The Oakland A's- MLB's ACTUAL AAA team

#251
#251
VOLNBAMA said:
Some players just repsond better to pressure than others.
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This is the argument, and I will grant you that to the observer this is what we seem to see -- some guys who hit better when the game is on the line, and other guys who crater. And I don't doubt that at some level the effect exists -- how could it not? The problem is that when you look for empirical evidence for this sort of thing, you can't find it.

For example: if a guy is a really a clutch hitter, then he ought to consistently hit better than his "ordinary" stats would predict in clutch situations -- late innings of close games, runners on, etc. And he ought to do it every year, more or less, and he ought to carry this skill with him regardless of whether he changes teams. And the converse should be true of someone who chokes under pressure -- if that's really the case, then you'd expect him to consistently perform _worse_ than his stats would predict in clutch situations, from year to year, from team to team.

In other words, if this is an actual skill (or shortcoming), then you ought to be able to measure it. You ought to be able to see it year after year for the same players. But thus far, the stat guys have not been able to measure it as a repeatable year in, year out skill for anybody. (It's not for like of trying; clutch hitting is basically the statheads' Holy Grail. Prove it exists and you're immortal.)

Willie Harris hit like Tony Gwynn for a full half-season last year. Shane Spencer was the best hitter in the history of the Yankees for two months. A lot of random stuff goes on in this game.
 
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#252
#252
Vercingetorix said:
I guess I don't get it. If you're a mid-range payroll team, about all you can hope for is to get into the playoffs and hope that you get lucky. There's always going to be a $150m plus juggernaut in the way, but in a short series anything can happen. Better teams lose to worse teams all the time. (Maybe this is the flip side of the third round of playoffs -- rational teams figure that lightning has to strike three times instead of twice for them to win, which makes them more likely to cash out and play for next year?)

Still seems way too early to ship off Harden, though. Unless you know that he's hurt or juicing or has child pr0n in his locker or something.
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What made you think of something like that?:)
 
#253
#253
harden will get hurt. If i had extra money floating around, i'd put money on it. and by get hurt, i mean get hurt this year. Also, I don't believe this team could get lucky this year. The A's have quietly rebuilt their minor league system to be loaded once again, especially in pitching, so I think all they need to find are two solid dangerous home run threats and they will be set in about two years for another 5-6 year run at trying win it all.
 
#254
#254
Donaldson continues to mash since being traded. .423/.483/.923, 3/9 BB-to-K ratio, and 4 homers
 
#256
#256
Ryan Sweeney provided some great defense tonight for the A's. Two of his plays were in the top 10.
 
#257
#257
VOLNBAMA said:
Actually Harden was striking out over 29% of the batters he faced while he was in Oakland this season.
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it was 28% for the year, but you once again prove to be a hypocrite. For his career he's nowhere near that number. he's over 6 percentage points off. Quit giving Harden's season stats if we can't use anyone else's season stats.
 
#258
#258
what are you talking about, i have been using everyone's stats. The thing with Harden is that he hasn't even entered his prime yet.
 
#260
#260
Duchsherer pitched his butt off today and took the loss... Pettite outdueled him
 
#261
#261
VOLNBAMA said:
what are you talking about, i have been using everyone's stats. The thing with Harden is that he hasn't even entered his prime yet.
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The thing with Harden is he is never healthy. Add that to the fact that young flamethrowers flame out well before there supposed "prime" an awful lot and his future doesn't look to promising.
 
#267
#267
volfanbill said:
you really don't get a whole lot do you? so much just goes right over your head. My first stat was his career. Either way neither this year nor his career are over 29%
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Well if you look back i said he was striking out 30% this season, maybe you should look a little closer. And yes he struck out over 29.6% of the batters he faced in Oakland and 41% in Chicago.
 
#268
#268
VOLNBAMA said:
Well if you look back i said he was striking out 30% this season, maybe you should look a little closer. And yes he struck out over 29.6% of the batters he faced in Oakland and 41% in Chicago.
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VOLNBAMA said:
Let's see Harden strikes our over 30% of the batters he faces which is insane for the majors and Duchscherer is having a nice little season but he's doesn't have dominating stuff like Harden does. Also harden's ERA for the last 30 days is 1.52.
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he was only striking out 28.something with oakland. Not above 29. Also as you can see above, especially if you read along in the conversation, you were insinuating he strikes out over 30% of the batters for his career. Single season or career, he was never above the 29% plateau as an Athletic.
 
#269
#269
volfanbill said:
Hoch is pitching like a rookie an a below average team. Hmmmmm.

As for more dominant than Harden this is so easy, I'll even stay within the organization:

Justin Duchscherer.
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VOLNBAMA said:
Let's see Harden strikes our over 30% of the batters he faces which is insane for the majors and Duchscherer is having a nice little season but he's doesn't have dominating stuff like Harden does. Also harden's ERA for the last 30 days is 1.52.
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You said Duch was more dominant because of his season and i responded with saying Harden is having a more dominant season. And yes he was striking out over 29% of the batters he faced in Oakland this season.
 
#270
#270
show me your math for the 29% range... And I say over the past three years Duch has been more dominant. The only thing Harden dominates in MLB is the disabled list. Something the Cubs will find out soon enough.
 
#271
#271
/BB/PA K/PA BABIP GB% HR/Air FIP BsRA9
MLB Oakland 10.0%/ 29.6%/ .291/ 32%/ 4%/ 2.71/3.03
MLB Chi Cubs 12.5% 41.7%/ .455 36% 0% 0.96 3.50
 
#272
#272
fair enough. If you break down the math, it doesn't come out that way, but he's still not dominating. Still gives up a lot of fly balls and doesn't last long in the games he's in. Plus, like i said, there's nothing dominating a pitcher that sits inactive for the majority of his career.
 
#273
#273
volfanbill said:
fair enough. If you break down the math, it doesn't come out that way, but he's still not dominating. Still gives up a lot of fly balls and doesn't last long in the games he's in. Plus, like i said, there's nothing dominating a pitcher that sits inactive for the majority of his career.
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That's why i said when he's healthy.
 
#274
#274
once again though that's an argument you can't fairly assess because he's never been healthy long enough to accurately determine the most dominant pitcher when he's healthy.
 
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