2014 MLB Season Thread: Throw another shrimp on the barbie!

[Byrd]

I can tell its April Fools Day. The Mariners are alone in the first, and the Astros are alone in second.

[Melena]

Vladimir Guerrero Retired yesterday and caused Don Baylor to break his leg throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Angels home plate is officially cursed.

[Headspace]

First I was mad that Verlander missed out on a win because lol Tigers defense. Then I was happy that we don't count wins. Then I realized how stupid it was that I was happy that we don't count wins.

LOOK IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER FOR ME OKAY

I'm pissed I didn't get a Cliff Lee win (did he get a win?) but happy I got a Johnny Cueto QS, so whatever.

FIRST PLACE

[Viq]

Vladimir Guerrero Retired yesterday and caused Don Baylor to break his leg throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Angels home plate is officially cursed.

The video of that was gross. Vlad didn't realize what happened, and was trying to pick Baylor up which just caused his broken leg to buckle unnaturally.

[Mad Dog Ben Richards]

Not only did I get shit on by this asinine 17 day 1st week with profar going on the DL for 8 weeks and stuck in my week 1 lineup cause those idiotic games down under locked the 1st 12 days ago, I got slammed home by the brew crew mgr with that K-rod is the closer even though all spring i said it was jim Henderson move yesterday.

at least a I got a win and 11k's from king felix.

Lets go Yankees!


oh and best of luck to Don Baylor cause ouch that leg did not look good.

[Moss]

I'm pissed I didn't get a Cliff Lee win (did he get a win?) but happy I got a Johnny Cueto QS, so whatever.

FIRST PLACE

Cliff Lee - pitches terribly - isn't rewarded with a win
Johnny Cueto - pitches great - rewarded with a QS (even though things completely out of his control didn't go his way for the terrible "Win" stat)

It's meritocratic, Bregor. I honestly can't see why anyone would prefer the win stat.

[Bregor]

Cliff Lee - pitches terribly - isn't rewarded with a win
Johnny Cueto - pitches great - rewarded with a QS (even though things completely out of his control didn't go his way for the terrible "Win" stat)

It's meritocratic, Bregor. I honestly can't see why anyone would prefer the win stat.

Turn ERA into FIP
Eliminate saves, closers are fungible
Turn batting average into OBP, no wait, TAv
Eliminate HR and RBI, use ISO
Add FRAA to include defense
Turn SB into BRR
Eliminate everything I just said and just use WAR

I'm having fun

[Moss]

Every statistic in everything ever has drawbacks.

The funny part is you are sarcastically advocating sabermetric stats, when quality starts aren't even sabermetric. It's just a much more reasonable way to sum up a starting pitching performance in one stat than a win.

If you disagree with that last statement, we can just stop now and agree that you hate the change and I like it.

[Mertron]

there is no drawback to the HR stat. chicks dig the long ball

[Moss]

Can't be posted enough

[Bregor]

Every statistic in everything ever has drawbacks.

The funny part is you are sarcastically advocating sabermetric stats, when quality starts aren't even sabermetric. It's just a much more reasonable way to sum up a starting pitching performance in one stat than a win.

If you disagree with that last statement, we can just stop now and agree that you hate the change and I like it.

If you want to get serious for a second, I know it's not about being sabermetric per se, but to use your word meritocratic. Sabermetrics are just a more advanced way of using available information to more accurately determine value and merit. Is going 6 innings of 4.50 ERA pitching any more or less arbitrary than leaving a game with a lead and having the bullpen hold it? Maybe, but not by much, and wins are in the box scores which is kind of what fantasy baseball is about anyway. I've been using wins for almost 20 years with no complaints. I also genuinely enjoy hoping for a pitcher to get a cheap win a la Cliff Lee, instead of just having the start be a lost cause after the 4th earned run.

[Mad Dog Ben Richards]

my league doesn't even use quality starts.

in my league cliff lee yesterday had a shit 6 point win and Johhny Cueto got 19 point loss. I'd take the 19 points over the 6 in a heartbeat.

also why the hell is 6 innings considered a QS? and how is a crappy win when your team scores a ton of runs for the starter any dif then a closer who blows the game in the top of the ninth and then gets a shit win when his team scores in the bottom of the 9th....

anyone remember when Andy Hawkins threw a no hitter for the Yankees in the 80's and lost to the white sox? was that a quality start? what if I told you the way they lost was cause of walks and wild pitches.

[Moss]

If you want to get serious for a second, I know it's not about being sabermetric per se, but to use your word meritocratic. Sabermetrics are just a more advanced way of using available information to more accurately determine value and merit. Is going 6 innings of 4.50 ERA pitching any more or less arbitrary than leaving a game with a lead and having the bullpen hold it? Maybe, but not by much, and wins are in the box scores which is kind of what fantasy baseball is about anyway. I've been using wins for almost 20 years with no complaints. I also genuinely enjoy hoping for a pitcher to get a cheap win a la Cliff Lee, instead of just having the start be a lost cause after the 4th earned run.

I do want to get serious because I don't make a change like that lightly. I respect your argument and even agree with the "watching the box scores" aspect as being what makes it fun, but I would counter it with the following:

Is going 6 innings of 4.50 ERA pitching any more or less arbitrary than leaving a game with a lead and having the bullpen hold it?

Using the bare minimum of the requirement is disingenuous. It's like me saying that every win is a 5 IP 8 ER line from Cliff Lee. A complete game shutout is also a quality start, along with everything else between, the vast majority of which(7 IP 3ER, 6 IP 2ER, etc.) are unequivocally a good start.

instead of just having the start be a lost cause after the 4th earned run.

