Interesting Stats

[Mario-Rijo]

Just a couple interesting statistics here something to contemplate, when you wonder why our pitching has been as bad as it has been.

16 NL Teams

Hr's Allowed Rank:
Reds - Tied for the 6th least in the NL w/76 HR's

BB's Allowed Rank:
Reds - 3rd least in the NL w/238 BB's

Runs Allowed Rank:
Reds - 2nd worst (2 Teams tied for 1st w/420) in the NL w/419 RA

Runs Allowed Per Game Rank:
Reds - 2nd Worst (2 teams tied for 1st w/5.25pg) in the NL w/5.24pg


What's that say about our defense?

Hits Allowed Rank:
Reds - 3rd Worst in the NL w/778 Hits allowed

Errors Made Rank:
Reds - Tied for 4th worst (or 4th most made) in the NL w/55 E

Fldg% Rank:
Reds - Tied for the 3rd Worst in the NL w/.981%

Def Effiency Rank:
Reds - 2nd Worst in the NL w/.674

**DefEff - Defensive Efficiency. This is a Bill James measure that estimates the number of batted balls turned into outs by a team. The estimate for plays made is based on outs minus things like double plays, caught stealings and outfield assists or total batters faced minus strikeouts, walks, HBP, Hits and errors times a factor.

Now I could go on and on and illustrate this how ever I want but the important thing to consider is this. Our philosophy as a staff is to not walk anyone and not to give up the long ball which we are doing very well I might add. So all the pitchers can do is to allow the opposition to put the ball in play or strike them out. And our starters while not necc. strikeout pitchers get their fair share, but the pen does not so much. Thus you have the pen relying on a poorous defense much moreso than the starters and therefore you have the pen blowing games right and left.

The problem with the defense is 2 fold not only are they not making the plays that come to them but most guys are under league avg when it comes to Range Factor as well. Which means in a nutshell that they don't get to as many balls as the lg avg guy does.


The culprits:
Everybody except Brandon Phillips and David Ross

They are the only regular defenders who are both above the lg avg in Fldg% and Range Factor.

Now that said Hamilton is above avg in RF and he only has 2 errors but it's enough to drop him below lg avg in Fldg% due to the smaller amount of plays he has been a part of, so as long as he doesn't make any errors he will eclipse the lg avg on it at some point. Also Hatteberg and Conine are doing quite well in Fldg% but their RF is well below lg avg. (Hatteberg's RF is lower than Conine's).

Also Freel and Hopper have the ability to post good Fldg%'s and both have well above lg avg RF in every position they play. But as we know Hopper's relative inexperience and Freel's penchant for making bonehead plays at times cost us defensively as well.

2 Things that stood out when I was looking at the #'s.

#1 Castro hasn't been a good defender this yr in any category. His range isn't all that great and he has made a few errors as well. And we all know he cannot hit. So he should be gone and Moeller as well.

#2 EE doesn't have the range that I thought he had, that is quite shocking too me. But when you look at the #'s he is still the best we got at 3B. Freel will get to more balls than him but he makes just as many errors per attempts, so if Freel is getting to more balls he is making more errors, at least he has this yr.

But I think it's interesting that these stats for the most part back up what our eyes see.

[catman]

I honestly think Bill James' obsession with statistics has taken all the fun out of the game for him. Some statistical analysis is a very good indicator of how your team is doing, but to over-analyze is bad (paralysis by analysis). Get the players to give their best effort everytime out and don't give away innings, at bats, etc. If the players are not adequate, find better players.

[Mario-Rijo]

I honestly think Bill James' obsession with statistics has taken all the fun out of the game for him. Some statistical analysis is a very good indicator of how your team is doing, but to over-analyze is bad (paralysis by analysis). Get the players to give their best effort everytime out and don't give away innings, at bats, etc. If the players are not adequate, find better players.

Yeah I can agree with that. And sometimes stats can be misleading or moreso how one uses them. In this case it's hard for anyone to mislead with these stats or to use another stat to argue the point. These guys (or most of these guys) stink defensively in just about every way possible.

Don't get to enough balls, misplay them when they do and make bad decisions at times on top of it all. And I have also noticed that they seem to often be out of postition as well.

The point I was trying to make is the pitchers are taking too much crap especially given the philosphy of the coaching staff of "pitching to contact". They are doing that and the defense isn't holding up their end.

The worst part is that it's happening far too often and the coaching staff continues to allow it. That would be the end of somebodys job.