Today's Fun Fact
by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 19, 2010 6:20 PM PDT
in Seattle Mariners Stats
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PrintSo far this season, Chone Figgins has bounced into 14 double plays, which is five more than his previous career high.
"Well all right," you say, "but he's batting second, instead of his familiar leadoff, so he's coming to the plate more often with guys on base. So of course he's hitting into more double plays."
Good counter. So how about this? So far this season, Chone Figgins has bounced into 14 double plays in 106 potential double play opportunities, for a rate of one DP per 7.6 chances.
For his career up until this season, Chone Figgins had bounced into 45 double plays in 661 potential double play opportunities, for a rate of one DP per 14.7 chances.
Don't take this as me suggesting that I think Chone Figgins has gotten slower. I don't. And it's entirely possible that there's not actually anything here, and we're just dealing with statistical happenstance due to a limited sample size. But, man, batting Figgins behind Ichiro has really not at all worked out like we planned.
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The dramatic change in ISO between 07-10 just looks so odd.
How does a guy have his arms fall off one year, get them stapled back on the next year, and then have them fall off worse the year after?
Funner Fact
Albert Pujols has a career 12.8% GDP rate (=GDP/PA w/ man on 1st and 1 or 0 outs) over his career. He has a 1.016 OPS in those situations too, but he sucks at not grounding into double plays. (10.5% was the league average in 2010.)
He's not going anywhere either...
How about for next year, Figgins – Ackley – Ichiro.
Too much pressure on a rookie? Who cares? I’m guessing he can handle it. And, for Ichiro, how many AB’s would he lose over the course of the year? 30?? He should still get 200 hits, and this way he could drive in 85 runs.
It doesn't have a basis in fact or anything nice like that.
You know the drill. Best hitters go 1,2,4. I understand the idea behind hitting your best guy 3rd, but the numbers just don’t support that practice.
by Jon S. on Aug 19, 2010 11:47 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ichiro is by far our best #3 hitter, so it makes sense!
Of course, he’s also our best 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 hitter.
Morgan Ensberg for Manager 2011!
AL Scout on Rendon: "I would peg him as a poor man's Jose Lopez."
6-4! It did work.
Funny how people don’t ever think there has to be a reason beyond his rumored selfishness that he has almost never batted 3rd. But ignorance and irrationality are easy.
by Hopefulmsfan on Aug 20, 2010 2:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Is there someone in the media who is beating this weird drum? Otherwise, it's just unfathomable.
What're ya gonna do with those pies, boys?
I think I understand it.
Most of us have vivid memories of Ichiro coming through with clutch base hits when men are on base. In the late innings too, no less.
Thus, people want to put Ichiro in a position to come to the plate more often when runners are on base.
Does it make sense? Nope, but I can see why people think that.
I am going to come into your house at night and rec up the place.
Its not really that weird.
I mean he is our best hitter, and its not fun always seeing your best hitter come up with 2 outs and nobody on because of who is batting ahead of him.
Don't be too sure of that
Ichiro’s on a pace to get about 206 hits this year. He’s basically on the bubble and in danger of not hitting that milestone.The loss in PA’s from one spot lower in the order is usually around 18. 18 fewer PA’s for him would mean about 6 fewer hits.
by nathaniel dawson on Aug 20, 2010 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe I'm daft - but I still think Figgins-Ichiro would have worked out better
The argument against batting Ichiro #2 that I kept hearing before the season started (other than Ichiro not wanting to bat second), was that Ichiro’s slap-hitting style would mean a lot of GIDPs. But with Ichiro arguably being faster and having better bat control, I always thought he would be better-suited to moving Figgins over, and legging out grounders and turning them into a fielder’s choice. In a ground-ball situation, isn’t the out at second-base usually the easier one to get when turning a DP?
Was Figgins expected to hit a lot of line-drives past the infielders or something? Can someone point out the flaw in my reasoning?
Figgins was supposed to get on by drawing a lot of walks.
Which would move Ichiro up to 2nd without having to risk the DPs.
I know he was supposed to be a patient hitter
but really – I mean really? Who gets more walks than hits in a season (excluding a few power-hitters who racked up a ton of intentional walks – something Figgins won’t get)? Doesn’t it make sense to plan on how to use a player’s hits, and then factor in the walks afterwards? I just can’t believe that was the thinking process.
Whether or not it works out in this case,
it makes sense to plan for the totality of offense that you project.
It makes no sense to ignore either hits or walks “first” and then look at something else “later”
You want to avoid infield grounders with men on base
So, all else being equal, the player with the most infield grounders should hit first.
What're ya gonna do with those pies, boys?
If I did the math right, before this year...
Ichiro GB/PA (career) = 41%
Figgins: 30%
That’s a big difference.
What're ya gonna do with those pies, boys?
Figgins would get more plate appearances than Ichiro though
And since Ichiro is a better hitter than Figgins, this would hurt the team.
by Edgar for Pres on Aug 20, 2010 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
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