# Baseball September 2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 2, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570 "2009-09-02T00:03:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/301 "2009-10-04T21:32:50Z")
A-Rod had 7 RBI in the 6th inning today. That’s a good inning. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/302 "2009-10-04T21:34:41Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Royals played the Yankees the second series of the season, and at the very end of September. He missed the first series because he was the #2 starter, and the #2 starter pitches on days 2 and 7, so naturally misses 4, 5, and 6. He pitched on normal rest every day of the season according to the schedule except for twice on six days’. > > He pitched against the Angels and Sox, Tampa, and Minnesota. He pitched against Toronto, Texas, and Cleveland. That, in order, is your top 8 in AL scoring. Against those 8 teams (7, really, because he missed the Yanks), he threw 16 games, 108 innings, had a 6-4 record with a 2.4 ERA, 2 CG, 1 shutout, 122 SO/29 BB, and a 1.18 WHIP. I am convinced. 6 and 4 should win the Cy Young. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/303 "2009-10-04T21:49:11Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I am convinced. 6 and 4 should win the Cy Young. Which, of course, begs the very question: should Wins be the primary criteria for the Cy Young award. Your ability to argue in circles is astounding. Anyway, back to the baseball news: the Tigers managed to actually win a game, but the Twins stomped all over the Royals, leaving a one-game playoff on Tuesday to decide the AL Central champs. The game will be at the dome in Minnesota. According to the Twins website, it will be Rick Porcello for the Tigers against Scott Baker for Minnesota. If Detroit loses, they will, according to [MLB.com](http://MLB.com), become “the first team in history to be in first place on May 10 or earlier and remain on top until losing the title in the final week of the season.” ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/304 "2009-10-04T21:56:56Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I am convinced. 6 and 4 should win the Cy Young. Was Zack Greinke’s spot in the rotation “modified to allow him to go up against weaker hitting teams?” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/305 "2009-10-04T22:03:12Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > A-Rod had 7 RBI in the 6th inning today. That’s a good inning. And it’s October already. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/306 "2009-10-04T22:27:04Z")
The Rockies #2 starter threw three perfect innings yesterday, then walked the first two in the fourth and left the game with a groin injury. Their #1 catcher and important right handed bat, Yorvit Torrealba, didn’t play due to a hamstring injury, and three players, including centerfielder Dexter Fowler, didn’t leave the hotel due to the flu. Bad, bad timing. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/307 "2009-10-04T23:12:13Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Was Zack Greinke’s spot in the rotation “modified to allow him to go up against weaker hitting teams?” Of course not. It was just coincidence that their superstar pitcher was just available for bad hitting teams. Who could question an entire season of coincidences. No rainouts or anything must have occurred allowing them to put Grienke against a big team. Could they have pitched him against tough teams? You think about it. Then when he went against Chicago at the end of the season in an important game he got spanked. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/308 "2009-10-04T23:13:35Z")
Who are the good hitting teams? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/309 "2009-10-04T23:27:07Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Of course not. It was just coincidence that their superstar pitcher was just available for bad hitting teams. Who could question an entire season of coincidences. No rainouts or anything must have occurred allowing them to put Grienke against a big team. Could they have pitched him against tough teams? You think about it. > Then when he went against Chicago at the end of the season in an important game he got spanked. Wow, who knew Grandpa Simpson was a Doper? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/310 "2009-10-04T23:29:15Z")
By the way, anyone know how the TV rights work for the one-off decider on Tuesday? Is it local networks only? TBS? FOX? Will it be available on [MLB.com](http://MLB.com)? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/311 "2009-10-05T00:24:31Z")
ESPN rates Kansas City’s defense as number 3 in American league. That is some help to a pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/312 "2009-10-05T00:33:25Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > ESPN rates Kansas City’s defense as number 3 in American league. That is some help to a pitcher. Could you point out to me, perhaps with a link, where ESPN says this, because i couldn’t find any such stat on their MLB pages. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/313 "2009-10-05T00:36:31Z")
Most errors in the AL, worst fielding percentage – what’s not to like? **gonzomax** , who are the top hitting teams that Greinke avoided? ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/314 "2009-10-05T00:46:32Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Most errors in the AL, worst fielding percentage – what’s not to like? Yeah, I just saw that on the ESPN stats page and was wondering what metric could possibly put KC at #3 with those numbers. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/315 "2009-10-05T00:46:58Z")
