THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The worst hitting season of all-time?

By Tangotiger, 10:27 AM

It seems that this year’s Tony Pena, Jr is in the discussion.

His Situational Wins (aka WPA/LI) is -2.45 in only 235 PA, making it a rate of -7.3 wins per 162G. However, he was super clutch (for him), Ortiz-like. On Aug 10, in extra innings, he got an RBI single. That was his most high-leveraged at bat. In his next most high-leverage situation he faced, he got another RBI single on opening day. On June 12, in a tie game in late innings, he scored on a wild pitch. (Ok, that may have been lucky.) Anyway, the point is that with the game on the line, he went from being one of the worst hitters in the entire history of baseball, to simply being one of the worst hitters in baseball this year.

That’d be like someone who couldn’t score at a whorehouse, to becoming someone who managed to be able to speak to the girl next door. If that isn’t clutch, I don’t know what is.

• Sabermetrics • Awards

#1 (see all posts) 2008/09/30 (Tue) @ 12:25

So he found a couple girls who just took pity on him. It was only twice, he jut got lucky.

I see he also pitched an inning recently, and got a strikeout. He hits like a pitcher, maybe he’s their next closer?

#2 (see all posts) 2008/09/30 (Tue) @ 14:06

Supposedly he was around 90mph with his fastball, and had a sharp curve too. It was funny reading Royals blogs around that time, because they all suggested the same thing - trying him as a pitcher. He almost assuredly has no future as a hitter, but anyone that can hop on the mound and throw 90, and have the confidence to throw a legit curveball, may as well give it a shot. I watched the PAs, and he earned the strikeout. This wasn’t Boggs-with-the-knuckleball. It actually looked like he deserved it.

#3 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/09/30 (Tue) @ 15:03

Fangraphs says he threw 12 pitches, 8 FB, 4 sliders:

Fastball was 90mph, slider was 75.

8 strikes, 4 balls.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=2240&position=P

#4 Mike Rogers (see all posts) 2008/09/30 (Tue) @ 20:47

Pena locked up Pudge Rodriguez with the breaking ball, and he had a very low 3/4 delivery if I recall correctly. I believe he had some good run on the fastball, so I don’t think it should just be a passing comment. He’s not Adam Everett with the glove, either, so there’s not much point in keeping him on the roster for his glove or bat ... might as well keep him give him a try on the mound.

#5 Jeff Zimmerman (see all posts) 2008/10/06 (Mon) @ 20:12

Pena’s “clutch” hitting even had two managers too scared to pitch to him and gave him a IBB (2 of his 6 BB on the season). At Florida I could kind of understand as the pitcher was next (Tomko). Florida then had and error and walked another run in. That one was kind of excusable, but the next can’t be. Cito Gaston decided to walk TPJ to get to DeJesus. WTF. DeJesus ended up batting .364 with runners on base. Of course he ended up with a 2 run hit.

After Aviles finally took over for him, The Royals played over .500 baseball:

jeffsqanda.blogspot.com/2008/10/question-how-did-royals-do-before-and.html

Tony Pena pitching can sometimes be found on youtube. MLB keeps make people take it down.

#6 Tangotiger (see all posts) 2008/10/06 (Mon) @ 23:19

Here’s the video. Get it while it’s hot:

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2249052855535232931&ei=s9PqSMWWBZycrALHy9igCw&q=tony+pena+pitching&vt=lf

If you want to download it:
s3.amazonaws.com/lazyjock/102682.flv

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THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The worst hitting season of all-time?

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