As of today (November 30th 2015) my website is officially one year old. One year ago I finally got the hint that everyone in my life was a little sick of hearing me constantly talk about baseball, so I started my blog, working the count. I've had nearly 100 posts, and about 20,000 page views in the past year. My posts have changed a little bit, from mostly news with my take on it, which you can get anywhere, into mostly analytical articles which I find much more unique and interesting. I've made a few lists already, including my Underrated players list, and my free agent value list for the final list of my first year I have a list of the best entries I've written this year.
1. Sidearm pitchers
8/3/2015
This entry is about the value of sidearm pitchers. I go in depth on why the most common arguments against sidearm pitchers are invalid. One common argument against them is that they are saved only for righties (if they are right-handed, or lefties if they are lefties), and this means that if they were pitched against everyone their numbers would be worse, and so because of this we shouldn't believe there numbers. I discuss why that point and a couple others are unimportant, and so we really should value sidearm pitchers more than we do.
8/3/2015
This entry is about the value of sidearm pitchers. I go in depth on why the most common arguments against sidearm pitchers are invalid. One common argument against them is that they are saved only for righties (if they are right-handed, or lefties if they are lefties), and this means that if they were pitched against everyone their numbers would be worse, and so because of this we shouldn't believe there numbers. I discuss why that point and a couple others are unimportant, and so we really should value sidearm pitchers more than we do.
2. Dodger's Duo: Greinke and Kershaw
7/30/2015
I began writing this entry simply as a comparison between this pair and other great 1-2 pitching pairs, but as I wrote I realized that all the stats I found pointed to the possibility I had hardly considered which was that they actually could be the best pair ever. Perhaps the most stunning fact is that in 185 starts in the time that they spent as teammates the two allowed 1 or 0 runs in 105 of them (57%), and combined only allowed more than 5 once (that's 99.5% < 5 runs).
7/30/2015
I began writing this entry simply as a comparison between this pair and other great 1-2 pitching pairs, but as I wrote I realized that all the stats I found pointed to the possibility I had hardly considered which was that they actually could be the best pair ever. Perhaps the most stunning fact is that in 185 starts in the time that they spent as teammates the two allowed 1 or 0 runs in 105 of them (57%), and combined only allowed more than 5 once (that's 99.5% < 5 runs).
3. Busiest teams so far (in 2014 offseason)
11/30/2014
This was written on my first day as a blog, so it has a few formatting issues with the mobile version (there are long spaces) however it is still fully readable, and the content is great. I basically summarized the biggest moves of the offseason at that point by the teams that had done the most (by this point last year there was more than enough o write about in terms of hot stove moves, who knows why there isn't now).
11/30/2014
This was written on my first day as a blog, so it has a few formatting issues with the mobile version (there are long spaces) however it is still fully readable, and the content is great. I basically summarized the biggest moves of the offseason at that point by the teams that had done the most (by this point last year there was more than enough o write about in terms of hot stove moves, who knows why there isn't now).
4. Jose Altuve is Overrated 8/4/2015 The first line in this entry is "I probably made a lot of enemies just in the title", and I may have made a few more by picking this as my fourth best blog entry. I totally get it, who wouldn't love a 5'6" 165 lb second baseman who can get 200+ hits per season. Jose Altuve is small enough that the power in all of Dallas Kuechel pitches last year harnessed together could send him flying over 160 MPH, but lovability doesn't make him great and if you give this entry a chance, and read it you'll understand that his 3 all-star games and two silver sluggers are sadly undeserved. |
5. What the giants have to do for 2016
11/11/2015
This is one of my more recent entries. I wrote about what the giants will need to do to be postseason or even world series ready for 2016 (another even year) and although I am not rooting for another Giants world series victory I enjoyed writing about what it might take to create one.
11/11/2015
This is one of my more recent entries. I wrote about what the giants will need to do to be postseason or even world series ready for 2016 (another even year) and although I am not rooting for another Giants world series victory I enjoyed writing about what it might take to create one.
6. Why Nobody can Wait to See Giancarlo Stanton Again
9/7/15
In this entry I got into the physics of Giancarlo Stanton's swing, and what allows him to hit the ball so much harder than every other player in baseball.
9/7/15
In this entry I got into the physics of Giancarlo Stanton's swing, and what allows him to hit the ball so much harder than every other player in baseball.
7. No-Hitters
8/2/2015
After three no-hitters this year I decided to write an entry about the probability of a no-hitter. I answer the probability of a no-hitter in any given game, as well as the highest probability at any game. After I wrote this entry four more no-hitters occurred, making a total of seven in one season. The odds of having seven or more no-hitters in one year is 0.24% or 1/415.
8/2/2015
After three no-hitters this year I decided to write an entry about the probability of a no-hitter. I answer the probability of a no-hitter in any given game, as well as the highest probability at any game. After I wrote this entry four more no-hitters occurred, making a total of seven in one season. The odds of having seven or more no-hitters in one year is 0.24% or 1/415.
8. Outfielders on the Move
12/7/2014
This entry was about all the possible outfield trades in the middle of last offseason. including speculations on the trades of Matt Kemp, Yoenis Cespedes, and The Uptons. I was pretty impressed on how close I was to the actual results in this entry.
12/7/2014
This entry was about all the possible outfield trades in the middle of last offseason. including speculations on the trades of Matt Kemp, Yoenis Cespedes, and The Uptons. I was pretty impressed on how close I was to the actual results in this entry.
9. Kevin Kiermaier a defensive savage
This entry has one of the most impressive facts I've written which is that if every player saved as many runs with defense as Kevin Kiermaier did the typical ERA would be 1.36.
This entry has one of the most impressive facts I've written which is that if every player saved as many runs with defense as Kevin Kiermaier did the typical ERA would be 1.36.
10. Jon Lester Race Heating up
12/4/2014
This entry summarized the suitors for Jon Lester, and where I thought he'd end up last offseason.
12/4/2014
This entry summarized the suitors for Jon Lester, and where I thought he'd end up last offseason.