Other teams have tried this, though more to limit pitch counts in younger/rehabbing pitchers. The Reds were one. IIRC, the managers had difficulty with this and the players preferred better-defined roles.
They also tried asking their free-swinging minor leaguers to take a strike. It worked (but not a huge effect size) but the players, managers & fans hated it.
Tradition dies hard. The data is pretty overwhelming that sac bunts are usually bad ideas.. they still do it. The data also shows FB teams should rarely punt but the fear of blame when it doesn't work... that trumps any rational analysis.
I'm with those who think it is clearly time to eliminate umpires' calling balls & strikes.
Barring that, umpires should be alerted as to the framing tendencies of C's (at least it's not accusing them of personal biases).
If I get called out on strikes on clearly ball 4... but the C scams the ump... I would raise holy hell. (And "scam" is not too strong a word. BP & Mike Fast just proved that.)
for Joe & mibush:
Doug Gray [@dougdirt24] does a KILLER job on www.redsminorleagues.com - and the KG crack was intended as a joke (my bad)
Doug G can point you toward what he's identified as the best lists.
Nice, I guess, but not if you're A Reds fan. One list?
Seriously, can BP not be like ESPN & spend endless coverage of Yankees/Red Sox? Somehow THEY get all the lists posted...
(And, yes, the world needs a loooong moratorium from slavish devotion to all things NY/Boston. Lead the way, BP!)**
** yes, I know KG is a Yankees guy but we all have hopes for his evolution, LOL
I'm with RMR - and i'm not even a Reds fan. Thin, superficial ESPN-style hit-and-a-lick coverage.
Also, BP has noted that Chapman was never expected make the team this year's ST.
Who could disappoint? Why not Cabrera? The catching situation?
Depth - I just looked this up - their AA rotation looks loaded.
Before I say "bring back Sheehan" (which BP needs anyhow) and replace the Cards fetishing with a more BP level of analysis. I'm no expert but I think I could have written this in < an hour, just by reading BP...
I find myself wondering if we will see Joe again - it sure sounds like you guys decided he no longer fit in. Changing Christina's duties seems odd as well.
Speaking as a math nerd, I must admit that as noted above.. obscure math has its place but every year we seem to get fewer insightful commentaries & losing Sheehan & TA is not going to help... at all.
Smells like a coup.
Great ideas - I echo the pitch fX data mining... definitely \"WOW\" factor/
More Christina - maybe guest column by the dingo [Norris\'s dog is asking...]
Maybe a master DB (even if premium) so we can answer our own questions - example:
Is there such thing as clutch fielding? (could compare error rates for innings 6-9, or RISP, etc.)
More cross-discussion between BP, FP & the other BP... how analytic approaches compare (e.g. is there a PECOTA comparable for hoops?)
Finally -and most important- more people using the term \"medhead\", especially for Will!
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