Comments for Stealing First Base http://stealingfirstbase.com a Pittsburgh Pirates blog Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:23:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0-RC2-15172 Comment on On Neil Walker and plate discipline by Revisiting Neil Walker’s plate discipline » Pittsburgh Lumber Co. http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/07/29/on-neil-walker-and-plate-discipline/#comment-26 Revisiting Neil Walker’s plate discipline » Pittsburgh Lumber Co. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:23:29 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=108#comment-26 [...] night, Nate Rose of Stealing First Base took my recent article regarding Neil Walker and began digging deeper. He went to FanGraphs and took a look at Walker’s plate discipline numbers, wondering whether we [...] [...] night, Nate Rose of Stealing First Base took my recent article regarding Neil Walker and began digging deeper. He went to FanGraphs and took a look at Walker’s plate discipline numbers, wondering whether we [...]

]]> Comment on On Neil Walker and plate discipline by naterose http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/07/29/on-neil-walker-and-plate-discipline/#comment-25 naterose Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:43:14 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=108#comment-25 The first pitch strike percentage on the Pirates is 59.4%, good for the 10th highest in the league. It may appear you're on to something. The nine teams with higher first pitch strike percentages than us are all also bad, with the Royals, Rockies, Nationals, Orioles, Astros, Giants, Indians, Cubs and Blue Jays rounding out the top 10. Only the Giants are really in the race for their division. However, the Yankees still get credit for being a very disciplined team, as collectively they swing at only 25.8% of pitches out of the zone. The Pirates rank near the middle of the pack as a team in that statistic, with 29.1% The Bucs are also the 6th worst in the Majors at swinging strike percentage with 9.2% of their strikes of the swing-and-miss variety. The first pitch strike percentage on the Pirates is 59.4%, good for the 10th highest in the league. It may appear you’re on to something. The nine teams with higher first pitch strike percentages than us are all also bad, with the Royals, Rockies, Nationals, Orioles, Astros, Giants, Indians, Cubs and Blue Jays rounding out the top 10. Only the Giants are really in the race for their division.

However, the Yankees still get credit for being a very disciplined team, as collectively they swing at only 25.8% of pitches out of the zone. The Pirates rank near the middle of the pack as a team in that statistic, with 29.1% The Bucs are also the 6th worst in the Majors at swinging strike percentage with 9.2% of their strikes of the swing-and-miss variety.

]]> Comment on On Neil Walker and plate discipline by Don http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/07/29/on-neil-walker-and-plate-discipline/#comment-24 Don Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:12:19 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=108#comment-24 Interesting stuff. Seperate but related question. Do the pirates in general get more first pitch strikes compared to league average? I would surmise that in general pitchers are not afraid to pitch to the pirates and generally go after the strike zone more readily than they would against other more potent team. The Yankees at one extreme are always lauded for having great plate discipline, but isnt that partially a result of having more feared hitters? So, with plate discipline, isnt there some mitigating factors... Interesting stuff. Seperate but related question. Do the pirates in general get more first pitch strikes compared to league average? I would surmise that in general pitchers are not afraid to pitch to the pirates and generally go after the strike zone more readily than they would against other more potent team. The Yankees at one extreme are always lauded for having great plate discipline, but isnt that partially a result of having more feared hitters? So, with plate discipline, isnt there some mitigating factors…

]]> Comment on Lastings Milledge is a starter by Kipper http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/07/16/lastings-milledge-is-a-starter/#comment-9 Kipper Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:48:42 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=89#comment-9 I don't think that there was any Pirates fan remaining even trying to defend Russell and the Ryan Church playing time decision/head scratcher. Now there's some people that seem to think that the platoon worked magic for whatever reason. I don't know, personally, just like most of the players on this team, there's hot and cold streaks. I don't think Ryan Church and his sub .200 batting average had anything to do with Lastings Milledge hitting a little bit over his head recently. Just a nice streak. Hey, I couldn't find your contact information. I wanted to know if you would be interested in Exchanging Website Links? If so, get a hold of me at - kipper @ pittsburghsportstavern.com Kipper I don’t think that there was any Pirates fan remaining even trying to defend Russell and the Ryan Church playing time decision/head scratcher. Now there’s some people that seem to think that the platoon worked magic for whatever reason. I don’t know, personally, just like most of the players on this team, there’s hot and cold streaks. I don’t think Ryan Church and his sub .200 batting average had anything to do with Lastings Milledge hitting a little bit over his head recently. Just a nice streak.

Hey, I couldn’t find your contact information. I wanted to know if you would be interested in Exchanging Website Links? If so, get a hold of me at – kipper @ pittsburghsportstavern.com

Kipper

]]> Comment on What to do whith Andy LaRoche when Pedro Alvarez comes up? by naterose http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/06/11/what-to-do-whith-andy-laroche-when-pedro-alvarez-comes-up/#comment-4 naterose Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:18:43 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=41#comment-4 I'm glad you took the time to comment on a week-old post to let me know that. Feel free to stop by whenever to tell me what a horrible writer I am. I’m glad you took the time to comment on a week-old post to let me know that. Feel free to stop by whenever to tell me what a horrible writer I am.

]]> Comment on What to do whith Andy LaRoche when Pedro Alvarez comes up? by anonymous http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/06/11/what-to-do-whith-andy-laroche-when-pedro-alvarez-comes-up/#comment-3 anonymous Fri, 18 Jun 2010 23:58:55 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=41#comment-3 "Frankly, I have to wonder why we should care." This should be the name of your blog. It's what everyone who's ever stumbled across it says. Please stop polluting the internet. No one cares what you think. “Frankly, I have to wonder why we should care.”

This should be the name of your blog. It’s what everyone who’s ever stumbled across it says. Please stop polluting the internet. No one cares what you think.

]]> Comment on Something has to be done about Ryan Doumit by Alan http://stealingfirstbase.com/2010/06/13/something-has-to-be-done-about-ryan-doumit/#comment-2 Alan Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:47:51 +0000 http://titletahn.com/stealingfirstbase/?p=47#comment-2 I told Cory before the season in one of our podcasts that I felt Tampa Bay would have a use for Doumit. I still think that's true. Pena still has his power but his hitting under the Mendoza Line. Navarro and Shoppach aren't hitting anything. And they are now trotting out Hank Blalock as a DH, sometimes John Jaso. Needless to say, they are lacking. Doumit could give them a solid, switch-hitting option at DH/C/1B/RF, wherever they want to try to stick him in the field once a week. What he could get in return, who knows. But I'm sure the Rays have talent from which to choose. Maybe Doumit and Cedeno could land Brignac and low-level bat. I don't know, just throwing out names. I told Cory before the season in one of our podcasts that I felt Tampa Bay would have a use for Doumit. I still think that’s true. Pena still has his power but his hitting under the Mendoza Line. Navarro and Shoppach aren’t hitting anything. And they are now trotting out Hank Blalock as a DH, sometimes John Jaso. Needless to say, they are lacking. Doumit could give them a solid, switch-hitting option at DH/C/1B/RF, wherever they want to try to stick him in the field once a week.

What he could get in return, who knows. But I’m sure the Rays have talent from which to choose. Maybe Doumit and Cedeno could land Brignac and low-level bat. I don’t know, just throwing out names.

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