March 21, 2012

BP Unfiltered

You've Got Questions, We've Got Data

by Bradley Ankrom

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In R.J. Anderson's most recent chat, a reader asked, "What's the best team of Berts of all time?" A couple of data queries later, we had Robert in DC's answer (which included a couple of surprising names):

SP - Bert Blyleven
RP - Roberto Hernandez 
C - Mike Lieberthal
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Roberto Alomar
SS - Bert Campaneris
3B - Alberto Callaspo
LF - Albert Belle
CF - Roberto Kelly
RF - Roberto Clemente
DH - Butch Alberts

Robert's question was interesting to me because I've had thousands of similar questions flow in and out of my mind over the years, most of them unresolved. 

Do you have similar questions whose answers have eluded you for years? Are you unable to rest peacefully until you know which sub-5-foot-10 left-handed pitcher enjoyed the most major-league success*? If so, I invite you to submit your questions for an upcoming research mailbag where we will attempt to track down answers and bring peace to the restless minds of BP readers. We can't promise to answer every question that comes in, but we will select a handful of our favorites to feature in the mailbag each week. 

What are you waiting for? Answers to your most nagging questions may be just an e-mail away.

*the answer is 5-foot-6, 139-pound Bobby Shantz, who accrued 27.0 WARP in 16 seasons.