Keeping your own stats

with Texan about pitching stats. Wins and losses for pitchers tell you NOTHING about performance. ERA, strikeout to walk ratio, control---WAY more important.

I guess my feeling on stats is that they're useful. Just that. You shouldn't go strictly by the numbers, but you shouldn't just trust your "instincts", either. Stats can be a useful reality check. I think Moneyball opened some eyes regarding the player who looks great but just doesn't seem to deliver, and the player who doesn't look as impressive but just gets it done.

And some stats are more meaningful than others. I was just talking to my son yesterday about how a pitcher's W-L record is virtually meaningless. ERA has some value, but strikeouts to walks is even better (unless he's getting hammered so much that he doesn't have much of either.) For a batter the number of K's is important, and the OPS stat is one I've found to correspond pretty accurately to my overall assessment of a player's performance at the plate.

And none of the stats are of much use until the player's got enough playing time (innings or plate appearances) to let a pattern become clear.

quote:

Originally posted by P-Dog:
I guess my feeling on stats is that they're useful. Just that. You shouldn't go strictly by the numbers, but you shouldn't just trust your "instincts", either. Stats can be a useful reality check.
...
And some stats are more meaningful than others.
...
And none of the stats are of much use until the player's got enough playing time (innings or plate appearances) to let a pattern become clear.

Extremely well said.

Every thing in life is messured by stats. I agree that in several ocassions stats are not accurate, some times stats are purposely changed, and some times stats don't express performance 100% perfectly. Eleccion results are stats, medicaments efectiveness are stats, national population % are stats, etc.... Stats are good, who are not good are the scorekeepers, specially when they are parents.
Even if you don't keep stats, to remember who hit the most important hits, or who pitched the most important games, are also stats (mental stats). Now, to keep score in a baserball game is a very popular pratice even at ML games. It is nothing wrong with it, and lot of people enjoy better a baseball game keeping the score.
So, the problem it is not the stats, the problem is the source.

I have always kept my own book since little league days and they are now 21 and 17 playing HS and College ball. I now use turbo stats and it is fun to look at all the different stats for the both batting and pitching. I mainly do it because I am severely ADHD and it helps me keep focused on the game. I also like to know what everyone did their last at bat what the pitch count is etc.... It also helps me keep up with pitch counts... does it really matter why we do it?

I started keeping stats this year, mostly because i also take care of the teams website. I was recently emailed the "official" stats from the coaches wife (who keeps the official book) and laughed when I compared them. At the games, she is constantly chasing her dog among other things and obviously doesn't keep an accurate book. Batting averages were on the average 30-40 points higher all around. The coaches "pet" players were even higher. It is a complete joke!

Whether on the bench as a coach [HS and Legion] or not, I tend to keep my own version of a pitch chart, particularly when Junior is on the hump. He remembers virtually nothing about particulars after the fact, so if I'm not there, facts are few. In addition to the actual "book", I track pitches, strikes, strike %, first pitch strikes and %, K, BB, WHIP, etc. As someone in a earlier post stated "The numbers don't tell the whole story". How True!! When the HS team goes 10-30 over the last 2 years, one needs SOMETHING to help get a coaches attention. The ability to throw strikes, get ahead in the count, WHIP, Opp AVG, etc can go a long way IMHO. Also, [probably the real reason ]being a Math geek, I just like playing with the numbers!!

Thanks for all your responses. It really is fascinating to find out why people do things.

windmill

I never thought of the playing with numbers bit. That's a new one on me - and considering I started all my years of genealogy research based on a numbers thing (if I know 32 of my 10th great grandparents how many do I NOT know) I can fully understand that.

I think the only reason I never got started on the stats and book thing is that I can't do that and take pictures too. I am one of those folks who thinks nothing of taking a roll of film at every game.

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So how about it folks. If you keep your own set of stat books are you willing to help satisfaction kill the cat and let us know why YOU do it?

I keep my own books, but I do not accumulate stats. I find it helps keep my head in the game, and Helps me enjoy the game more.

I use to goto a lot of Milwaukee Braves games whenI was a kid and we always kept score.