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billryan
billryan
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April 28th, 2021 at 4:51:09 PM permalink
Instead of a book, why not do 365 birthday cards. A little over-sized, cardboard stock cover and four to eight pages.
$3.95 at your favorite card shop or at Amazon.
The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction is supposed to make sense.
PokerGrinder
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April 28th, 2021 at 5:22:50 PM permalink
Quote: billryan

Instead of a book, why not do 365 birthday cards. A little over-sized, cardboard stock cover and four to eight pages.
$3.95 at your favorite card shop or at Amazon.


As the intended market I personally wouldn’t purchase birthday cards.

I like the idea of maybe doing the baseball season or 12 one month books but that might be an insane idea.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
SOOPOO
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April 28th, 2021 at 5:27:45 PM permalink
Do the 10 best days. And the two worst days. The general public might not be interested in the 138th best day....
gordonm888
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April 28th, 2021 at 5:54:55 PM permalink
Quote: SOOPOO

Do the 10 best days. And the two worst days. The general public might not be interested in the 138th best day....



I think that one of the strengths of what I've done so far is that baseball history sort of emerges from the write-ups in daubs and splashes. To me, the "best days" might include the strongest teams + the days with the most compelling stories and cast of characters.

Maybe discuss some number of teams - call it 'n'- with an an appendix listing all of the other teams without discussion. I'll keep turning it over in my head.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
SOOPOO
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April 28th, 2021 at 5:59:40 PM permalink
Quote: gordonm888



Maybe discuss some number of teams - call it 'n'- with an an appendix listing all of the other teams without discussion. I'll keep turning it over in my head.



I think that’s a great idea. 10 ‘best’ teams. And 10 ‘most interesting’ teams. And list the other 336 teams as well.
Wizard
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April 28th, 2021 at 8:53:25 PM permalink
I must say I find this thread very interesting from a statistics point of view. However, I don't know the fine points of baseball very well and can't contribute any good team or ideas. Hopefully, the May 23 team is a strong one.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, there is a strong correlation for Canadian hockey players between date of birth (month and year) and success in the NHL. Anyone care to speculate why?
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
billryan
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April 28th, 2021 at 10:49:20 PM permalink
Quote: PokerGrinder

As the intended market I personally wouldn’t purchase birthday cards.

I like the idea of maybe doing the baseball season or 12 one month books but that might be an insane idea.



You aren't the target audience. Your significant other, your parents and favorite aunt is.
The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction is supposed to make sense.
Hunterhill
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April 29th, 2021 at 12:18:58 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I must say I find this thread very interesting from a statistics point of view. However, I don't know the fine points of baseball very well and can't contribute any good team or ideas. Hopefully, the May 23 team is a strong one.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, there is a strong correlation for Canadian hockey players between date of birth (month and year) and success in the NHL. Anyone care to speculate why?


I either read or heard this before (maybe Malcolm Gladwell) anyways I will let others think on it until you post the answer.
The mountain is tall but grass grows on top of the mountain.
PokerGrinder
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April 29th, 2021 at 3:50:58 AM permalink
Quote: billryan

You aren't the target audience. Your significant other, your parents and favorite aunt is.


Lol I’m a baseball fanatic, how am I not the target audience?

I can tell you with 100% accuracy none of those people in my life are reading this book other than my dad who, yes you guessed it, is a baseball fanatic.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
billryan
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April 29th, 2021 at 5:43:55 AM permalink
Quote: PokerGrinder

Lol I’m a baseball fanatic, how am I not the target audience?

I can tell you with 100% accuracy none of those people in my life are reading this book other than my dad who, yes you guessed it, is a baseball fanatic.



Because you don't buy birthday cards. Unless, of course, you are the sort that buys 1200 page coffee table books, in which case you can get the limited edition leather bound edition.
The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction is supposed to make sense.
PokerGrinder
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April 29th, 2021 at 5:45:59 AM permalink
Quote: billryan

Because you don't buy birthday cards. Unless, of course, you are the sort that buys 1200 page coffee table books, in which case you can get the limited edition leather bound edition.


Oh I misunderstood what you were referring to. Who is the intended target of the birthday cards? Like I said my family and friends who aren’t baseball fans would never buy them.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
gordonm888
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April 29th, 2021 at 7:22:30 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I must say I find this thread very interesting from a statistics point of view. However, I don't know the fine points of baseball very well and can't contribute any good team or ideas. Hopefully, the May 23 team is a strong one.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, there is a strong correlation for Canadian hockey players between date of birth (month and year) and success in the NHL. Anyone care to speculate why?



I remember from a Freakanomics book that this was the case - that professionals tended to be born in the early months of a year, Jan - March, because they had a physical advantage during school, being older than kids born late in the year. That encouraged them to focus on athletics.

I had that in mind when I did a quick check on number of baseball athletes born on a given date. I suspected also that more couples might conceive during February -baby born in Nov, then in July -baby born in April. I did a quick check -checking the 23rd day of each month and didn't see an obvious effect. We should remember that this tends to involve players born in the period 1855-2000 so cultural influences may have changed alot during this time period.

