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Xandax wrote:Another concept of baseball I have trouble understanding is the "Errors" concept. Is it purely statistically? Or does it have scoring meaning because otherwise, why go to such great lengths of assigning errors when somebody mess up?

Although getting assigned an "Error" on a play doesn't directly impact the score of a game beyond the effect of the error itself (ie, allowing a runner to reach 1st base on a fielding error by the shortstop), it's used as a generic method to judge the quality with which a fielder plays his position (the fewer the number of errors, the higher caliber the player). A low error count is one of the more central numbers that gets examined when the Golden Gloves are awarded each season. Also, the resultant effect of an error doesn't actually count in a positive fashion towards the batter's stats, either; for example, when the aforementioned batter reached first base due to the shortstop's error, it wouldn't count as a "hit" (and therefore doesn't boost the offensive player's batting average).

Tower_Master wrote:Although getting assigned an "Error" on a play doesn't directly impact the score of a game beyond the effect of the error itself (ie, allowing a runner to reach 1st base on a fielding error by the shortstop), it's used as a generic method to judge the quality with which a fielder plays his position (the fewer the number of errors, the higher caliber the player). A low error count is one of the more central numbers that gets examined when the Golden Gloves are awarded each season. Also, the resultant effect of an error doesn't actually count in a positive fashion towards the batter's stats, either; for example, when the aforementioned batter reached first base due to the shortstop's error, it wouldn't count as a "hit" (and therefore doesn't boost the offensive player's batting average).

So it is just a statistic (yet another).... thanks

Raising the topic of errors really does open a can of worms. Whilst Tower-Master is essentially correct in what he wrote, you can only get charged with an error if you make contact with the ball. Which means a duffer who can never reach the ball can never get charged with an error, whereas an outstanding player who can reach anything hit in his (rough) direction is likely to get charged with many more errors. Which is why the Gold Glove winner is hardly ever (if ever in fact) the one with the fewest errors.

Statistic are 'important' in baseball for several reasons, and being the US's national pastime you won't be surprised to learn that money is the probably the main one. If a player can go into contract negotiations armed with a wad of stats that demonstrate his worth, he's more likely to secure a more lucrative deal. Vice versa, if the club can demonstrate that he's not really 'that' good they cn knock his price down. One agent in particular is notorious for using masses of statistics to drive up his players perceived value, his name is Scott Boras, and whilst he is universally hated by club owners and fans alike, his clients love him.

However that wasn't the reason that such a vast array of statistics were introduced to the game. it was so that armchair critics could support or refute arguments about who was/is best. Not surprisingly since the introduction of computers statistical analysis has reached insane proportions. Me, I'm fairly old school, I use stats a lot, but there are a group of people around that call themselves Sabermatricians, and frankly, they are a bit weird even by my standards. They try to evaluate everything under the sun with obscure statistics, and will drive rational people insane. If during a baseball discussion someone start using terms like VORP and WARP, they aren't escaped Trekkies, they are the dreaded Sabermatricians, run, it's your only hope of retaining your sanity.

galraen wrote:<snip>If during a baseball discussion someone start using terms like VORP and WARP, they aren't escaped Trekkies, they are the dreaded Sabermatricians, run, it's your only hope of retaining your sanity.

LOL - guess it would be confusing if the trekkie at work started talking about baseball :laugh: