Ratings Editor

[kurtalb1]

I noticed on the screenshot of the player editor page that the Ratings Editor for pitchers only allows you to enter AB, HRA, BB, HP and K's to calculate ratings. I'm surprised that you don't enter hits allowed as well. How does the formula calculate how many hits a pitcher will allow? I'm just very curious.

[Markus Heinsohn]

The reason is the DIPS engine... HA = HR + (BABIP * balls in play) ... balls in play = AB - HR - K. BABIP is usually .300, modified slightly by GB%, if the pitcher is a knuckleballer, pitcher height and handedness.

Pitchers have almost no direct control over how many hits they give up once the ball is put into play. That's why you cannot enter hits allowed. Hope that makes sense

[kurtalb1]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

The reason is the DIPS engine... HA = HR + (BABIP * balls in play) ... balls in play = AB - HR - K. BABIP is usually .300, modified slightly by GB%, if the pitcher is a knuckleballer, pitcher height and handedness.

Pitchers have almost no direct control over how many hits they give up once the ball is put into play. That's why you cannot enter hits allowed. Hope that makes sense

Thanks for the explanation, Markus ... it definitely makes sense. I just recently finished reading the book "Moneyball" and it referenced what you said about pitchers having almost no direct control over how many hits they give up once the ball is put into play. Very interesting.

[Pineapple]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

The reason is the DIPS engine... HA = HR + (BABIP * balls in play) ... balls in play = AB - HR - K. BABIP is usually .300, modified slightly by GB%, if the pitcher is a knuckleballer, pitcher height and handedness.

Pitchers have almost no direct control over how many hits they give up once the ball is put into play. That's why you cannot enter hits allowed. Hope that makes sense

I'm interested in the phrase "pitcher's height." I've always been curious how height and weight affects batters and pitchers... perhaps that's a secret I will never know

[jdodd17]

For batters which ones allows you to enter? I hope that include steal base.

[Captain Walrus]

Originally Posted by jdodd17

For batters which ones allows you to enter? I hope that include steal base.

I'm interested in that as well.

[StyxNCa]

Originally Posted by kurtalb1

Thanks for the explanation, Markus ... it definitely makes sense. I just recently finished reading the book "Moneyball" and it referenced what you said about pitchers having almost no direct control over how many hits they give up once the ball is put into play. Very interesting.

I don't buy this since if pitchers on the same team had the same defense behind them then they would all have very similar batting averages. Look through any team in history and there is a big variation, not only of BA but things like doubles allowed, etc.

I have tried playing historical leagues with this DIPS system and have found a vast majority of pitchers had stats bearing no resemblance to what they really did.

Also, why bother having effects from different pitches since once the bat touches the ball that pitch has no effect on the result? Any pitch thrown would result in the same result.

Yes, defense has impact on the play but if it is true that a pitcher has no impact on the result of a batted ball then anyone could be a pitcher. I could go throw a ball across the plate and know my job was done since I have no further impact on the play.

I would venture a guess that any professional pitcher would disagree with the whole idea.

[OldFatGuy]

Originally Posted by StyxNCa

I would venture a guess that any professional pitcher would disagree with the whole idea.

Yes, and every major league manager would tell you that catchers really do influence their pitching staffs and some people really do handle pressure better than others (clutch), but none of what people who really play and manage the game matters.

The SABR folks have numbers and numbers explain all and numbers are never wrong.

They just never consider other numbers, like 100% of the managers of a MLB club will tell you it does matter how you configure your batting order, but they'll pull out a thousand spreadsheets and say no that 100% number doesn't matter, these numbers matter. It's all a big bunch of hogwash. Hogwash that has been happily lapped up by a large chunk of folks though. Not going to change that.

Anybody believing a pitcher has "little or no control" over batting average allowed is merely fooling themselves, not anyone that's ever actually played or pitched or managed in the, you know, real game played by real people with real human emotions and fallibilities.

[ajsas01]

Originally Posted by OldFatGuy

Yes, and every major league manager would tell you that catchers really do influence their pitching staffs and some people really do handle pressure better than others (clutch), but none of what people who really play and manage the game matters.

The SABR folks have numbers and numbers explain all and numbers are never wrong.

They just never consider other numbers, like 100% of the managers of a MLB club will tell you it does matter how you configure your batting order, but they'll pull out a thousand spreadsheets and say no that 100% number doesn't matter, these numbers matter. It's all a big bunch of hogwash. Hogwash that has been happily lapped up by a large chunk of folks though. Not going to change that.

Anybody believing a pitcher has "little or no control" over batting average allowed is merely fooling themselves, not anyone that's ever actually played or pitched or managed in the, you know, real game played by real people with real human emotions and fallibilities.

Well ok then

[texasmame]

Stoked for this addition to the game!!!

[Curtis]

Originally Posted by OldFatGuy

The SABR folks have numbers and numbers explain all and numbers are never wrong.

Yes, you understand perfectly; numbers ARE never wrong. The way numbers are interpreted can be very wrong, however. I recommend reading the book, "How To Lie With Statistics", which was required reading in one of my statistics courses in college. It's short and written for the layman.