Comments on: Walk-Off Sac Bunt From First http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721 This and that about baseball stats. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:57:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: TheGoof http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24921 TheGoof Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:19:50 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24921 Of course, Mays and Robinson were famously aggressive on the bases, too. You hear stories and watch clips, and they believed on running and running until they were out -- even if it meant running backwards or sideways in a rundown. You don't see that too often these days, although Jeter does it all the time, and other guys now and then. There's a great story from Bill James in the Tony Taylor portion of the 2001 Historical Baseball Abstract. In it, he's got the great line that "catching Willie Mays in a rundown is like trying to assassinate a squirrel with a lawn mower." Of course, Mays and Robinson were famously aggressive on the bases, too. You hear stories and watch clips, and they believed on running and running until they were out -- even if it meant running backwards or sideways in a rundown. You don't see that too often these days, although Jeter does it all the time, and other guys now and then. There's a great story from Bill James in the Tony Taylor portion of the 2001 Historical Baseball Abstract. In it, he's got the great line that "catching Willie Mays in a rundown is like trying to assassinate a squirrel with a lawn mower."

]]> By: Johnny Twisto http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24907 Johnny Twisto Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:30:03 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24907 League-wide extra base taken % used to be higher. There's probably a lot of little reasons it has gone down, but I'm not sure which are most important. Anyway, if you look at some older players, you'll find guys who top Griffin's number. Willie Mays was 63%, Jackie Robinson was 60% (and that's only with data from '52 on, so it was almost certainly higher before that), Willie Davis 63%, Willie Wilson 58%. Mickey Mantle was 58% through '63, before all the injuries slowed him down at the end. League-wide extra base taken % used to be higher. There's probably a lot of little reasons it has gone down, but I'm not sure which are most important. Anyway, if you look at some older players, you'll find guys who top Griffin's number. Willie Mays was 63%, Jackie Robinson was 60% (and that's only with data from '52 on, so it was almost certainly higher before that), Willie Davis 63%, Willie Wilson 58%. Mickey Mantle was 58% through '63, before all the injuries slowed him down at the end.

]]> By: TheGoof http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24899 TheGoof Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:44:56 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24899 Griffin's XBT% was 57. I thought that sounded high, so I compared it to some of my favorite quick, aggressive runners. They all were 47-49%! Griffin's XBT% was 57. I thought that sounded high, so I compared it to some of my favorite quick, aggressive runners. They all were 47-49%!

]]> By: Johnny Twisto http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24752 Johnny Twisto Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:52:42 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24752 Bill James compiled somewhere a bunch of Alfredo Griffin's exploits. I don't remember this one, but I think he somehow advanced two bases after an infield pop-up. Mike, now that you mention it, I have heard of the bunt-and-run. I just don't remember ever seeing it in the majors, or at least done with the initial intent of getting that extra base, which it looks like Gomez had. Bill James compiled somewhere a bunch of Alfredo Griffin's exploits. I don't remember this one, but I think he somehow advanced two bases after an infield pop-up.

Mike, now that you mention it, I have heard of the bunt-and-run. I just don't remember ever seeing it in the majors, or at least done with the initial intent of getting that extra base, which it looks like Gomez had.

]]> By: Hartvig http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24749 Hartvig Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:36:17 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24749 Alfredo Griffin used to do stuff like that all the time. I think I remember Ozzie Guillen doing something similar too. Alfredo Griffin used to do stuff like that all the time. I think I remember Ozzie Guillen doing something similar too.

]]> By: Mark http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24704 Mark Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:38:32 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24704 Thanks Raphy! That's the post I was looking for. Thanks Raphy! That's the post I was looking for.

]]> By: TheGoof http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24686 TheGoof Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:38:08 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24686 As Johnny Damon showed in the Series last year, you have to ALWAYS look ahead. It doesn't take long for a team to figure out, usually, that there's nobody covering. In that brief moment, a quick player can change the course of an entire game. As Johnny Damon showed in the Series last year, you have to ALWAYS look ahead. It doesn't take long for a team to figure out, usually, that there's nobody covering. In that brief moment, a quick player can change the course of an entire game.

]]> By: Frank Clingenpeel http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24680 Frank Clingenpeel Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:19:36 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24680 One other wish -- that enough people had thought it important enough to keep Negro League records on stats like this. I would bet good money {no offense, Pete Rose} that Cool Papa Bell would have made all of these latter-day figures seem meaningless. One other wish -- that enough people had thought it important enough to keep Negro League records on stats like this. I would bet good money {no offense, Pete Rose} that Cool Papa Bell would have made all of these latter-day figures seem meaningless.

]]> By: Frank Clingenpeel http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24650 Frank Clingenpeel Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:49:46 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24650 I'm surprised that the Dodgers of the '60s don't dominate these "small ball" discussions, front to back. In their book, a "Big Rally" consisted of Wills making his way to first somehow, stealing second, reaching third on an error and scoring on a sac fly. I'm surprised that the Dodgers of the '60s don't dominate these "small ball" discussions, front to back. In their book, a "Big Rally" consisted of Wills making his way to first somehow, stealing second, reaching third on an error and scoring on a sac fly.

]]> By: Raphy http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/6721/comment-page-1#comment-24648 Raphy Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:32:41 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=6721#comment-24648 Mark - This post may interest you. http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/1766 Mark - This post may interest you.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/1766

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