Post-Strike Baseball Tournament: WORLD CHAMPION SKITCHP!

[numbers]

Lately I've been trying to delve into advanced stats more thoroughly than I have in the past, and I've got some qualms with WAR so far. It has it's value, but it doesn't seem to me like it's the all encompassing telltale that some make it out to be.

[Norah]

Lately I've been trying to delve into advanced stats more thoroughly than I have in the past, and I've got some qualms with WAR so far. It has it's value, but it doesn't seem to me like it's the all encompassing telltale that some make it out to be.

It's tough because it's non standard, but for the most part if you sort the list of MLB players by their season WAR it pretty much gives you what most people would consider the best players in order.

[Norah]

The best thing advanced stats ever did for baseball discussion was get people to start paying attention to slash line instead of just batting average.

I'm a big fan of looking at K/BB ratios and k/9 rates for pitchers too.

[Norah]

Also, don't just look at ERAs, but look at them relative to FIP.

[@SkitchP]

So if you are DHing it affects your WAR negatively? That doesn't seem fair.

I think it has more to do with the fact that the Replacement level DH generally has better offensive numbers on average, so as a DH it requires better numbers than say a 2B.

Wait, WAR isn't calculated comparative to the average player at your position, it's calculated compared to the average player in general, no?

Maybe I am understanding it wrong, but i thought it did adjust for position. Like Miggy is actually a decent 1B, and a terrible 3B, but because the average offensive statistics for a 1B are better, it doesn't help is overall WAR.

[numbers]

I feel like it doesn't separate decent players from good as well as I'd like it to. I've been using BR so however they calculate it is what I'm going by.

[Norah]

So if you are DHing it affects your WAR negatively? That doesn't seem fair.

I think it has more to do with the fact that the Replacement level DH generally has better offensive numbers on average, so as a DH it requires better numbers than say a 2B.

Wait, WAR isn't calculated comparative to the average player at your position, it's calculated compared to the average player in general, no?

Maybe I am understanding it wrong, but i thought it did adjust for position. Like Miggy is actually a decent 1B, and a terrible 3B, but because the average offensive statistics for a 1B are better, it doesn't help is overall WAR.

Hmmm, maybe.

[@SkitchP]

So if you are DHing it affects your WAR negatively? That doesn't seem fair.

I think it has more to do with the fact that the Replacement level DH generally has better offensive numbers on average, so as a DH it requires better numbers than say a 2B.

Wait, WAR isn't calculated comparative to the average player at your position, it's calculated compared to the average player in general, no?

Maybe I am understanding it wrong, but i thought it did adjust for position. Like Miggy is actually a decent 1B, and a terrible 3B, but because the average offensive statistics for a 1B are better, it doesn't help is overall WAR.

Hmmm, maybe.

It also seems to be particularly kind to second basemen. And harsh on first basemen.

[Norah]

I just did some reading on it. It is positional. For the most part it's all calculated independent of position, but at some point in each calculation a positional adjustment is made.

For BR:

The positional adjustment is a value dependent on the players position: +10.0 for a catcher, −10 for a first baseman, +3.0 for a second baseman, +2.0 for a third baseman, +7.5 for a shortstop, −7.5 for a left fielder, +2.5 for a center fielder, −7.5 for a right fielder, and −15.0 for a designated hitter.[13] These values are set assuming 1,350 innings played (150 games of 9 innings).[13] A player's positional adjustment is the sum of the positional adjustment for each position played by the player scaled to the number of games played by the player at that position, normalized to 1,350 innings.[13]

For FG:

The positional adjustment is a value dependent on the players position: +12.5 for a catcher, −12.5 for a first baseman, +2.5 for a second or third baseman, +7.5 for a shortstop, −7.5 for a left fielder, +2.5 for a center fielder, −7.5 for a right fielder, and −17.5 for a designated hitter.[15] These values are scaled to the number of games played by the player at each position.[15]

[Lament]

Hey Skitch, guess what...

[Lament]

Seven minutes!

[Lament]

Getting nervous?

[Norah]

So after Skitch picks we're just skipping 4/5 right? I know he got 2 hours last time but we skipped two picks of his prior to that so I'm not sure he should get an hour again.

[@SkitchP]

So after Skitch picks we're just skipping 4/5 right? I know he got 2 hours last time but we skipped two picks of his prior to that so I'm not sure he should get an hour again.

Why the hell should I have to wait and no one else does. I think we give him a bonus hour.

[Norah]

So after Skitch picks we're just skipping 4/5 right? I know he got 2 hours last time but we skipped two picks of his prior to that so I'm not sure he should get an hour again.

Why the hell should I have to wait and no one else does. I think we give him a bonus hour.

I never thought you should have had to wait in the first place.

[Lament]

According to the rules, he gets an hour. But I also don't think he'd care if we carried on.

[The Argonaut]

Thanks for having the wife and me to your dinner party.

[Lament]

I think after Skitch picks you're good to pick, Argo.

[Lament]

I wanted to cut the time limit down to an hour after like round 15, so I'm always gonna err towards moving things along.

[Norah]

Every time 4/5 has PMed me with proxy picks he's made it clear that he does not wish to be the person to hold up the draft.