1 OUT, 2P) +7%

Line 1: With a man on first and one out, Renteria walks on 5 pitches. As a result, Tigers are 5% more likely to win the game.*

Line 2: With a man on first and one out, Renteria Grounds into a Double Play third to second to first (5-4-3) on the second pitch. As a result, Tigers are 3% more likely to lose the game.

Line 3: With men on first and second and one out, Renteria singles to right field on the second pitch, loading the bases. As a result, Tigers are 7% more likely to win the game.

* based on score and situation compared against a vast database of historical game records.

By: Sean C. in Illinois

Sean C. in Illinois — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:36:41 +0000

Ron: Another translation of the stats on ER: If he had hit like he has since the break all season, he’d look like a slightly lesser cross between Polanco and Guillen and be on course for 70-80 RBI (because he’d never be hitting lower than #7). No one would be complaining about him or the trade, and you would have to look deeper into the stats to find weakness than you do now.

If this is the real Renteria, he’s defensible as adequate for 2009. I stlll lean toward thinking of him as badequate and that the Tigers could do better at a vital position. I don’t want Guillen at 3B, either. I want a change at at least one of these 2 positions for 2009.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:31:58 +0000

Let me be the first to welcome you to the Tigers, Ramon Hernandez. It won’t be official for a couple months, but this is the day when the decision was made.

By: jim-mt

jim-mt — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:00:33 +0000

It hurts me to defend Inge, but Magglio did get an throwing error on that play by short-hopping it.

By: ron

ron — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:06:16 +0000

My apologies Sean, while studying your stats on Renteria, I blacked out for a few moments and awoke to the nursery rhyme of shoo fly s hoo playing over and over in my head. I myself being an Arithmetic Major at the prestigous St. Patrick School , I could not make heads or tails of those stats and your follow up explanation left a lot to be desired. I am now convinced that you are a “group of people” called Sean: maybe Sam, Eddie, Andy and Nancy, who are not always on the same page. It took you some time to get back to Rick G. Trouble Coordinating?

By: stephen

stephen — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:58:20 +0000

The great thing about Inge? His career numbers are so awful that his OBP, OPS, and slugging % this year are actually above his career averages, truly remarkable adventures in awfulness.

By: stephen

stephen — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:43:01 +0000

Wow, Inge batting .216 and proving to be a bad game caller and an indifferent catcher. Color me shocked. I wonder if he has any idea how close he is to playing Japan or nowhere.

By: ron

ron — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:58:45 +0000

Sean C. that ninth stat from the bottom, Shoo Fly Shoo. What is that?

By: Coleman

Coleman — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:51:22 +0000

I have much more to say but first I must locate my clothing because it is no easy thing to find the place with internet access and a tolerance for lack of clothing both.

By: Coleman

Coleman — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:44:32 +0000

Rick G: “Sky, please don’t tell me you’re being critical of Inge. Of course Magglio deserved an error for throwing that nearly perfect short hop to the plate. /sarc

At yesterday’s game our beloved Brandon got a nice cheer for not grounding into a double play. I’m dead serious, that really happened.”

Wow, that’s pretty silly. Since that’s the one fault you don’t have to worry about with Inge (1 DP in >220 AB, best on the team and one of the best in the AL)

By: judpma

judpma — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:53:49 +0000

I don’t think Robertson ,Jones or Inge got the memo about win some for the Gipper..I mean Ilitch

By: Sean C. in Illinois

Sean C. in Illinois — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:18:39 +0000

Not a good game, I take it. I was busy. Good thing, apparently. Losing the opener to the Orioles is taking getting a head start on meeting my 11-17 projection for August a little too seriously, in my view. But I appreciate the effort, the advance work – I’m the same way.

Hey, what was so confusing about my Renteria post? It’s just a list of his PA with men on since the break, in order, followed by a breakdown. Followed by an aneurysm. No, really – it’s simple:

Renteria has been excellent in limited RISP opportunities since the break. Timely, big impact excellence. However, with men on in general… not so good. Per usual. Also runs hot and cold, also per usual.

So the answer to the question, are his “hot’ numbers since the break a stat-padding illusion, is a very simple yes and no.

Man, this ColeMan outfit is way too big. I thought the guy at the thrift shop was kidding when he told me the previous owner was Marlon Brando.

By the way, the point to Robertson moving to the pen is this: He’s a lefty who can throw strikes. He can put together 2-3 good innings no sweat. But almost never 4 or 5. He’s 30, not likely on the ascent, and his ceiling as a starter is clearly not good enough for this team. Instead of giving up, why not find out whether there’s a hidden talent waiting for a new role?

By: greg

greg — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:59:30 +0000

This isn’t being negative, just being real, the Royals and Indians both look like much better baseball teams….and not just right now, for most of the year. It would be a mild surprise if the Tigers stayed out of last place this year.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:37:32 +0000

Larry Parrish as a September call-up. Book it.