www.statisticianmagician.com http://www.statisticianmagician.com Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 The Top 3 Relief Pitchers In Major League Baseball http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/21/the-top-3-relief-pitchers-in-major-league-baseball/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/21/the-top-3-relief-pitchers-in-major-league-baseball/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=16 How many times have you seen your team’s bullpen give away a hard earned lead? It happens more often than fans, and managers, would like it to. Major league teams are constantly searching for an extra piece to add to their bullpen; relief pitchers are some of the most crucial role players in the game today. So, who are the top relievers? To find the top three relievers in baseball”excluding closers”one must look only as far as the National League East.

3. Jonny Venters, RHP, Atlanta Braves – In only his second full season, Venters has established himself as a premier pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. With a devastating power slider that baffles righties and lefties alike, Venters managed to put up 96 strikeouts in only 88 innings, while allowing only a 1.84 ERA to opposing offenses.

2. Tyler Clippard, RHP, Washington Nationals – Washington’s setup man posted very similar numbers to Venters’, though in an arguably more difficult situation. With Atlanta’s starting rotation exiting games with leads intact much more often than the Nats, Clippard was constantly thrown into action with runners on, and still emerged unscathed. Clippard has a very bright future.

1. Eric O’Flaherty, LHP, Atlanta Braves – Atlanta’s former lefty specialist certainly emerged in 2011, as he posted the league’s lowest ERA among full-time players at a miniscule 0.98. Being a top reliever is all about preserving leads and not allowing runs to score – in this sense, Eric O’Flaherty did his job better than every other relief pitcher in baseball.The information doesn’t stop now. Keep looking: You: David Robertson and the Top 5 Setup Men in Baseball

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/21/the-top-3-relief-pitchers-in-major-league-baseball/feed/ 0 The Top 3 Third Basemen In Fantasy Baseball http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/19/the-top-3-third-basemen-in-fantasy-baseball/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/19/the-top-3-third-basemen-in-fantasy-baseball/#comments Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=15 Fantasy baseball can be a tough game, as it depends on players’ real statistics, meaning it can be frustrating watching top ranked players put up disappointing numbers. However, this season third basemen were plagued with injuries, making it a particularly tough spot for fantasy baseball owners. A lot of ranks changed, and some remained the same, leaving the question: who are the top 3 third basemen in fantasy baseball?
The number three third baseman would have to be Evan Longoria. After coming off a tough oblique injury in 2011, he eventually bounced back and put up great numbers. If he had been able to stay a bit more healthy, his numbers may have been staggering this season. His combination of home runs and RBI makes him an excellent third baseman.
The number two third baseman is Adrian Beltre. Beltre dealt with a hamstring injury this season, but still put up fantastic RBI numbers with 105 and home run numbers with 32, while still putting up a nice batting average of .296. His first season with the Rangers was a success, and he immediately slipped into a comfortable middle of the lineup power spot once the season got underway.
The number one third baseman is without further ado: Jose Bautista. Bautista can play third base and right field, and his amazing power and RBI numbers make him the best third baseman in fantasy baseball. After hitting 54 home runs in 2010, he bounced back to hit 43 home runs in 2011, along with 103 RBI and a batting average of .302. Jose Bautista is unquestionably the best third baseman in fantasy baseball.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/19/the-top-3-third-basemen-in-fantasy-baseball/feed/ 0 Why Picking Players That Play For Winners Is Important http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/15/why-picking-players-that-play-for-winners-is-important/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/15/why-picking-players-that-play-for-winners-is-important/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=14 When you are building a fantasy baseball team, it is really important to decide which teams you are going to pick for. Usually people approach it the wrong way. They look at players they like and players they think are talented. Then they add them to their team and expect that this will be enough to get them a lot of points. However, that is completely the wrong approach. The key to getting a good fantasy team going is to actually pick players based on who they play for. If you are going to pick fantasy players, you want those who are going to make the playoffs. This way, you will get a guarantee that they will have long, fruitful seasons. Picking from teams such as the Yankees and the Red Sox is a good place to start. They are always going to be there or thereabouts come the playoffs, so their players are likely to have good seasons. Sometimes players who play more unsung roles for the team, but still do well, are good fantasy bets as they cost less but will still get a lot of points.

So pick wisely, and decide which teams you think are going to have good seasons. Then, pick their players and you will be good to go.Keep looking, there’s more: New York Yankees: Red Sox Are Still Alive

