Stuff

[DOUGHBOYS]

We're more advanced than the average baseball fan. We have to be to succeed in our hobby.

I dare say that we know more about baseball than most play-by-play guys. These fellas are glib and are spoon fed interesting stats by geeks like us.

One thing a play-by-play guy says that drives me up a wall is this scenario:



"Mark Reynolds at the plate, Kershaw delivers...And a swing and a miss, the count is now even at 2-2"



It all sounds right. Numerically, it is right. But, every advanced baseball fan KNOWS that the count isn't even. Reynolds is going to have to hit Kershaw's pitch. Kershaw still has one to waste and with Reynolds propensity for striking out, we know the probable outcome of the at bat.



Wade Boggs at bats didn't start till he got two strikes. I would marvel at the way he could flick away unwanted pitches. I almost felt sorry for opposing pitchers, even with an 0-2 count.



Hitting with two strikes is an art. Most power guys do not change their swing with two strikes. Even Albert Pujols hits .223 on two strike pitches, until he gets the count to 3-2, where he hits .319



Others, aren't even that fortunate. Last year, Travis Snider, including the 3-2 count, only hit .153 with two strikes.

The two strike count is less bothersome to singles hitters. Placido Polanco is Albert Pujols in reverse. Polanco hit .290 in two strike situations, but when hitting with a full count, his average plummeted to .184



On the other side is the pitcher. One of my favorite stats is that Greg Maddux, a career span of over 5,000 innings, only gave up 11 homers with an 0-2 count.



Take a more recent player, Felix Hernandez.

98 times last year, an 0-2 pitch thrown by Hernandez resulted in an action on the diamond. 61 of 98 times, the action was the batter walking back to the dugout. Almost two of every three hitters striking out.

Having two strikes against King Felix was just plain unfair. Here is the breakdown for hitters:



0-2 = .092

1-2 = .097

2-2 = .144

3-2 = .179



Beyond that, King Felix only gave up one home run with a hitter having two strikes last year.



A guy that has not been drafted in the first 30 rounds of most drafts this year is Rodrigo Lopez.

Lopez is one of 45 MLB pitchers that threw 200 innings last year. Why, I don't know. His ERA was 5.00 and Arizona craved an inning eater who resembled Major League talent.

Even Lopez, with two strikes held batters to close to a .200 average, but when the count was loaded, opposing hitters unloaded a .326 average against him.



Jose Bautista hit 54 homers last year. Only 13 of those came with two strikes.



Major league hitters hit over .300 last year agaist non two strike counts and last year was not an abberation.

In 2009, the average was above .320 vs. non two strike counts.



Now, let's go back to me harrassing our friendly play-by-play guy.

Reynolds, get this, hit .092 with two strikes last year. He had 324 actions on a two strike pitch in 2010....

30 of the 324 actions resulted in a hit.

211 of the 324 actions resulted in a strike out.



Next time the count is 2-2 and the broadcaster says the count is even, please, join me in a group :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:



[ February 03, 2011, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

[Winston's Empire]

One of my favorite stats is that Greg Maddux, over his career span of over 5,000 innings, only gave up 11 homers with an 0-2 count.



Simply Awesome as Always Dough! Greg Maddux is one of my all time favorites and I didn't know that stat. AMAZING!