Comments on: The Life of Brian’s Fastball http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/ Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:26:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex JN http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97269 Alex JN Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:01:20 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97269 Oh, I didn't mind the Smoke on the Water pun per se, just was expecting a little more Brian Wilson singer love in the Brian Wilson pitcher article. Oh, I didn’t mind the Smoke on the Water pun per se, just was expecting a little more Brian Wilson singer love in the Brian Wilson pitcher article.

]]> By: scott http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97232 scott Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:34:29 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97232 so you're trying to tell me that he peed his pants when casey blake did it after hitting the HR because he takes offense to having "one more round?" "San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson said he wouldn't forget that Casey Blake mocked the cross-armed gesture he makes after every save as a tribute to his faith and deceased father. The incident so upset Wilson that he wouldn't speak to reporters about it Sunday and had to be consoled by teammates" http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/12/sports/sp-dodgers-fyi12 that worked up about a t-shirt? probably not. so you’re trying to tell me that he peed his pants when casey blake did it after hitting the HR because he takes offense to having “one more round?”

“San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson said he wouldn’t forget that Casey Blake mocked the cross-armed gesture he makes after every save as a tribute to his faith and deceased father.

The incident so upset Wilson that he wouldn’t speak to reporters about it Sunday and had to be consoled by teammates”

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/12/sports/sp-dodgers-fyi12

that worked up about a t-shirt? probably not.

]]> By: B http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97230 B Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:22:19 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97230 You're probably right that his HR rate will increase in the future, but he still has cut down on his walks significantly (4.04 to 3.36 per 9) while maintaining his strikeout rate (9.67 per 9 last year and this year), so he's definitely been more effective this year and not just more lucky. Also keep in mind AT&T park limits HR's to lefties pretty significantly, so even though his HR rate is unsustainably low for this year, you can probably expect it to stay on the low side in the future. As for the Pitch F/X, I'd say the pitch tables probably have it wrong. I think Wilson throws primary FB/SL, and it looks like they're just ID'ing his slider as a cutter instead (they're very similar pitches, if I'm not mistaken, so it makes some sense to confuse them). You’re probably right that his HR rate will increase in the future, but he still has cut down on his walks significantly (4.04 to 3.36 per 9) while maintaining his strikeout rate (9.67 per 9 last year and this year), so he’s definitely been more effective this year and not just more lucky. Also keep in mind AT&T park limits HR’s to lefties pretty significantly, so even though his HR rate is unsustainably low for this year, you can probably expect it to stay on the low side in the future.

As for the Pitch F/X, I’d say the pitch tables probably have it wrong. I think Wilson throws primary FB/SL, and it looks like they’re just ID’ing his slider as a cutter instead (they’re very similar pitches, if I’m not mistaken, so it makes some sense to confuse them).

]]> By: pack http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97224 pack Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:07:33 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97224 I don't know if I buy that Brian Wilson has turned any corners or is going to be one of the games best going forward. His hr/fb rate is sitting at an unsustainable 3.2%. 3.2 is half the career mark of rivera/nathan/paplebon. For a guy getting FB's the rate of pap and joe, I feel his era is artificially depressed. I'm also confused with the pitchfx data. The pitch type table says he's almost dropped the slider, and started using his cutter exclusively. PitchFX doesn't seem to identify cutters. Is this an identification issue? Or do you think cutters are being counted as fastballs and are skewing the h-movement? I don’t know if I buy that Brian Wilson has turned any corners or is going to be one of the games best going forward. His hr/fb rate is sitting at an unsustainable 3.2%. 3.2 is half the career mark of rivera/nathan/paplebon. For a guy getting FB’s the rate of pap and joe, I feel his era is artificially depressed.

I’m also confused with the pitchfx data. The pitch type table says he’s almost dropped the slider, and started using his cutter exclusively. PitchFX doesn’t seem to identify cutters. Is this an identification issue? Or do you think cutters are being counted as fastballs and are skewing the h-movement?

]]> By: Erik Manning http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97218 Erik Manning Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:46:48 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97218 Yeah, I did. Thanks for the catch. Yeah, I did. Thanks for the catch.

]]> By: big baby http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97217 big baby Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:40:06 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97217 “One More Round is a clothing line. It has to do with the drive and determination that certain fighters have when their backs are against the wall. It’s, `No matter how deep I am in this fight, no matter how badly burned I am, I’ve got one more round in me.’ That’s basically the motto, the creed, of One More Round. No matter what it takes, I’ve got one more in me." "“Now, one of the main things I do after a game is the crossing of the arms. That’s on a T-shirt I wear underneath my jersey when I pitch. (He wore that T-shirt in an ESPN interview last month.) That’s just respecting the fighters and their commitment and determination and the hard work they put in." http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2008/07/14/at-long-last-brian-wilson-reveals-the-meaning-behind-his-crossed-arms-gesture-after-he-saves-a-game/ has little to do with his father, actually. even if it did, you can still be a douche about it. “One More Round is a clothing line. It has to do with the drive and determination that certain fighters have when their backs are against the wall. It’s, `No matter how deep I am in this fight, no matter how badly burned I am, I’ve got one more round in me.’ That’s basically the motto, the creed, of One More Round. No matter what it takes, I’ve got one more in me.”

““Now, one of the main things I do after a game is the crossing of the arms. That’s on a T-shirt I wear underneath my jersey when I pitch. (He wore that T-shirt in an ESPN interview last month.) That’s just respecting the fighters and their commitment and determination and the hard work they put in.”

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2008/07/14/at-long-last-brian-wilson-reveals-the-meaning-behind-his-crossed-arms-gesture-after-he-saves-a-game/

has little to do with his father, actually. even if it did, you can still be a douche about it.

]]> By: Erik Manning http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97214 Erik Manning Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:28:44 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97214 Robb Nen's old entrance music was smoke on the water. Sorry for the tripe, I was channeling my inner Tracy Ringolsby. Robb Nen’s old entrance music was smoke on the water. Sorry for the tripe, I was channeling my inner Tracy Ringolsby.

]]> By: scott http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97210 scott Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:14:44 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97210 well when you become a baseball player and you come up with something to honor your dead father, i'll be sure to call you a douche for it. well when you become a baseball player and you come up with something to honor your dead father, i’ll be sure to call you a douche for it.

]]> By: big baby http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97198 big baby Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:52:22 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97198 he's really into UFC and he does a retarded hand gesture after every save. there's a whole interview with him about it. consensus = douche. he’s really into UFC and he does a retarded hand gesture after every save. there’s a whole interview with him about it. consensus = douche.

]]> By: B http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-life-of-brians-fastball/#comment-97197 B Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:50:36 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=9369#comment-97197 He did have his own reality show to try to let fans in on his personality. He's been pretty active in trying to get his personality out there for people to see. He did have his own reality show to try to let fans in on his personality. He’s been pretty active in trying to get his personality out there for people to see.

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