THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Criss-cross applesauce

By Tangotiger, 08:20 AM

Such very cool data. I’ve always set the change in pitcher usage at around 1982/1983. That’s when the starters were on a different usage pattern, and closers were on a different usage pattern. That was my guess anyway. If you look at the chart, the percentage of starts of 3 days and 5 days criss-crossed during 1979/1980. And if you look at the 5+ days, the percentagejumps and plateaus from 1977 to 1987, and then another jump/plateau 1988 to 1997, and finally our current one from 1998 to present.

However, if you look at the % of starts of 3 or fewer days of rest minus % of starts 5 or greater days of rest, you get a wildly enormous transition from 1973 to 1981, after which, a plateau from 1982 to 1986, then another transition from 1987 to 1991, a plateau from 1992 to 1997, and a jump/plateau from 1998 to present. This is what I remember, and I think it better describes the changing pattern of usage.

Studes, maybe you can add a new chart that shows just those three lines, the “3 and fewer”, “four”, and “5 and more”?

• Sabermetrics • Pitchers

#1 (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 11:48

wow, criss-cross applesauce. My three year old came home talking about criss cross applesauce one day and I had no idea what she was talking about. Then after a while I googled it, and found that it meant sitting “Indian Style”. I guess the PC police have changed the name, and added a cute rhyme to it. I am surprised to see it as a headline on a sabermetric baseball forum of all places. I guess I am behind in the times.
vr, Xeifrank

#2 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 12:09

You sure are! You should buy “Hullabaloo”. That’s where I learned the word:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000DZRTBA?tag=tangotiger-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B000DZRTBA&adid=0QCS9RYR2FRKAJ5WNPYJ&

#3 (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 12:53

This guy is a teacher at my school. I haven’t had a class with him, but he’s a math teacher here. I had no idea he did that stuff, but it’s pretty cool. I could probably contact him pretty easily if you have any questions.

#4 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 13:14

Just tell him that next time, he should put the “cheat sheet” in the liner.

First time my kid played against his friend, my kid won. The second time, my kid won again. The other kid started crying, since my kid was winning “all the time”. (You have basically a 1 chance in 4 of winning.)

So, I told the parents, “quick, go to a chapter where you know the answer”, and they didn’t know. There’s like 20 different chapters to play.

At this point, my kid has them all memorized, so he wins all the time. But, it’d be nice to make other kids win, if you knew what the answer finally was.

I know it’s not a “competition”, but some kids treat it like that.

#5 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 13:15

Oh, you can tell him my kid loves the game, and it’s great for when you have a few kids over.

#6 Greg Rybarczyk (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 13:36

Hullabaloo runs on scripts? I wonder if my 7-year old son knows that? If not, I’d better not tell him, he’d exploit that for all it was worth…

(does a funky dance, then a victory jump)

#7 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/03/27 (Thu) @ 13:58

One thing to notice Greg, is the title of the chapter. If through the whole chapter the animal in the title has NOT come up, then the final mat will be that animal. Happens about a third or half the time.

But, the frustrating one is when the animal in the title is already brought up half way through. Then, it goes to your memory. The only thing you’re sure of is that it WON’T be that animal.

Page 1 of 1 pages

<< Back to main