Tanner Scheppers got shellacked for me in the first inning yesterday so I was in the same boat. I was still watching to see if he could rack up some Ks and make the ERA and WHIP slightly less horrible.

I'm sorry you don't like the change, but it just made too much sense to me not to try it.

[Moss]

Might regret responding to this but here goes.

also why the hell is 6 innings considered a QS?

6 IP and 3 ER are the baseline requirement. It was arbitrarily decided that this was the worst possible line to still be considered quality.

and how is a crappy win when your team scores a ton of runs for the starter any dif then a closer who blows the game in the top of the ninth and then gets a shit win when his team scores in the bottom of the 9th....

It isn't. That's why we don't include wins as a stat.

anyone remember when Andy Hawkins threw a no hitter for the Yankees in the 80's and lost to the white sox? was that a quality start? what if I told you the way they lost was cause of walks and wild pitches.

Yes, a no hitter is a quality start.

[Xajii]

my league doesn't even use quality starts.

in my league cliff lee yesterday had a shit 6 point win and Johhny Cueto got 19 point loss. I'd take the 19 points over the 6 in a heartbeat.

also why the hell is 6 innings considered a QS? and how is a crappy win when your team scores a ton of runs for the starter any dif then a closer who blows the game in the top of the ninth and then gets a shit win when his team scores in the bottom of the 9th....

anyone remember when Andy Hawkins threw a no hitter for the Yankees in the 80's and lost to the white sox? was that a quality start? what if I told you the way they lost was cause of walks and wild pitches.

how did cliff lee manage 6 points how high do you value wins? even with the win in my league he had like -10 lol he was awful and shoul dbe scored as such

[archibaldcrane]

Why the fuck are we talking about fantasy in the baseball thread? This is the sports forum, make a baseball fantasy thread if you like.

[Bregor]

Using the bare minimum of the requirement is disingenuous. It's like me saying that every win is a 5 IP 8 ER line from Cliff Lee. A complete game shutout is also a quality start, along with everything else between, the vast majority of which(7 IP 3ER, 6 IP 2ER, etc.) are unequivocally a good start.

Fair enough, but ERA and WHIP are also categories. There's some strategy to keeping ratios down while also staying competitive in wins. QS is basically just rewarding consistent ERAs (which isn't necessarily a bad thing but is a different animal).

Also I wish I had focused on drafting more QS guys on bad teams like Samardzija, but that's my own fault.

I was mostly just giving you the business because you asked us about the change before the season, and I like making jokes. Then things stopped being polite and started getting real. It's a minor change and I'm fine with it, I'll just have to pay attention a little more on which starters I use/sign/etc.

[Moss]

This is from all of the games yesterday.

Wins:

Spoiler: show

Joe Nathan (1 IP 0 ER)
Yovani Gallardo (6 IP 0 ER)
Cliff Lee (5 IP 8 ER)
Bryan Morris (1 IP 0 ER)
Zach Britton (2 IP 0 ER)
Aaron Barrett (1 IP 0 ER)
Chris Sale (7.1 IP 3 ER)
Adam Wainwright (7 IP 0 ER)
David Price (7.1 IP 2 ER)
Jose Fernandez (6 IP 0 ER)
Felix Hernandez (6 IP 2 ER)
Jean Machi (1.2 IP 0 ER)
Cody Allen (.2 IP 0 ER)

And quality starts:

Spoiler: show

James Shields (6.1 IP 3 ER)
Justin Verlander (6 IP 2 ER)
Julio Teheran (6 IP 2 ER)
Yovani Gallardo (6 IP 0 ER)
Jeff Samardzija (7 IP 0 ER)
Francisco Liriano (6 IP 0 ER)
Jon Lester (7 IP 2 ER)
Chris Sale (7.1 IP 3 ER)
Adam Wainwright (7 IP 0 ER)
Johnny Cueto (7 IP 1 ER)
David Price (7.1 IP 2 ER)
Jose Fernandez (6 IP 0 ER)
Felix Hernandez (6 IP 2 ER)
Jered Weaver (6.1 IP 3 ER)
Justin Masterson (7 IP 0 ER)
Sonny Gray (6 IP 0 ER)

My takeaways:
-More than half of the wins were either by relievers who happened to come into the game at the right time (read:their team scored right after) or Cliff Lee and his awful line
-Multiple instances of guys going head to head with great starts, nullifying a win for either of them
-Only two of the 16 quality starts were of the 6.1 IP 3 ER variety

I should probably go to work now.

[Moss]

Fair enough, but ERA and WHIP are also categories. There's some strategy to keeping ratios down while also staying competitive in wins. QS is basically just rewarding consistent ERAs (which isn't necessarily a bad thing but is a different animal).

I would call it, for lack of a better term, consistent quality. Consistent ERA along with pitching reasonably deep into a game so as not to tax the bullpen. But point taken.

Also I wish I had focused on drafting more QS guys on bad teams like Samardzija, but that's my own fault.

I was mostly just giving you the business because you asked us about the change before the season, and I like making jokes. Then things stopped being polite and started getting real. It's a minor change and I'm fine with it, I'll just have to pay attention a little more on which starters I use/sign/etc.

I only got serious because as the LM I want everyone to enjoy the league. I also get annoyed when people complain without giving a reason, but that's a personal problem, and I know you were just giving me a hard time anyway.

[BadKarma]

Why the fuck are we talking about fantasy in the baseball thread? This is the sports forum, make a baseball fantasy thread if you like.

http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-conten...ehehe_duck.gif