The Cosmos plays an April Fool's joke on me.

[silvercamaro]

I have concluded watching the program that TPTB -- the really big, important TPTB -- have chosen for my April 1 viewing. The Science Channel wanted me to watch "Baseball's Secret Formula," a profile of Bill James and an explanation of Sabermetrics. I yielded to the inevitable.

Here's some of what I learned:

-- The optimal number of pitches per pitcher in the major leagues is 120.

-- According to linear weight theory, stealing bases always is a bad idea, yielding fewer runs than steals can gain on a statistical basis.

-- Honus Wagner was the greatest shortstop ever, as determined by comparative mathematics.

-- The next big breakthrough in Sabermetrics will be in fielding statistics, which historically have not been maintained in a meaningful manner.


It's a start. Now I know what Bill James looks like, in case I someday encounter him in an airport. If I ever sit next to him on a plane, he will tell me everything he knows and more. I will remember some of that, too.

[peacock2121]

He will be sitting next to Jughead and all of the Keating Five.

[ulysses5019]

It's a start. Now I know what Bill James looks like, in case I someday encounter him in an airport. If I ever sit next to him on a plane, he will tell me everything he knows and more. I will remember some of that, too.

And he will know the final score in the poem, "Casey at the Bat". He will then offer me a piece of chocolate.

[TheConfessor]

Bill James was also one of the three segments on 60 Minutes this past Sunday.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Then there will be talk about OJ Simpson, Walt Whitzman, Emily Dickinson and Chopin.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

Freakonomics piles on SC

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... questions/

[silvercamaro]

Freakonomics piles on SC

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... questions/

I love it!

Bring it on, cosmos.