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The Height of the Hill
The pitching mound isn’t as tall as it used to be (via slgckgc).In 1969, the height of the mound changed. A higher mound is supposed to help the pitcher because it lets him throw downhill, but the...
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A Physics Comparison of Great Throws From Years Past – Part II
Vladimir Guerrero unleashed some monster throws in his day (via Evan Wohrman).Last week, I wrote an article here at The Hardball Times that analyzed some of the best throws from the past 15 years. Upon...
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Playing the A’s? Grow a Beard.
Not exactly the beard you’re thinking of. (via Bob P.B.) Bring up beards and playoff baseball these days, and a typical fan is likely to think of last year’s World Series-winning Boston Red Sox and...
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Evaluating The 2014 Projection Systems
Nate Silver developed the PECOTA projection system. (via Randy Stewart) The 2014 season is in the books. The San Francisco Giants once again reign as the World Series Champions. Most baseball people...
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Digging for Diamonds
SABR President Vince Gennaro created the Diamond Dollars Baseball Analytics Case Competition. (via The SABR Office)NEW YORK — What Hunter Gilbertson wants—and what his New York University analytics...
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Finding Value in Fastball Mixing
Lance Lynn was among the best at mixing his fastball in 2014. (via Kathryn Prybyl)Phil Hughes enjoyed a rather spectacular, albeit surprising, year with the Minnesota Twins in 2014. After averaging a...
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The Strikeout Ascendant (and What Should Be Done About It)
Editors Note: We are reprinting this article — which was originally printed in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2015 — because it was nominated for a 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award in...
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You Don’t Know Bull
Bull Durham was named best sports ever movie by Sports Illustrated. More than 25 years after its initial release, Ron Shelton’s Bull Durham (1988) remains one of the most beloved baseball films in...
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Dynamic Run Value of Throwing a Strike (Instead of a Ball)
Jordan Zimmermann was one of the best at getting a first-pitch strike in 2014. (via Alan Kotok)The importance of the first pitch in an at-bat has been well documented. A favorable count for a hitter...
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The Record Underperformance of 2015
Josh Reddick and the A’s hit well in high-leverage situations, but they still underperformed. (via NickB149)As far as baseball goes, January is prime time for thinking about the future. The free agent...
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Measuring the Quality of a Pitch
QOP and QOPA can help reframe the discussion about pitch quality.At the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference we sat down with analysts from 15 different major league teams and provided a customized report on...
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Demographic Ball
Might a young player like Aaron Judge one day find himself in the record books? (via Arturo Pardavila III)Do you remember record chases? Will Alex Rodriguez pass Hank Aaron? Or will it be Ken Griffey...
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Jim Bunning’s Brethren: Baseball Men Who Went Into Politics
Magglio Ordonez was a much better baseball player than he is a politician. (via Cbl62)An old baseball player is a young man. Even the lengthiest careers leave a man with half his life still ahead of...
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Midseason 2017 Strike Zone Review
The strike zone is, so far, slightly smaller than it was last season. (via Grant Dawson)For the past decade, Major League Baseball pitch data have been collected and made publicly available. During...
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Clayton and the Home Run Players
Clayton Kershaw has a bit of a home run problem this season. (via Michelle Jay)Clayton Kershaw is not normal. I’ve said it before. I wasn’t the first. I won’t be the last. How many more epic poems can...
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Finding Value in Fastball Mixing
Lance Lynn was among the best at mixing his fastball in 2014. (via Kathryn Prybyl) Phil Hughes enjoyed a rather spectacular, albeit surprising, year with the Minnesota Twins in 2014. After averaging a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Strikeout Ascendant (and What Should Be Done About It)
Editors Note: We are reprinting this article — which was originally printed in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2015 — because it was nominated for a 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You Don’t Know Bull
Bull Durham was named best sports ever movie by Sports Illustrated. More than 25 years after its initial release, Ron Shelton’s Bull Durham (1988) remains one of the most beloved baseball films in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dynamic Run Value of Throwing a Strike (Instead of a Ball)
Jordan Zimmermann was one of the best at getting a first-pitch strike in 2014. (via Alan Kotok) The importance of the first pitch in an at-bat has been well documented. A favorable count for a hitter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Record Underperformance of 2015
Josh Reddick and the A’s hit well in high-leverage situations, but they still underperformed. (via NickB149) As far as baseball goes, January is prime time for thinking about the future. The free...
View Article