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/11/15/why-picking-players-that-play-for-winners-is-important/feed/ 0 Best Baseball Movies for Fall http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/10/15/best-baseball-movies-for-fall/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/10/15/best-baseball-movies-for-fall/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/?p=12 We love baseball but there’s more to the sport than just stats (we know, we know.) If you’re interested in taking a break from all the numbers and kicking back with a great baseball movie at the theaters or on Direct TV, here are our picks for Fall.
Money Ball: Starring Brad Pitt, Money Ball is the tale of the Oakland A’s and their quest for greatness at the hands of a new coach. You’ll have to head to theaters to see this one but it’s family friendly and a heck of a true story.
Bull Durham: The classic love story starring Kevin Costner never gets old and we’ve found it reruns a lot on TV. We love the mix of baseball and personal life and though it’s no true story, it rings honest.
The Sandlot: Who doesn’t love this film? It’s great as an end of summer wind down and if you’ve got kids they need to see it. Hey youuuuu guysssssturn this one on. If you’re a baseball fan you should be required to watch this at least once a year.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/10/15/best-baseball-movies-for-fall/feed/ 0 Considering Style Of Play When Drafting http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/22/considering-style-of-play-when-drafting/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/22/considering-style-of-play-when-drafting/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=11 One of the most popular activities that millions of baseball fans like to take advantage of each year is fantasy baseball. The most important date of any fantasy baseball season is the draft date. On draft day all of the participants in the league choose to follow a specific strategy which they have created on their own. One strategy, which should be followed closely, is to consider the playing style that a player’s team likes to follow.

While it is easy to look at last years statistics to predict how well a player will do, baseball tends have many offseason changes which could affect the player’s next year. For example, if a player switched from a team that likes to play conservative baseball to a team that likes to be aggressive and run a lot, they could see their base stealing statistics rise quite a bit. You also need to consider whether the team experienced a recent coaching change, which could also affect team strategy.

When choosing players you also need to factor in if they have switched stadiums. If a pitcher is going from a pitcher friendly home field to one that has a lot of homeruns, then their statistics could get a lot worse.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/22/considering-style-of-play-when-drafting/feed/ 0 How Your Outfield Can Make Or Break Your Season http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/18/how-your-outfield-can-make-or-break-your-season/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/18/how-your-outfield-can-make-or-break-your-season/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=10 When strategizing for your upcoming fantasy baseball draft it is natural to become overwhelmed by all of the positions that you need to fill. While you may think that it is most important to draft a stellar pitching staff, or get the best hitting first baseman available, the secret to building a good fantasy baseball team is getting a deep and solid outfield.

The main reason why it is important to draft a solid outfield is because you will need to draft and start three outfielders, which compares to just one player for each other position. Furthermore, since most major league baseball teams rotate outfielders in and out during the season, the amount of quality fantasy options is low.Is this new to you? Catch up here This compares to other positions where you could grab a quality fantasy producer in much lower rounds.

While quality outfielders are limited, the top tiered outfielders are often among the league leaders in homeruns, RBIs, stolen bases, and OPS. Because of this, it would be a huge advantage if you could grab two of the top tiered outfielders. When planning your draft it would be ideal to have two of your top four picks spent on outfielders and have your third picked by round 8.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/18/how-your-outfield-can-make-or-break-your-season/feed/ 0 How To Pick The Right Middle Infielders http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/17/how-to-pick-the-right-middle-infielders/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/17/how-to-pick-the-right-middle-infielders/#comments Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=9 One of the most popular activities that baseball fans like to participate in during the summer months is a fantasy baseball league. When putting together a fantasy baseball draft strategy most people focus on building a good pitching lineup, getting a collection of power hitters, and finding players with good batting averages. While all of this is important, one of the most overlooked spots on the fantasy roster at the middle infielders.

While middle infielders do not historically provide the best fantasy stats, getting the top players on your team could provide you with a huge edge on the competition. Since there are only a few middle infielders with the potential to put up big offensive numbers, you should try and grab the top players early in the draft.

If you are not able to get one of the top hitting middle infielders early on, you may be stuck with a selection of guys who will not put up big power numbers. In this situation you should look for guys who historically play in 150 games each year, have excellent on base percentages, and can steal at least 25 stolen bases. This should give you an edge in several other stat categories.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/17/how-to-pick-the-right-middle-infielders/feed/ 0 The Rise Of Sabremetrics In Baseball Statistics http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/13/the-rise-of-sabremetrics-in-baseball-statistics/ http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/13/the-rise-of-sabremetrics-in-baseball-statistics/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.statisticianmagician.com/&p=8 In the past few years, you may have heard a somewhat new word sneaking into the lingo of your fellow baseball fans and broadcasters. That word is sabermetrics and while it might sound like the kind of word you might find in the advanced vocabulary section of the SATs, the process itself is actually quite simple at it’s core.

Sabermetrics is the study and analysis of baseball using objective and empirical evidence found in player’s statistics rather than following popular trends in the industry. Basically, general managers and scouts judge a player on his actual statistical performance rather than his projected performance. The method was first popularized and coined by Bill James, founder of the Society For American Baseball Research (SABR).

However, sabermetrics and Major League Baseball didn’t gel instantly. The most famous example of sabermetrics in practice was put in place by Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. His method was so successful over a number of years that it was not only the main feature of the book Moneyball by Michael Lewis, but it was later employed by Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein who soon led his team to two World Series titles.

Now, years later, almost every team in Major League Baseball employs a team of sabermetric analysts.

]]> http://www.statisticianmagician.com/2011/07/13/the-rise-of-sabremetrics-in-baseball-statistics/feed/ 0