Sonstiges » season against the Pirates. Anders

What made Bill James, the father of modern sabermetrics, so effective as a writer? There are plenty of plausible answers, from the revolutionary nature of the way James interpreted statistics in the 1980s to his way with words and biting wit.In the last edition of his Baseball Abstract series, however, James offered a different explanation.The secret of the success of this series, James wrote, was that I was dead in the center of the discussion. I was writing about exactly the same issues that everybody else was talking about, only in a different way.Thats sort of how I feel about ESPNs new analytics vertical. If youre interested in viewing sports a different way, as James put it, this is a new place to find a common style of thinking across different writers and specialties.At the same time, the topics youll find here are the same as on the sport index pages elsewhere on ESPN.com, both because this is a home for articles also published there and because were still trying to answer the same questions as everyone else.Ive written before that what statistical analysts do in sports has as much to do with history as it does with math. When theres a question worth asking (How will the Golden State Warriors perform with Kevin Durant? How will LeBron James age? Were the Philadelphia 76ers wise to tear down their roster?), what were often doing is using statistics to sift through basketball history in the same way we naturally do in an anecdotal way.The rationale is not about the numbers per se so much as the ability to avoid some of the perceptual biases that cause our memory to overstate certain examples while ignoring other potentially relevant ones.Take, for example, projecting the development of players based on similar predecessors. Finding comparisons for young players has been a part of the scouting process as long as its existed. Alas, even for someone aware of the potential for bias, that process can be unduly influenced by irrelevant factors like the players race, the hand he uses, or where he happened to go to college. A statistical comparison tool like my SCHOENE projection system doesnt consider any of those things.Of course, statistics have always played a role in that process.Weve got this buzzword, analytics, says Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens. Maybe we have more access to data than we had in the past, but certain people have been using statistics and what they can get their hands on forever. Its not necessarily a new concept, right?And its not necessarily more complex, either. Oftentimes, what we call advanced statistics are really anything but in the traditional mathematical sense. Metrics like effective field goal percentage and points per possession arent really any more complex than traditional field goal percentage or per-game stats.The advancement lies in the fact that these new statistics better reflect what happens on the court. Basketball knowledge, not math knowledge, is required to understand and develop these measures.And thats why Id appreciate it if everyone stopped saying that statistical analysts are smart. Its well-intentioned, certainly, and often accurate -- depending on your definition of the term. But engagement with statistical analysis doesnt mean youre smart. Likewise, those who ignore statistical analysis are not by definition dumb, and the latter reflects the real problem here.Talking about how smart statistical analysts are gives the appearance of closing off the field to anyone who doesnt self-identify as smart because they didnt do well in school, or worse yet were told they werent smart or good at math. And the same goes for anyone who doesnt place a great cultural value on math ability.Instead, its better to think of statistical analysis the way we think of any other field of knowledge, one that requires and improves with study. That process is surely easier to navigate if you think about the world in mathematical terms or are familiar with the mathematical field of statistics. However, it doesnt require a diploma from an Ivy League school to begin.Consider the case of Houston Rockets analyst Ed Kupfer, who didnt finish high school in his native Canada. Kupfers interest in basketball statistics was an outgrowth of trying to win debates on NBA Usenet discussion forums. That led him to a discussion group about advanced statistics that became the APBRmetrics message board.There, Kupfer learned about the growing field of basketball statistics with the help of forerunners like Dean Oliver, while also teaching himself the formal mathematical principles of statistics and how to use programs like R in addition to Excel to calculate metrics. Those lessons paid off when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey hired Kupfer as an analyst shortly after joining the Rockets in 2006.If analytics are a field to be learned, then hopefully this new home is the first step for some, necessary review for others, and reinforcement for those who already consider themselves experts.Now, if you dont mind, weve got some questions to answer. Wholesale Custom Clippers Shirts . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. Authentic Custom Clippers Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. http://www.customclippersjersey.com/ . 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PITTSBURGH -- Milwaukee second baseman Scooter Gennett saw Pittsburghs Josh Harrison chugging for third leading off the bottom of the ninth in a tie game on Tuesday night and did some quick math.In that play, especially with no outs there, were trying to get that guy out, Gennett said. A runner on third with no outs is not very good. I took a chance at it.One that didnt work out for the struggling Brewers. Gennetts relay throw skipped by teammate Hernan Perez at third and out of play, allowing Harrison to stroll home and give the Pirates a 3-2 victory.Perezs RBI single off Pittsburgh All-Star closer Mark Melancon (1-1) with two outs in the top of the ninth had tied the game, though the momentum lasted only as long as it took Harrison to drill an offering from Tyler Thornburg (3-4) off the wall in right-center to set up the winning sequence.Were taught just to throw it right at the guy and hope for the best, Gennett said. Thats what I did and it didnt work out.Milwaukee lost for the fifth time in six games, the last two defeats coming on walk-off hits.Its not fun when you get walked off on but for the most part were playing good baseball, Gennett said. Were in these ballgames. Got to keep grinding and eventually well run into some win streaks.Junior Guerra overcame a shaky start to allow two runs over six innings, striking out six and walking three. Guerras only wobble came in the first, when two walks and a single by Andrew McCutchen loaded the bases with one out. David Freese loped a soft single to right field to score Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cervellis fly to left easily plated McCutchen to give Taillon an early lead.Guerra surrendered one more hit over his final five innings.Junior was excellent like hes been all year, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.Pirates rookie Jameson Taillon pitched six innings in his return from the disabled list, narrowly avoiding serious injury after taking a line drive off his head in the second.With one out, Perez sent a liner toward the mound that drilled Taillon on the back of the head. The 24-year-old rookie lay on the ground for several moments while being tended to by ttrainers but was permitted to stay in the game.dddddddddddd.Whenever someone gets hit in the head, its scary, Gennett said. He stayed in there and almost pitched even better after getting hit in the head, which is pretty incredible.The scare hardly seemed to faze Taillon, who allowed one run and five hits, striking out three without a walk before being removed after throwing 65 pitches in his first start since being placed on the disabled list on June 28 with right shoulder fatigue.Chris Carter doubled leading off the fourth and scored on a groundout by Perez but otherwise Taillon kept the Brewers in check as he outpitched Guerra, who has been one of the bright spots for the struggling Brewers.I thought we hit some balls hard off (Taillon) but we couldnt get the runner-in-scoring position hit, Counsell said.Milwaukee went just 1 for 8 with men in scoring position, the lone hit Perezs single up the middle that scored Ryan Braun, who had led off the ninth with a five-pitch walk against Melancon. Counsell is hopeful his teams gritty performance against one of the better closers in the game can provide a boost going forward.Against an All-Star closer, a guy thats been lights out all season, we had the guys up there we wanted, Counsell said. Braun ... got us started, put pressure on Melancon and then a big two-out hit. Its good to see.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RF Gregory Polanco went 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored while showing no ill effects from a sore left hamstring that kept him sidelined since July 8.UP NEXTBrewers: Chase Anderson (4-10, 5.44 ERA) will try to get a handle on his control issues on Wednesday night when he makes his second start of the season against the Pirates. Anderson has issued a career-high five walks in each of his last two starts, both losses to St. Louis.Pirates: Jeff Locke (8-5, 5.26 ERA) will try to win his fourth straight decision on Wednesday night when he makes his 18th start of the season. Locke is 5-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 13 career starts against the Brewers. ' ' '