Comments for Stealing First http://blog.stealingfirst.com Stats, stories and stuff Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:24:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 Comment on Catcher Block Percentage by Meet Pudge Rodriguez : WasWatching.com http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/03/14/catcher-block-percentage/#comment-207 Meet Pudge Rodriguez : WasWatching.com Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:19:21 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/03/14/catcher-block-percentage/#comment-207 [...] or passed balls department. (Rodriguez’ issues with blocking pitches has also been noted in a study by Dan Turkenkopf done earlier this [...] [...] or passed balls department. (Rodriguez’ issues with blocking pitches has also been noted in a study by Dan Turkenkopf done earlier this [...]

]]> Comment on Looking at Pitches on the Edges by drew http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/05/12/looking-at-pitches-on-the-edges/#comment-112 drew Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:33:22 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=49#comment-112 you should blog on yankee;s moves or something you should blog on yankee;s moves or something

]]> Comment on Looking at Pitches on the Edges by drew http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/05/12/looking-at-pitches-on-the-edges/#comment-105 drew Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:38:58 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=49#comment-105 Where are the updates? I need more info!!!! Stop hanging out with friends and family and crunch so numbers. Where are the updates? I need more info!!!! Stop hanging out with friends and family and crunch so numbers.

]]> Comment on How to link PITCHf/x to Retrosheet by Corey Dawkins http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/03/07/how-to-link-pitchfx-to-retrosheet/#comment-103 Corey Dawkins Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:20:10 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/03/07/how-to-link-pitchfx-to-retrosheet/#comment-103 Hi, I'm in the process of building the database like you described but I'm getting an error when I try to start parsing (both in IDLE and also the command line) SyntaxError: EOL while scanning single-quoted string Any advice on how to fix this? Hi, I’m in the process of building the database like you described but I’m getting an error when I try to start parsing (both in IDLE and also the command line)

SyntaxError: EOL while scanning single-quoted string

Any advice on how to fix this?

]]> Comment on Why Do Umpires Make the Calls They Do? by Drew http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/24/why-do-umpires-make-the-calls-they-do/#comment-73 Drew Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:02:16 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=43#comment-73 Because they are all bums? Because they are all bums?

]]> Comment on From the Department of Duh by Drew http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/27/from-the-department-of-duh/#comment-72 Drew Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:51:25 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=44#comment-72 At least they didn't pay him Barry Zito money. At least they didn’t pay him Barry Zito money.

]]> Comment on Stop calling strikes, I wanna go home! by Dan Turkenkopf http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/16/stop-calling-strikes-i-wanna-go-home/#comment-58 Dan Turkenkopf Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:52:10 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=42#comment-58 Remember, this is just "mis-called" pitches. In other words - pitches that within the empirically defined strike zone that are called balls, or those outside the zone that are called strikes. Since the zone is by no means hard and fast, you expect umpires to make calls that appear to be wrong. I'm not considering the calls wrong, but I would expect them to average out if they were just random chance. And since we're only looking at called pitches, and variation from the expected zone, the ultimate decision maker on that is the umpire. I'm just trying to look at what might influence that decision. 150 called pitches is roughly one game (actually slightly more), so that's 16 per inning - so the difference is slight in terms of effect per game (.02 runs per inning), but there does appear to be a slight bias towards the batter (and therefore ending the game) in extra innings. Remember, this is just “mis-called” pitches. In other words - pitches that within the empirically defined strike zone that are called balls, or those outside the zone that are called strikes.

Since the zone is by no means hard and fast, you expect umpires to make calls that appear to be wrong. I’m not considering the calls wrong, but I would expect them to average out if they were just random chance.

And since we’re only looking at called pitches, and variation from the expected zone, the ultimate decision maker on that is the umpire. I’m just trying to look at what might influence that decision.

150 called pitches is roughly one game (actually slightly more), so that’s 16 per inning - so the difference is slight in terms of effect per game (.02 runs per inning), but there does appear to be a slight bias towards the batter (and therefore ending the game) in extra innings.

]]> Comment on Stop calling strikes, I wanna go home! by Jay http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/16/stop-calling-strikes-i-wanna-go-home/#comment-55 Jay Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:21:01 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=42#comment-55 Haha, You don't seem to think it has anything to do with batters learning pitchers before they're pulled, or perhaps pitchers getting tired? Perhaps the crackerjacks during the 7th inning stretch really help pitchers out? (caramel ball anyone?). Maybe that last minute heroism of the batters (8th inning) or the closers (9th)? You know I'm not a stats guy so I'm sure those probably got aggregated out... per 150 pitches though... how many is typical in an inning? Haha,
You don’t seem to think it has anything to do with batters learning pitchers before they’re pulled, or perhaps pitchers getting tired?

Perhaps the crackerjacks during the 7th inning stretch really help pitchers out? (caramel ball anyone?).

Maybe that last minute heroism of the batters (8th inning) or the closers (9th)?

You know I’m not a stats guy so I’m sure those probably got aggregated out… per 150 pitches though… how many is typical in an inning?

]]> Comment on Grandpa Gets All the Calls by Dan Turkenkopf http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/10/grandpa-gets-all-the-calls/#comment-51 Dan Turkenkopf Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:38:22 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=40#comment-51 You think you've got it bad, I'm just an IT consultant. So I've got the programming piece of this down, but I definitely struggle with the analysis. If only I remembered my stats classes better from college. You think you’ve got it bad, I’m just an IT consultant.

So I’ve got the programming piece of this down, but I definitely struggle with the analysis.

If only I remembered my stats classes better from college.

]]> Comment on Grandpa Gets All the Calls by Excalabur http://blog.stealingfirst.com/2008/04/10/grandpa-gets-all-the-calls/#comment-50 Excalabur Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:05:49 +0000 http://blog.stealingfirst.com/?p=40#comment-50 Enh, needs. This stuff is interesting, and I appreciate that people with time to do it do so. I'm a physicist, so I can comment intelligently, but don't have time to do my own baseball research. In ten years or so you could do all kinds of fun stuff with a multivariate regression on age, year, and so on. However, we of course don't want to wait that long. Have fun fixing the selection bias issue, though I believe there are well-known ways to do this (I'm a physicist, so I don't know 'em, we just measure stuff). Enh, needs. This stuff is interesting, and I appreciate that people with time to do it do so. I’m a physicist, so I can comment intelligently, but don’t have time to do my own baseball research.

In ten years or so you could do all kinds of fun stuff with a multivariate regression on age, year, and so on. However, we of course don’t want to wait that long.

Have fun fixing the selection bias issue, though I believe there are well-known ways to do this (I’m a physicist, so I don’t know ‘em, we just measure stuff).

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