THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Have there been any studies into the relative quality of the WHA compared to the NHL? The impression I’ve gotten is that the WHA was pretty close.

I’m sure it was definitely pretty close.  For example, Gretzky had 124 points in 85 GP in the WHA, then 140 pts in 82 GP in the NHL.  And the WHA was likely a more physical league.  (Jack Carlson, who inspired the Jack Hanson character in Slapshot, was in the WHA.)

The problem is that you really have to control for ice time and power play time, the equivalent of plate appearances in baseball.

I look at the exclusion of the postseason numbers as a fairness measure.  Every major league ballplayer has the opportunity to play in 162 (or 154) games.  Not everyone has the opportunity to play in the postseason.  I suppose, then, by that argument we should exclude extra inning homeruns.  As well as homeruns hit in any plate appearance beyond the first three, since those would be the product of chance and/or team skill just as much as home runs hit in the postseason.

Still, I guess you’re just pointing out the arbitrary nature of what we’re counting.  Should inside the park HRs count?  What about Babe Ruth’s HR that was a game-winner, before game-winning HRs were actually tallied as such?

I wonder if Gordie knows that stat.  Sure, Gretzky has squeaked out the all-time lead, by your criteria.  But if Howe knew he could pass Gretzky if he just suited up a few more times… well, I’d think that would be mighty tempting for a guy who just can’t seem to retire from hockey anwyays.

I guess you should also stop the games at 154 in MLB, and 44 in the NHL, etc.  Joe Carter gets to drive in Robbie Alomar, et al.  Whitey Ford pitched on the Yankees.  I don’t like the “fairness” condition.

Part of the greatness of Sandy and Mo (and Gretzky) is because of the post-season. 

You can even include international competition where the best are invited (Olympics, Canada Cup, World Cup).

While in baseball, you have some issues with Japan and Negro leagues, in hockey it’s even tougher.  Europeans pretty much stayed in their own league until the WHA brought them over.  Russians didn’t come over until the late 80s.  And during the lockout, half the NHL players were in Europe.  So, there are many legitimate leagues that can make the claim as being on par with the North American ones.  (And they don’t play 80+ games either.)

Drawing the line at North American hockey (or baseball) is one way to do it.  Drawing it further to exclude the post-season?  That, to me, is unnecessary.

To each his own…

There’s a study at hockeyanalytics.com that says the WHA inflated points by about 25%.  Here’s my blog post on the subject.

We can’t talk about PEDs on the day that Neifi Perez(!!!) gets suspended for a positive test?

What about All-Star Game HR?  After all, you’re facing a pretty good pitcher in the middle of the season, even if it is just an exhibition game.  Bonds and Aaron have both hit 2, Ruth hit one, due to playing most of his career before the ASG existed.

I don’t think I see much difference between ASG and spring training.  I don’t think Larry Walker would bat righthanded in a real game.  Then again, Pete Rose would barrel over his mother in spring training.

Spahn 367 to Clemens 362

Aggregate statistical records are funny. As Tango said about Gretzky, he finished with one more goal than Howe. Biggio, who should’ve retired already, got his 3000th hit. Any player who is close to some career statistical number can hang on somewhere and get it (barring career-ending injury). If we are calculating aggregate totals, then I don’t really see any difference in the way Tango wants to add them up, or MLB wants to. I’d go with Tango’s way of counting since as we’re not trying to control the at-bats or whatever for fairness, we might as well just go for the largest number. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?

Last year, the NYY cleanup hitters had 738 PA.  The DRays cleanup hitters had 689 PA.

That is, the number of opportunities to come to bat for Yankee cleanup hitters was achieved after 151 games to match the 162 games for the DRays cleanup hitters.  That’s 11 free games for Yanks cleanup hitters.

Those who want to talk about how “unfair” a player on a good team has it in terms of accumulating playoff at bats shouldn’t forget about the unfairness a player on a good team has it in terms of accumulating REGULAR SEASON at bats.