Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Figuring Out Strat

I once thought I understood, now I am quite certain I do not. First I was bamboozled how strat could ignore a statistic in a category FOR that statistic. For example, you can check how a player did last year with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. Now, I don't know if that statistic represents something as intangible as "clutch," but S-O-M does, because that is the very situation where the clutch hitting takes affect. But when Albert Pujols hits .435 in those situations in baseball, yet LOSES hits in the clutch on his card, they're obviously looking at something else. But, whatever, you know? As long as they're consistent in their factoring, fine. Still, I will never understand why, when they HAVE the statistical information, they don't use it. And it wasn't just Pujols. The statistic wasn't relevant for any players.

Another issue I thought I understood involves Derrek Lee. Lee was injured much of last year, so he only had 48 at bats vs LHP. In those 48 at bats, he did not hit a single home run. None. Nada. And yet, on his card he has 2 points of HR vs LHP, AND he's N-power with 2 points of BP HR vs LHP. How? I'm not complaining about Lee's card so much as I am just bewildered. I'm sure the answer has something to do with the limited at bats, but if the card is supposed to be a mathematical representation of his 2006 season... well, it isn't.

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