May 23, 2013

While We’re Waiting… A conversation with Mark Shapiro

March 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

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Our friends at The DiaTribe had a neat opportunity of a sit-down with Mark Shapiro. Here is Shapiro’s first quote: “‘Yeah, if you define active by spending money. This is my 22nd season with the team, and there’s never been anything of this magnitude. It’s clearly both a statement and effort by ownership. This isn’t just a front office effort. We identify players, make recommendations and provide alternative plans and they ultimately make the decisions. With both Swisher and Bourn, Paul Dolan was extremely involved and assertive in our efforts to get those players.’” [Al Ciammaichella] [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Coach LeBron, Bring Back Brownie, and Bill James’ Projections

February 4, 2010 by 18 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com

LeBronAndyEmbraceNo. 23, the Player-Coach: “Everyone knows that LeBron is a general on the floor.  He’s constantly talking with his teammates, and pointing around, instructing various cuts, rotations, passes, shots and picks.  And if you’ve been close enough to the action, you may even know what he’s saying.  

But there’s something really comforting in knowing that he’s actually teaching and reminding others of the game plan and scouting reports. 

That’s why I think he and Mike Brown are perfect together.  Mike prepares the team, and coaches the games;  LeBron makes sure there are results on the floor.  Neither get in each others’ way.  LeBron is a coachable player, and Mike . . . well, he’s flexible.  He knows that when LeBron is taking over, LeBron is taking over, and whatever “play” he draws up has to have room for the spontaneity involved with, yes, LeBron taking over.” [Wine and Goldrush]

[Read more...]

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Cleveland Indians: Beating the Economic Recession via Statistical Analysis

February 20, 2009 by 17 Comments

Progressive FieldIf you’re a fan of baseball, or even sports in general, you’re aware of Michael Lewis’ Moneyball.  The book paved the way for teams to justify underspending when it comes to building their roster by focusing on Billy Beane’s approach with the Oakland Athletics.  While the results of the study can be debated on a player-to-player basis, the impact that the work had on baseball as a whole is still being felt.

While general managers and scouts of all MLB teams crunch numbers in a Bill James fashion to see what diamonds they can find in the rough of baseball players all over the world to maximize their on-field bang-per-buck, the financial-based website Bloomberg.com wrote an interesting analysis piece on the Cleveland Indians and their unique form of statistical number crunching.  Sure, Mark Shapiro and crew are always on the lookout for the next Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore, but when it comes to a middle market franchise, the team has to look to other mediums to maximize profit. 

[Read more...]

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Franklin Gutierrez Wins Fielding Bible Award

October 30, 2008 by 7 Comments

After one heck of a preseason, we couldn’t help but be thrilled to see a full year of Franklin Gutierrez in right field.  But once the season started, “Gut” got back to his old ways of swinging at balls in the dirt and striking out more than the “happy” Pedro Cerrano.  And though he finally started to string together a few solid games once the Tribe was out of the race, there was no denying what this kid could do on the other side of the coin once placed into the field.

In what is relativeley surprising news, Franklin is the recipient of this season’s “Fielding Bible Award” given to the best-fielding right fielder in Major League Baseball. [Read more...]

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Playing A Little “What If”

May 28, 2008 by 3 Comments

With the Indians playing sub-.500 baseball this year and the offense struggling mightily, it’s had many of us asking “what if”. What if the Indians players were just playing up to their career averages (nobody having a career year, nobody having a down year). What if the Indians were just scoring runs at the league average pace. What would the Indians record look like? How would it alter the current standings?

A “what if” that I prefer, though, is a little bit more simple. I would like to know what if the Indians were winning at their expected rate based on their run differential. Using the Bill James Pythagorean expectation formula (Win Pct = (RS^2)/(RS^2 + RA^2)), I made a simple spreadsheet to see how different the AL Central might look. You can click on the image below to view the full sized results:

Expected Wins

As you can see, the White Sox, Indians, and Tigers are all winner fewer games than they should based on run differentials while the Twins and Royals are winning more. Of all the teams, though, nobody is playing further below their expected pace than the Indians. Even with their offense as pitiful as it is, their pitching has been so good that they should be winning more games than they are losing. So why the discrepancy?   [Read more...]

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About That Bullpen

April 2, 2008 by 4 Comments

Bullpen CartJoe Borowski Could Help Bullpen In Unique Ways

When you read any kind of discussion about the 2008 Cleveland Indians, two areas are consistently brought up as glaring weak spots for the Tribe: corner outfield power and the closer role.

Corner outfield is tricky. After failing to acquire guys like Miguel Cabrera (who will eventually be an outfielder) and Jason Bay, the Indians had to settle on Franklin Gutierrez (who looked much more confident at the plate on Monday) and a platoon of Jason Michaels and David Dellucci. Not exactly the kind of OFs who strike fear into pitchers.

The bigger weakness, however, is believed to be veteran closer Joe Borowski. It’s not hard to see why. Just looking at his numbers last season, you might be encouraged by his 45 saves. But the true reason for panic lies in his stats. His opponents Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) was .342 with a K/9 ratio of only 7.1. His HR/9 ratio was 1.2. His ERA was 5.07. In 65.2 IP, he walked 17 and struck out only 58. So basically, what this means is that he strikes out less than 1 guy per inning, meaning a lot of his pitches are hit into play. But when his pitches are hit into play, guys are getting a hit 34.2% of the time. This is precisely why there is at least one guy let on base every time Borowski takes the mounds. These numbers are a train wreck waiting to happen. So how can I say Borowski actually helps the Indians’ bullpen? [Read more...]

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