Daily Feature Experiment Thing

In case the reader hasn’t noticed, FanGraphs has a lot more daily content now than it did even last year at this time. Like, a lot more.

It can be overwhelming sometimes — even for those of us who write for the site. Seriously, a guy can leave his computer for a quick nap, wake up an hour or two later, and return to find, like, seven more articles to be read.

To help contend with this bane to our collective nerdom, I’m thinking it might make sense to experiment with a “daily feature” that includes, among other things, a digest of the previous day’s posts.

What else would it include? Well, I don’t entirely know. Probably the One Night Only game previews that critics are calling “a tour-de-force,” for one. Maybe notable tweets? Maybe a graph of the previous day’s most curious game?

One thing it probably won’t be is a link-a-thon to other sites. For two reasons: (1) Rob Neyer, et al., already do that really well, and (2) I can’t read that much about baseball.

In any case, what follows very probably doesn’t represent a final draft, either in terms of content or form. If you have any suggestions as to what you’d like to see, feel free to use the comment section to that end. (Also, if you’re a psychiatrist and have any explanations as to what the frig is up with Pat Misch, please use the comment section for that, too.)

Yesterday at FanGraphs
The Draft That Keeps on Giving
In which computerbot R.J. Anderson looks at the Rangers’ unusually useful 2007 draft.

One Night Only: Yer Darn Tootin’ It’s a Pennant Race
In which yours truly waxes disgusting about the day’s better games.

Expanded Four Factors: Do It Yourself (1.0)
In which Jackie Moore invites you to get all DIY up in this piece.

2010 Draft Review: AL Central
In which prospect maven Bryan Smith talks about boyz to men. Metaphorically speaking.

FanGraphs Chat – 8/18/10
In which our Full-Time Employee wanders among the unwashed.

Derrek Lee to the Braves
In which fellow paesan Pat Andriola considers the relative merits of Derrek Lee and Troy Glaus.

The Reds Are Past the Point of Placating Veterans
In which Joe Pawl is all about Paul Janish.

NPB Prospects You Should Know
In which Patrick Newman quoths the phrase “Fat Ichiro” — but not in the dirty way this time.

2010 Draft Review: NL Central
In which prospect maven Bryan Smith sings a verse very similar to his first.

Jay Bruce and Batted Ball Distance
In which Jeff Zimmerman gets super graphic (with the average distance of Jay Bruce’s batted balls).

The Franchise Player
In which our Full-Time Employee tries to start something with Ryan Zimmerman.

Cubs Bring Back Pitching For Lee
In which Jackie Moore advises you to remember this name: Robinson Lopez.

Another Neglected Red
In which Joe Pawl sings the praises of All-Joyer Chris Heisey.

Carlos Quentin’s Drop Off Continues
In which Matthew Carruth informs you that Quentin’s WAR since 2008 is, like the industry leader of built-in refrigerators, sub-zero.

Notable Tweets
Baseball Division
From jonahkeri: Lance Cormier is the Armando Benitez of Chan Ho Parks.

Open Division
From TheKevinButler: I traded all the way up from a red paper clip into this job.

One Night Only: New York (NL) at Houston | 8:05pm ET
Starting Pitchers
Metropolitans: Pat Misch (N/A)
150.2 IP, 5.91 K/9, 1.43 BB/9, .299 BABIP, 49.1% GB, 4.6% HR/BIA 3.43 FIP (Triple-A)*

Space Team: Bud Norris (10)
99.2 IP, 9.75 K/9, 3.88 BB/9, .350 BABIP, 43.5% GB, 12.9% HR/FB, 3.75 xFIP

*Minor league GB and HR/BIA numbers courtesy of StatCorner. MLB average is 6.5% HR/BIA.

On Bud Norris’s Hot NERD Score
Is Bud Norris really one of the 5-7 most interesting pitchers in the majors? According to NERD, an argument could be made for that. Norris offers above-average velocity (fastball average of 93.7 mph), a sub-4.00 xFIP, and a swinging-strike rate of 11.3% — or, close to a standard deviation above league average for starters.

Normally, all that — plus his youth (he’s 25) — would actually give the righthander a NERD of 8 or so, but because of his inflated ERA (currently 5.42!), he gets a boost. So, that’s how that happened.

On Bud Norris and xFIP
Last year, Norris pitched 55.2 IP, had a BABIP of .327 and a 12.9% HR/FB. Only his strand rate (78.0% LOB — versus a league average right around 70%) prevented his ERA (4.53) from far surpassing his xFIP (4.38).

This season, through 99.2 IP, Norris has a .350 BABIP and, once again, a 12.9% HR/FB. With a far lower strand rate (62.6%), Norris now finds his ERA in the fives.

The natural question is: “Is Bud Norris gonna be the kind of pitcher who underperforms his peripherals?” Well, for now, the answer’ll will have to be: “We don’t know that junk yet.”

Why? Well, accroding to work done by Pizza Cutter way back in 2009 (the exact quote from which I can only find in this thread at Baseball Time in Arlington), neither pitcher BABIP nor HR/FB become reliable before 750 batters effed.

*That’s batters faced, guys. Batters faced. (Jeesh, some people.)

Pat Misch Has an Irksome Habit
But don’t take my word for it. Click this image and get all irked:

If you’re not irked by that, than I don’t know what ever would irk you.

(Moving picture courtesy of the foul mouths over at The Fightins.)

Pat Misch Is Maybe Not a Major Leaguer
Mostly his stats are telling me this. And also how he’s 28.

Notes on the Astros from Ted Walker, Co-Proprietor of Pitchers and Poets
• Don’t let the boyish exuberance and the Little League-style batting stance fool you: Hunter Pence throws funny. He’s also scorching hot, with a 162 OPS+ in the second half.
• Despite Pence’s pop, the 2010 Astros are hitting like their home field is the Astrodome again. In Minute Maid Park, a place that drove the late Jose Lima into the first of his several retirements, only one Astro (Pence!) is on pace to hit 20 home runs with ease. That’s the lowest rate since Jeff Bagwell — the team’s new hitting coach — was sporting the navy, cream and orange to match the outfield seats.
• The Astros are better than the Cubs! If you predicted that before this season started, then you deserve to buy yourself a Mike Scott Starting Lineup figurine.
• How many years did we sign Carlos Lee for? Are there more?

Notes on the Mets from Eno Sarris, Citizen of the Internets
• All you may need to know about the Mets this season: their starter Thursday hasn’t cracked six K/9 in the last two years… at Triple-A. Meanwhile, their closer is a former starter that was striking out fewer than a batter per inning earlier this (particular) season. Makes sense if you are Jerry Manuel, I guess.
• Hey, maybe Jeff Francoeur will start! I mean, the Mets have a 0.5% chance of making the playoffs, so all hands on deck or something. Also: he’s drawn walks in two straight games, so he’s HOT.
• Never punch a man with your pitching hand. Never punch a man with your pitching hand. Never punch a man with your pitching hand.

If I Had My Druthers
Pat Misch would get the psychiatric attention he very clearly needs.

Other Games
TEX (Colby Lewis, 6) at BAL (Brian Matusz, 5) | 7:05pm ET
Colby Lewis is a Colby Lewis among men.

SD (Mat Latos, 10) at CHC (Carlos Zambrano, 4) | 2:20pm ET
Feel Good Story meets Saddest Story Ever Told. Film at 11. Or, uh, 2:20pm.





Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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fip_drip
13 years ago

Is there any way this daily roundup could get its own RSS feed?

1 feed = 1 post per day sounds better then 1 feed = 14 posts per day.