wins/losses (for pitchers)= most overated stat in sports

[HollywoodLeo]

Don't pay attention to it if it bothers you so much. Otherwise, we get your point

It bothers me because it can be better.

Sure, you can't really help the situations where a pitcher gets a win because he only gives up 8 as opposed to 10 from the other pitcher.
Or the situations where a pitcher only gives up 1 just to watch his team not score a run at all.

But what they can help is situations where a SP pitches 6-8 strong innings just to watch the pen blow it.

The least they can do is change it a bit to where CY would've gotten the W in my initial example and then at least the W/L stat would be a bit more accurate.

[Providence A's]

Jake Peavy went 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 6 earned runs, and 2 homers while striking out 6...but his offense scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 5th to give him a cheapy win just for hollywood

[Rufio181]

Jake Peavy went 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 6 earned runs, and 2 homers while striking out 6...but his offense scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 5th to give him a cheapy win just for hollywood

He does stellar last week and lets the L, but doesnt so so well today and gets the W.

Hmm.

[HollywoodLeo]

Jake Peavy went 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 6 earned runs, and 2 homers while striking out 6...but his offense scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 5th to give him a cheapy win just for hollywood

Makes up for one of the W's he didn't get, but should've gotten.

[Providence A's]

see, it all balances out in the end that's baseball

[HollywoodLeo]

see, it all balances out in the end that's baseball

It's an unreliable stat. The number of wins that "should" be losses don't always equal (and it doesn't even come close with Jake...) the number of losses that "should be" wins.

[HollywoodLeo]

7. One Pitch Wonder: Washington reliever Bill Bray made his major league debut on Saturday. Threw one pitch -- fastball, outside -- and Nationals catcher Brian Schneider pegged out Milwaukee's Corey Koskie attempting to steal second for the third out of the game.

And Bray got the win.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9479560/2

[HollywoodLeo]

Matt Cain has an impressive 3.38 ERA right now, and a 1.29 WHIP

Matt Cain is 2-9

[DirtyKash]

and he stinks just like the Giants do.

[HollywoodLeo]

Matt Cain just tossed 6 innings of 1 run, 1 hit ball against the Padres tonight.

Matt Cain is in line for the loss tonight if the score remains as is.

[DirtyKash]

he still gave up a run. This is the best example you could come up with?

[GiantsFanatic]

and he stinks just like the Giants do.

Ofcourse we do, tell us something new, maybe win a ****ing series in the playoffs when/if you get there?

[HollywoodLeo]

he still gave up a run. This is the best example you could come up with?

And on any other day of the year when Brett Tomko's pitching like, well, Brett Tomko only 1 ER would've garnered him a win.

[Providence A's]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I agree with the original statement as far as a short-term measure of pitcher's success, but one cannot deny wins and losses over the long-term. If a pitcher gets a lot of wins year after year, then clearly he is a good pitcher. If someone wins over 150 games in his career or something, he must have been doing something right. No stat is perfect.

[HollywoodLeo]

I do agree with that assessment.

Although, generally speaking, if you look at a pitcher with a lot of wins over the years you'll see that his other "less overrated" stats also look good.

The same stats that are more indicative of a good pitcher even for short term observation.

Another thing you might notice is that, while their overall win total is impressive, the yearly totals jump up and down, while their other stats tend to remain a bit more steady.