Reasoning with Sabermetrics: Applying Statistical Science to Baseball's Tough Questions

by Gabriel B. Costa, Michael R. Huber, John T. Saccoman

Overview

Sabermetrics, the specialized analysis of baseball through empirical evidence, provides an impartial perspective from which to explore the game. In this work, the third in a series, three mathematicians employ statistical science in an attempt to answer some of baseball's toughest questions. For instance, how good were the 1961 New York Yankees? How bad were the 1962 Mets? Which team was the best of the Deadball Era? They also strive to determine baseball's greatest player at various positions. Throughout, the objective evidence allows for debate devoid of emotion and personal biases, providing a fresh, balanced evaluation of these and many other challenging questions.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786460717
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	08/14/2012
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

SABR member Gabriel B. Costa is a catholic priest and a professor of mathematical sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Michael R. Huber is a professor of mathematics at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has been studying sabermetrics for more than 20 years and is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. John T. Saccoman is a professor in the department of mathematics and computer science at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Part I One Way of Looking at the Issues 5

Issue 1 The Best Team of the Deadball Era 5

Issue 2 How Good were the 1927 New York Yankees? 8

Issue 3 How Good were the 1929-1931 Philadelphia Athletics? 12

Issue 4 How Bad were the St. Louis Browns? 15

Issue 5 Four Consecutive Championships: The New York Yankees of 1936 Through 1939 18

Issue 6 Five Consecutive Championships: The New York Yankees of 1949 Through 1953 21

Issue 7 The Great Brooklyn Dodger Teams of the 1940s and 1950s 25

Issue 8 How Good were the 1961 New York Yankees? 28

Issue 9 How Bad were the 1962 Mets? 32

Issue 10 How Good were the Los Angeles Dodgers Teams of the 1960s? 34

Issue 11 How Good were the St. Louis Cardinals Teams of the 1960s? 37

Issue 12 How Good were the 1969 New York Mets? 40

Issue 13 How Good were the Baltimore Orioles Teams of the 1960s and 1970s? 43

Issue 14 Three Consecutive Championships: The Oakland Athletics of 1972 Through 1974 45

Issue 15 How Good was the Big Red Machine of 1975 and 1976? 48

Issue 16 Were the 1986 New York Mets Better than their 1969 Counterpart? 51

Issue 17 How Good were the Toronto Blue Jays of 1992 and 1993? 56

Issue 18 Three Consecutive Championships: The New York Yankees of 1998 Through 2000 59

Issue 19 How Good were the 2004 and 2007 Versions of the Boston Red Sox? 62

Part II Let's Debate the Issues 67

Issue 20 Is On-Base-Plus-Slugging the Best Offensive Statistical Measure? 67

Issue 21 What is the Best Way to Measure the Efficiency of a Pitcher? 69

Issue 22 Baseball's Second Greatest Player 71

Issue 23 Baseball's Greatest Hitter 73

Issue 24 Baseball's Greatest Base Stealer 78

Issue 25 Baseball's Greatest Offensive First Baseman (After Lou Gehrig) 83

Issue 26 Baseball's Greatest Defensive First Baseman 85

Issue 27 Baseball's Greatest Offensive Second Baseman 89

Issue 28 Baseball's Greatest Defensive Second Baseman 92

Issue 29 Baseball's Greatest Offensive Shortstop 94

Issue 30 Baseball's Greatest Defensive Shortstop 97

Issue 31 Baseball's Greatest Offensive Third Baseman 100

Issue 32 Baseball's Greatest Defensive Third Baseman 104

Issue 33 Baseball's Greatest Offensive Outfielder 106

Issue 34 Baseball's Greatest Defensive Outfielder 110

Issue 35 Baseball's Greatest Offensive Catcher 113

Issue 36 Baseball's Greatest Defensive Catcher 116

Issue 37 Baseball's Greatest Starting Pitcher 120

Issue 38 Baseball's Greatest Relief Pitcher 123

Issue 39 Baseball's Greatest Fielding Pitcher 126

Issue 40 Baseball's Greatest Designated Hitter 129

Issue 41 Baseball's Greatest Manager 132

Issue 42 Who Should have Won the American League MVP Award in 1941? 135

Issue 43 Was Cal Ripken, Jr., More Valuable as a Shortstop or a Third Baseman? 139

Issue 44 Who would you Rather have on your Team, Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols? 142

Issue 45 If you had to Win a Game, Who Would you Pitch? 145

Issue 46 If you Needed a Hit to Win a Game, Who Would you Want at Bat? 150

Issue 47 Who was the Better Lead-Off Hitter: Rickey Henderson or Ichiro Suzuki? 156

Issue 48 Comparing Four Top Rookie Position Players 159

Issue 49 Comparing Four Top Rookie Pitchers 163

Part III Quantifying the Impossible? 171

Issue 50 What About Steroids? 171

Issue 51 Who are the Most Underrated Players in the Hall of Fame? 174

Issue 52 Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? 177

Issue 53 Why wasn't Joe DiMaggio a First-Ballot Hall of Farmer? 181

Issue 54 Who are the Best Position Players not in the Hall of Fame? 184

Issue 55 Who was the Best Athlete Ever to Play Major League Baseball? 188

Issue 56 Who was the Best Nineteenth Century Ballplayer? 191

Issue 57 Who were the Best Players of the Negro Leagues? 193

Issue 58 In the Final Analysis, Does Sabermetrics Make a Difference? 195

Appendix: Abbreviations and Formulas 199

References 203

Index 205

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