I also thought it likely that the number of players born on Dec25 would be low for many reasons - doctors do not tend to induce labor Christmas if they can avoid it. And couples try to avoid Dec 25 as a birthdate when they are trying to conceive. But I found above average number of athletes born on Dec 25.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
gordonm888
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April 29th, 2021 at 11:15:35 AM permalink
Here's a fun idea that, in retrospect, should of been obvious: All-Star teams for months. I went with 25 player teams including 9 pitchers. In a quick, breezy way I compiled these teams for January and February, It is certainly possible that they could be improved, particularly the January Bench might be more balanced (its missing a backup catcher.)

Position
January
February
C
Darrell Porter
Elston Howard
1B
Albert Pujols
Eddie Murray
2B
Jackie Robinson
Roberto Alomar
3B
Edgar Martinez
Ron Santo
SS
Ernie Banks
Honus Wagner
LF
Brian Giles
Babe Ruth
CF
Max Carey
Cesar Cedeno
RF
Magglio Ordonez
Hank Aaron
DH
Willie McCovey
Vladimir Guerrero
P
Nolan Ryan
Justin Verlander
P
Early Wynn
Herb Pennock
P
A. J. Burnett
Dan Quisenberry
P
David Cone
Wes Ferrell
P
Bruce Sutter
Preacher Roe
P
Jon Lester
John Tudor
P
Dizzy Dean
Allie Reynolds
P
Schoolboy Rowe
Earl Whitehill
P
Tony Mullane
Burt Hooton
Bench
Johnny Mize
Alan Trammell
Bench
Hank Greenberg
Billy Hamilton (1890s)
Bench
Elmer Flick
Freddie Lynn
Bench
Jimmy Collins
Paul Blair
Bench
Bill Dahlen
Red Schoendiest
Bench
Curt Flood
Joe Gordon
Bench
Del Pratt
Roger Peckinpaugh
Bench
Chili Davis
Brian McCann


A problem with the January team was that they had four first basemen: Pujols, McCovey, Greenberg and Mize, as well as Ernie Banks who could have been slotted at 1B. I put Pujols at 1B and McCovey at DH, but it is a shame to leave Greenberg on the bench. Their outfield, by comparison, may prove to be a bit weak compared to other months.

February is loaded with al-time greats in the line-up: Ruth, Aaron and Wagner. And some of the other guys aren't too shabby. But I definitely had to dig deeper to fill out their pitching staff.

What do you think? If these two teams played 162 games vs each other, which would win more often?
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
PokerGrinder
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April 29th, 2021 at 12:08:20 PM permalink
January’s pitchers are definitely deeper, February has the better lineup but as they say good pitching beats good hitting.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
gordonm888
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gordonm888
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April 29th, 2021 at 12:19:38 PM permalink
I had some time to kill, so I added March- and Wow! Given the quality of players I left off of March (like Kirby Puckett and several other HOF players), this seems like the best month of the three. The March pitching staff puts it into contention for top month of the 12, I imagine.


Position
January
February
March
C
Darrell Porter
Elston Howard
Buster Posey
1B
Albert Pujols
Eddie Murray
Mel Ott
2B
Jackie Robinson
Roberto Alomar
Jeff Kent
3B
Edgar Martinez
Ron Santo
Home Run Baker
SS
Ernie Banks
Honus Wagner
Arky Vaughan
LF
Brian Giles
Babe Ruth
Willie Stargell
CF
Max Carey
Cesar Cedeno
Richie Ashburn
RF
Magglio Ordonez
Hank Aaron
Bobby Abreu
DH
Willie McCovey
Vladimir Guerrero
Curtis Granderson
P
Nolan Ryan
Justin Verlander
Lefty Grove
P
Early Wynn
Herb Pennock
Cy Young
P
A. J. Burnett
Dan Quisenberry
Clayton Kershaw
P
David Cone
Wes Ferrell
Tom Glavine
P
Bruce Sutter
Preacher Roe
Dazzy Vance
P
Jon Lester
John Tudor
Johan Santana
P
Dizzy Dean
Allie Reynolds
Kevin Brown
P
Schoolboy Rowe
Earl Whitehill
Mark Buehrle
P
Tony Mullane
Burt Hooton
Dutch Leonard
Bench
Johnny Mize
Alan Trammell
Wee Willie Keeler
Bench
Hank Greenberg
Billy Hamilton (1890s)
Dick Allen
Bench
Elmer Flick
Freddie Lynn
George Sisler
Bench
Jimmy Collins
Paul Blair
Jim Rice
Bench
Bill Dahlen
Red Schoendiest
Sam Thompson
Bench
Curt Flood
Joe Gordon
Dale Murphy
Bench
Del Pratt
Roger Peckinpaugh
Will Clark
Bench
Chili Davis
Brian McCann
Bobby Bonds
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
Hunterhill
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April 29th, 2021 at 4:05:19 PM permalink
I like the monthly format. The March team
Is strong obviously when you have George Sisler on the bench, and what a pitching staff
The mountain is tall but grass grows on top of the mountain.
gordonm888
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April 30th, 2021 at 12:54:52 AM permalink
Quote: Hunterhill

I like the monthly format. The March team
Is strong obviously when you have George Sisler on the bench, and what a pitching staff



Turns out that Sisler didn't walk very much at all. His career BA was .340 but his career OBP was only .379. He averaged 222 hits/season but only 37 BB/season.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
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