Tuesday Nite Trivia......

tedzan · #1 10-31-2012, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Bill James rates Mize (as of 2003 when he last did his list) as the #62 player of all time, which includes Negro Leaguers. He ranks Mize ahead of, for example, Carew, Killebrew, Greenberg, Clemente(!), and Banks.

Somehow, I doubt that 30 years from now one will be able to sit down and talk baseball with any of today's players the way Ted talked to Mize.

Peter

I don't always agree with Bill James.....in this instance I do, regarding Johnny Mize. I would guess that Bill James (being a disciple of sabermetric analysis) appreciates Mize's
amazing On-Base percentage of .400

The 1950 American League race came down to a very tight contest between the Yankees, Detroit, Boston and Cleveland. I closely followed the 1950 season watching TV
and listening to my electronic tube radio. I vaguely recall Johnny Mize hitting 3 consecutive HR's in the late September drive against the Tigers. This was the 6th time in his
career he hit 3 in a game. A record which still stands today.

Regarding my conversations with Johnny, I wish that I had recorded them. Big John was a delight to talk with. Fortunately, I recall some of the highlights (as told in Post 23).

A final note, Mize (as did Ted Williams) had "run-ins" with quite a number of sportswriters which probably prevented him from being inducted into the HOF in his earlier years.

TED Z

Peter_Spaeth · #2 10-31-2012, 08:31 PM

Ted, Bill James does have some strange opinions, like the one he offered in his 2003 book that Craig Biggio was much better than Ken Griffey Jr., or his view that both Clemente and Banks are vastly overrated. While his book is a must read, the problem with it is that the depth of analysis is very inconsistent, sometimes he really explains himself, other times the bio of a major player will just contain a meaningless anecdote, or will just go off on tangents.

Still, very few people have attempted what he has, and he clearly was among the first to have insights about the importance of certain stats like walks that nobody ever paid much attention to before.

tedzan · #3 10-31-2012, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Still, very few people have attempted what he has, and he clearly was among the first to have insights about the importance of certain stats like walks that nobody ever paid much attention to before.

WALKS......the significance of which I have always agreed with James.

Peter......I will never forget in 1980 when George Brett was flirting with .400 BA, as he responded to a sportswriter asking him why he fell short of the coveted .400 BA......
he simply said "not enough WALKS". George had less than 60 Walks that season.

By contrast, Ted Williams in 1941 (.406) worked a free pass to 1st base 147 times.

Back in the good ole days when I was managing our Bell Labs. Softball team, The Dingbats, when circumstances called for it, I would yell...."a WALK is as good as a HIT".

TED Z

Peter_Spaeth · #4 10-31-2012, 10:06 PM

At one point in the book James explains how he ran computer models to test whether a guy who walked every at bat would be better than the best hitter ever at his peak in terms of positive impact on a team. It turned out, he was.

Jlighter · #5 10-31-2012, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

At one point in the book James explains how he ran computer models to test whether a guy who walked every at bat would be better than the best hitter ever at his peak in terms of positive impact on a team. It turned out, he was.

I thought about that, which led me to believe that a un-hit ball is more valuable then a ball in play.

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