April 21, 2010

No Pepper

Against the Fence

by Tommy Bennett

Why keeping Jason Heyward in the minors would have been the wrong decision, even considering service time.
Peter Hjort shows that Heyward has more than earned the $4 million or so the Braves would have gained from keeping him in Triple-A for two weeks. 

What is the deal with Jay Bruce and BABIP? Red Reporter remains somewhat optimistic.
I was as bounceback-optimistic about Bruce as anyone. At what point does low-BABIP become an expectation rather than the opposite?

Do players who get plunked often influence their teammates to do the same?
Plunk Everyone offers some evidence to that effect. I wonder if the result would stand up to a WOWY type analysis.

Phil Birnbaum has an interesting look at why teams pay the same amount, on average, for a win. 
Interestingly, he derives a sort of demand curve for wins. The model is confounded by several of his assumptions, but it is a fascinating read nonetheless.

Old-timey video of Christy Mathewson's pitching mechanics.
Here also is video of Sandy Koufax. Koufax had a much more over-the-top delivery than Mathewson.

How Ryan Dempster is like Yossarian.
I guess that would make Jim Hendry Major Major Major Major?

DRaysBay looks at how many PAs it takes for statistics to stabilize.
A good April reminder. He cites as his source some guy named "Pizza Cutter." Lord knows who that might be. 

How Robinson Cano was almost a Texas Ranger. 
Was the mistake here overvaluing Joaquin Arias or undervaluing Cano?

This is a sensational play.