2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

[JC]

The award is not for the best player, or the best player by advanced statistics. It's the Most Valuable Player. Value is a subjective term, and the voters, in their wisdom, decided that Cabrera deserved the award over Trout. Some people, i'm sure voted that way because of the Tigers making the postseason. Some voted for Trout because of his WAR, BAPIP or better defense or whatever.

There is no right or wrong to this argument. The voters voted on a subjective award and it went to Cabrera. You are allowed to disagree with the selection, but you aren't right and the voters aren't wrong. It's a vote.

There are stats that calculate value.

I will regret this egging on, but I also can't resist. Please, oh wise one, tell me the stat that calculates value. And remember, the award is not for the BEST player, but MOST VALUABLE. So make sure it distinguishes between those two terms.

and what is that magical formula that can tell you which player is more valuable?

 

[NDJournalist]

The best player IS the most valuable to your team, period. If you perform best in a given season, you're giving your team value no other player in the league can give a team.

 

[Orange Hat Bobcat]

ND, will you please explain the difference between WAR and VORP? And the difference between the WAR formulas used by Baseball Reference and FanGraphs? And what one statistic, what one acronym and its corresponding number, is the most important when considering player value?

No. It's all readily available on Google.

I don't care what I can find on Google or Baseball Reference or Baseball Prospectus or FanGraphs or SABR (of which I have been a proud member for years) or some blog.

I want you to explain them.

I want you to tell all of us what they mean.

I believe WAR, b-r WAR anyway, is calculated by the following formula:
bWAR = (P_{runs} - A_{runs}) + (A_{runs} - R_{runs})

It takes into play baserunning, fielding and hitting.

If I was your math teacher I would probably dock you some points for not showing much of your work, but I'll give you some credit for the attempt. You still haven't answered JC's and my question about what one statistic you think is most important — or, more appropriately, most valuable.

 

[NDJournalist]

ND, will you please explain the difference between WAR and VORP? And the difference between the WAR formulas used by Baseball Reference and FanGraphs? And what one statistic, what one acronym and its corresponding number, is the most important when considering player value?

No. It's all readily available on Google.

I don't care what I can find on Google or Baseball Reference or Baseball Prospectus or FanGraphs or SABR (of which I have been a proud member for years) or some blog.

I want you to explain them.

I want you to tell all of us what they mean.

I believe WAR, b-r WAR anyway, is calculated by the following formula:
bWAR = (P_{runs} - A_{runs}) + (A_{runs} - R_{runs})

It takes into play baserunning, fielding and hitting.

If I was your math teacher I would probably dock you some points for not showing much of your work, but I'll give you some credit for the attempt. You still haven't answered JC's and my question about what one statistic you think is most important — or, more appropriately, most valuable.

I don't know if ONE statistic is most valuable, though. I do like OPS, and OPS+, in terms of encompassing everything offensively. Defensive metrics are so unreliable. If you don't steal on at least 70 percent of your attempts, you're hurting yourself in that area. I think WAR is valuable, and I like B-R's more than Fangraphs', because it encompasses everything.

 

[Moderator1]

And that LONG formula for a BASEBALL STAT is why I rest my case. Jeeeesus.

Ovi says hello. And I say good night

 

[Dick Whitman]

And that LONG formula for a BASEBALL STAT is why I rest my case. Jeeeesus.

Like this one?


1.He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2.He is not the winning pitcher;
3.He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4.He satisfies one of the following conditions:
1.He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
2.He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
3.He pitches for at least three innings

 

[Bodie_Broadus]

Winners win Moddy and Harper is obvioulsy not a winner along with that loser Strasburg. They lack the intagibles that real winners have.

I wonder if the Mariners would send Morse back in a package for both?

M's have enough losers

It seems like every player who goes to the Mariners after a big season immediately sucks. If it was one or two guys, I could think it was a coincidence. But I think something about putting on that uniform does it. And I want the Mariners to be good, anything positive that turns a national eye toward Seattle is good in my book.

Oh and I agree with Moddy on the advanced stats thing. One of my friends sent me an article on Matt Kemp when he slumping (added 84 points to his average over the six-game trip) that had something called "hard-hit average." That seems rather subjective to me.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Is there a formula to factor in different roles people play on their team? I'm not asking to be a smartass.

If a rightfielder batting seventh puts up the same numbers as third baseman hitting cleanup is their value the same? Is there a formula to measure the defensive contributions of players at different positions? How does the best middle reliever compare in value to the best offensive player?

Again, I'm not asking to be snarky. If anybody besides NDJournalist knows the answer I'm interested.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Is there a formula to factor in different roles people play on their team? I'm not asking to be a smartass.

If a rightfielder batting seventh puts up the same numbers as third baseman hitting cleanup is their value the same? Is there a formula to measure the defensive contributions of players at different positions? How does the best middle reliever compare in value to the best offensive player?

Again, I'm not asking to be snarky. If anybody besides NDJournalist knows the answer I'm interested.

Theoretically, WAR is meant to do all of this.

 

[NDJournalist]

Is there a formula to factor in different roles people play on their team? I'm not asking to be a smartass.

If a rightfielder batting seventh puts up the same numbers as third baseman hitting cleanup is their value the same? Is there a formula to measure the defensive contributions of players at different positions? How does the best middle reliever compare in value to the best offensive player?

Again, I'm not asking to be snarky. If anybody besides NDJournalist knows the answer I'm interested.

WAR does this all and why is my answer not relevant?

 

[JC]

Is there a formula to factor in different roles people play on their team? I'm not asking to be a smartass.

If a rightfielder batting seventh puts up the same numbers as third baseman hitting cleanup is their value the same? Is there a formula to measure the defensive contributions of players at different positions? How does the best middle reliever compare in value to the best offensive player?

Again, I'm not asking to be snarky. If anybody besides NDJournalist knows the answer I'm interested.

WAR does this all and why is my answer not relevant?

because you are an STD

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Cool. Thanks, deck.

My problem is sabermetrics and stuff isn't that I don't think it's useful or that I'm at the "get off my lawn" stage of my life quite yet. It's that I didn't like sitting in algebra class when I was in high school and I don't want to turn my sports fandom into algebra class now. I don't fault other people for getting enjoyment out of it, but I'm OK with the less 'advanced stats" for the most part.

If a guy has a great ERA and a bad record I can figure out what the deal is. Maybe a players batting average and RBI total don't tell me everything, but it tells me a lot. I'd rather watch games and see that a guy is hitting the ball, but his teammates aren't getting on base than do math homework to figure it out.