02-21-2009, 05:35 PM
<!--quoteo(post=19529:date=Feb 21 2009, 12:59 PM:name=leonardsipes)-->QUOTE (leonardsipes @ Feb 21 2009, 12:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->make contact consistently( productive outs? the idea that this is a good thing is a fallacy. How is flying out better than striking out? It isn't, except in HIGHLY specific situations. Miles will make a whole lot of outs, like he always does.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It is a funny thing about the stat world, that unless you are a homerun hitter, contact is bad. Contact almost always results in an out. Not swinging is always right (a walk never results in an out). The results of a ball hit in play are random. We don't have to concern ourselves with all these highly specific situations that come up and whether the random results of the batted ball produce the correct result.
Yet a strike out is the same as any other out. Even though, making contact could randomly result in not being out at all. We can of course ignore the fact that a strikeout is probably not the bast result for any of the highly specific situations. Too many different ones and too highly specific to be of sufficient sample size for any statistical analysis.
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The only thing worse than a strikeout is grounding into a DP. I think that's what a lot of stat worshipers stand behind. For a lumbering power hitter, I'd rather he struck out with RISP, but if we're talking more of a contact hitter with some speed, I'd rather he put the ball in play. It's all about context, so I hate these blanket statements about the game.
It is a funny thing about the stat world, that unless you are a homerun hitter, contact is bad. Contact almost always results in an out. Not swinging is always right (a walk never results in an out). The results of a ball hit in play are random. We don't have to concern ourselves with all these highly specific situations that come up and whether the random results of the batted ball produce the correct result.
Yet a strike out is the same as any other out. Even though, making contact could randomly result in not being out at all. We can of course ignore the fact that a strikeout is probably not the bast result for any of the highly specific situations. Too many different ones and too highly specific to be of sufficient sample size for any statistical analysis.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The only thing worse than a strikeout is grounding into a DP. I think that's what a lot of stat worshipers stand behind. For a lumbering power hitter, I'd rather he struck out with RISP, but if we're talking more of a contact hitter with some speed, I'd rather he put the ball in play. It's all about context, so I hate these blanket statements about the game.