Baseball Graphs is dedicated to the better use and communication of baseball statistics. Below, you'll find excerpts from, and links to, some of the best baseball writers on the Internet. Follow the links above to read my own intermittent attempts at wisdom (the Baseball Graphs blog), and the heart of this site, historical graphs of every season dating back to 1900.
There are also two special sections you might want to check out. One is the graphical review of the 2003 season, which informed our work at The Hardball Times. The other is the Batted Balls Library, which includes a unique look at batters and pitchers from 2002 through 2005.
When I saw that catch by Endy Chavez, I figured it was fate. I mean, I know I’m supposed to be a baseball analyst and all, but I’m a fan first and foremost. Well, from a WPA viewpoint that catch was the second-biggest play of the game, behind Molina’s home run. But back to the fan thing: what a great start by Oliver Perez. With Perez in a groove and Chavez channeling Tommie Agee, I really believed the Mets would win, right up to the Molina homer. Then I changed.
Even when the Mets loaded the bases in the ninth, I wasn’t there. My analytic mind had taken over, knowing that their WPA with the bases loaded, two out and two runs behind was only 17%. Yes, the catch made me a fan, but the home run turned me back into a geek.
It’s ironic, I think, that the Mets’ flaw in this series was their offense, not really their inury-racked starters. I’m personally hoping they move Heilman to the rotation next year, a role in which one floating changeup might not hurt as much.
Ah, I’m rambling incoherently. I’m in shock. I’m depressed. It’s 5:00 a.m. and I can’t sleep. For a more literate and coherent Mets’ requiem, I recommend Jessica’s blog entry. Maybe I’ll go back to bed, or maybe I’ll just get back to work on the THT Annual. Either way, I won’t feel quite the same as I did a few hours ago. There will be a little bit less to look forward to.
Following Jessica’s lead, let me be the second to congratulate the Mets’ on their 2007 World Series victory.