Snake Bytes 3/8: Do Statistics Lie?

If we cannot overreact to a game, why not something else? How about statistics? Statistics do a great job of recording the past. The past is our best and only predictor of future performance. But which statistics matter most? Is the answer a static one? Sure, we must try to factor out luck (BABIP) and be certain that small sample sizes are of limited value. Certainly, spring training statistics should be evaluated with extreme caution. So perhaps it is regular season WAR that should be taken the most seriously. But any computer programmer knows that a formula which is garbage, also produces garbage. If WAR was perfect, one should be able to look at last year’s stats, add the weighted WARs of the players and instantly reveal an accurate final record. In college and still today, I resist relying too much on statistics. Could we not prove just about anything, using statistics?

D-backs Hope for Edge With Hitting Strategist

Robert Van Scoyoc will use “individualized, data-centric strategies on how to attack opposing pitchers.” Sounds good to me. There were times last year that it seemed that players were slumping when they came to the plate without a clear strategy. Hopefully, this man with a great job title will be able to help.

Around MLB

Baseball Keeps on Breaking the Same Record

This FanGraphs article explores how relievers keep becoming more and more important to teams. It is not just the closer that is important, every reliever is vital to a team which increases their salaries. As a percentage, if reliever salaries are going up, whose will be going down as this trend continues.

Brewers’ Braun Still a Work in Progress at 1B

Am I the only one not rooting for this to succeed? I thought not.