The Cosmos plays an April Fool's joke on me.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:42 am
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.
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.