I have mixed emotions here. I just love your work at BP but I am thrilled that you are joining my hometown team! We need all the help we can get....Go Astros!!
Jason-
I am going into the auction with a significant advantage in available $$ (about $20). It is an NL-only, standard 5x5 league, 7 keepers per team. There is a lot of talent available. Since my advantage is very great at the outset, would you recommend targeting the player I most want and simply acquiring him up front?
Just a point of interest - this topic has already made its way into the medical literature and I have attached the reference and abstract below. Its an interesting paper, although the baseball statistical analysis component is not very sophisticated. There are also several papers looking at visual acuity, ocular dominance, reaction times, depth perception, and others in both major and minor league baseball populations.
Here is the reference and abstract:
Optometry. 2005 Nov;76(11):647-52.
The effect of laser refractive surgery on the on-field performance of professional baseball players.
Laby DM, Kirschen DG, De Land P.
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. drlaby@drlaby.com
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of laser refractive surgery on the offensive performance of professional baseball players. METHODS: Extensive search of the public media was conducted to determine which major league baseball players had undergone laser refractive surgery and when the procedure was performed. Baseball performance data were then used to determine presurgery and postsurgery baseball performance averages. A total of 17 position players were identified; however, 5 of these players were not considered in the analysis owing to insufficient playing experience either before or after the laser procedure. RESULTS: No statistically significant or practically significant difference was found between the presurgery and postsurgery means on either on-base percentage (P = 0.31), batting average (P = 0.39), slugging percentage (P = 0.66) or on-base plus slugging (OPS; P = 0.997) of major league baseball players. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that professional baseball players should not expect a laser refractive surgical procedure to significantly improve their offensive baseball performance, despite the elimination of glasses or contact lens wear.
Nice article and very interesting. You allude to selection bias in the essay and I think it is very likely that selection bias is at play here. Perhaps you could assess this by lessening the criteria for PA in the "peak" years.
What a great article.
With regard to comfort and familiarity as a component of the home-field advantage, is it possible to compare data from the first game a series to the subsequent games in a series? The advantage seen in the first three innings may be less in subsequent games. Along the same lines, what is the home winning percentage for the first game of a series compared to subsequent games in a series? If familiarity is a key component, you might find that home winning percentage is highest for game 1 and lower for the subsequent games.
Keep the series coming!
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