By the way, **gonzomax** , while you’re looking up that ESPN reference for me, here’s some stuff for ya: First, as **Jimmy Chitwood** noted, the Royals have the most errors and the lowest fielding percentage in the league. You can find that stat right [here](http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/fielding/year/2009/seasontype/2/league/al), at ESPN. If you also check out [Baseball Reference](http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2009-standard-fielding.shtml), you’ll find the same thing, plus you’ll also see that the Royals have the worst Defensive Efficiency in the league. Defensive efficiency is the rate at which balls in play are turned into outs, and while it’s not a perfect stat, it’s a reasonably decent measure of a team’s defensive prowess. Even when we compensate for the park they play in, the Royals are near the bottom in the Defensive Efficiency measures. [This Baseball Prospectus table](http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=493152) (you might need a subscription to view it) places them ahead of only the Athletics and the Blue Jays in the AL in Park Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Then there’s [this article](http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9556), written just about two weeks ago for Baseball Prospectus. I’ll quote from it, in case the link doesn’t work for you: > [@](#): > > Even in the optimism of spring training, the Royals’ defense looked like the greatest roadblock to their post-season aspirations. As it turns out, the defense has been worse than anyone feared. Crisp’s injury left the Royals without a real center fielder, and Guillen’s range in right has diminished to the size of a postage stamp. Alberto Callaspo won the second-base job and has been a pleasant surprise with the bat, but his glove work has been lacking. The Royals as a whole have a defensive efficiency of .676, meaning that just 67.6 percent of balls in play have been turned into outs, the lowest rate in the major leagues. Over the course of a season, that means the team’s fielders have allowed roughly 60 more hits than an average major league defense. > > The Royals’ defensive performance has not been helped by Moore’s willful refusal to take defensive statistics seriously. Looking to repair a hole at shortstop, Moore traded two pitching prospects to Seattle for Yuniesky Betancourt at midseason. The front office cited Betancourt’s defensive ability as one of the reasons for the trade, ignoring the fact virtually every defensive metric ranked Betancourt as one of the worst shortstops in the majors. Betancourt’s defense since joining the Royals has earned equally poor marks, and he’s hitting just .231/.268/.364. Yeah, those Royals are awesome on defense. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/316 "2009-10-05T01:31:53Z")
How definitive. I decided to surf and check defensive stats. I got the Royals from 3rd to 2nd from the bottom. I checked a half dozen sites and no two agree. I read "Hardball Times " everyday. They are stats junkies. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/317 "2009-10-05T02:34:12Z")
Theh Royals are a frigging awful defensive team. You can argue whether they’re worst, or second worst, or third worst, according to any number of metrics, but any metric and any observation will tell you they’re in the general vicinity of sucking. Even if you don’t believe the statheads, their claims are visibly apparent; the Royals have a very slow outfield and Betancourt is a pretty bad shortstop with really, really bad footwork. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/318 "2009-10-05T02:38:23Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > By the way, anyone know how the TV rights work for the one-off decider on Tuesday? > > Is it local networks only? TBS? FOX? Will it be available on [MLB.com](http://MLB.com)? Watching the Rockies-Dodgers game this morning (Japan time) via the TBS broadcast. Their announcers were saying the one-game playoff was going to be on their network on Tuesday at 5:07pm (Eastern). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/319 "2009-10-05T02:40:13Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > How definitive. I decided to surf and check defensive stats. I got the Royals from 3rd to 2nd from the bottom. I checked a half dozen sites and no two agree. > I read "Hardball Times " everyday. They are stats junkies. Sure. You can check out what those Hardball Times guys have to say about team fielding [here](http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/teams/). The main stat they use for evaluating fielding is RZR, or Revised Zone Rating, which measures “the proportion of balls hit into a fielder’s zone that he successfully converted into an out.” According to that measure, the Royals have the worst infield (0.743) in the American League, and a middle-of-the-road (7th out of 14) outfield. When you add the two figures together, they have the worst overall RZR in the AL. They also have, according to the same table, the worst Plus/Minus of any AL fielding unit, with -86. Their closest rival is Baltimore, with -55. Now, where is that ESPN page where they place the Royals as the third-best defensive team in the league? Does it actually exist? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570/320 "2009-10-05T03:14:50Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I got the Royals from 3rd to 2nd from the bottom. I checked a half dozen sites and no two agree. That’s your defense? The Royals are not the worst defensive team, they’re only the second or third worst defensive team? Some defense. I think you may have missed the turn at second. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-september-2009/508570.md?page=17)