HobbyIsBowling
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2004
- Messages
- 1,436
Sure you should factor in the offensive strength of teams that a pitcher is winning games with, but to totally discount the W/L record of a pitcher is absurd.
Consider:
Let's say pitcher X always let up key runs at crucial parts of the game, but was nearly perfect in non-critical situations, such as if he had a huge lead. His accumulated era was low, while his W/L record was a reflection of his inability to perform in clutch moments and thus was very average. Pitcher X also pitched decently in the postseason, but nothing above average.
Let's say pitcher Y could be a slow starter, but once he got into a groove he would often shut the opponent down in the later innings. It also took him awhile during the season to get going, but come mid-may, he would usually shake off some early rough spots to be dominant later in the season, particularly the postseason. Pitcher Y pitched at his best in the critical situations, and thus won many close games. Getting blown up a couple of times early in the season inflated his season ERA to reach a level comparable to pitcher X.
Which player would you rather have?
Would you say the difference in these two pitchers is "irrelevant".
ERA is a decent way to approximate the consistency of a pitcher, but don't overstate it as the pitching stat.
edited for a typo
Consider:
Let's say pitcher X always let up key runs at crucial parts of the game, but was nearly perfect in non-critical situations, such as if he had a huge lead. His accumulated era was low, while his W/L record was a reflection of his inability to perform in clutch moments and thus was very average. Pitcher X also pitched decently in the postseason, but nothing above average.
Let's say pitcher Y could be a slow starter, but once he got into a groove he would often shut the opponent down in the later innings. It also took him awhile during the season to get going, but come mid-may, he would usually shake off some early rough spots to be dominant later in the season, particularly the postseason. Pitcher Y pitched at his best in the critical situations, and thus won many close games. Getting blown up a couple of times early in the season inflated his season ERA to reach a level comparable to pitcher X.
Which player would you rather have?
Would you say the difference in these two pitchers is "irrelevant".
ERA is a decent way to approximate the consistency of a pitcher, but don't overstate it as the pitching stat.
edited for a typo
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