So this week I got my grade in my logical reasoning class. Turns out I got an F. I wrote my final paper on the importance of plate discipline, and that on-base percentage is the most important stat in baseball, and batting average is the most useless one. I specifically mentioned Adam Dunn, as he has a low batting average, yet is among the leaders in on-base percentage.Dusty Baker was the professor, and Tim McCarver was the T.A. Professor Baker told me that walks clog the bases, and that the name of the game is to hit. He told me that you're not going to walk across home plate, you're going to hit across home. He asked me if I've heard the Yankees talk about OBP and walks. I told him no, but that their hitters walk a lot and have good OBP.Mr. McCarver said during discussion that in lecture Professor Baker asked if you see a top 10 walks ranking? He said you see a top 10 batting average ranking. I said I have seen a top 10 walks ranking, and is it really any surprise that these guys who hit in the top 10 sans Dunn, also walk in the top 10?Because of their discipline at the plate, they are among the leaders in average. They don?t swing at bad pitches, which allows them to keep at-bats going to the point where they can get a good pitch to hit, and if they don't get anything to hit, they take the free pass, which doesn't cause their average to drop. He said that's baloney, that's not true at all. He said they have good discipline in addition to being able to hit a lot.I fail to understand. Through the use of the transitive property, my reasoning was totally logical. A walk means you're on 1B. A single means you're on 1B. Therefore, walk = single. Walks clog the bases. The transitive property of this would mean that singles clog the bases. The transitive property says if a = b, and b = c, then a = c. A walk is a. A single is b. Walks clog the bases is c. walk = single means a = b. walk = clogging the bases means a = c. Therefore b should = c, meaning singles clog the bases, but according to Baker it doesn't.My next point: If taking walks is bad, then that should mean giving them up is good. The opposite should be equal. I asked professor baker about this, his reasoning for why giving them up is bad is that it runs up pitch counts, keeps the defense on the field longer, and opens up holes for the hitters b/c the defense has to hold the runner(s).I asked him shouldn't this logic apply to the offense then? He said no, because it clogs the bases. I asked well then shouldn't it clog the bases for the opposition. He said it's irrelevant what it does to the opposition, only focus on your team. He said it's bad to take them, b/c you clog the bases, and it's bad to give them up, b/c you keep your defense on the field longer, you run up your pitch counts, forcing the manager to go to his pen earlier, and you open up holes for the hitters. Mr. McCarver agreed with him 100%. They then said they would not argue anymore with me, and that my grade stands.For you readers, please tell me how walks clog the bases, but singles don't? Also, please tell me why it's so bad to take a walk, yet it's also really bad to give up a walk? Through the use of the transitive property, I was able to conclude that if taking walks is bad because it's going to clog up the bases, shouldn't this mean giving up walks is good, because you're clogging the bases for the opposition?? Professor Baker and Mr. McCarver made no sense. Thank you
Seems like a pretty stupid rant to me as we all know you never took a class with Dusty Baker or Tim McCarver and this is just a blatent anti-Dusty Baker rant. Although I agree that On Base Percentage is more important then Batting Average. However, I would then contend that OPS (OBP + SLG) is a better stat then both of them, as On Base Percentage doesn't represent the importance of each hit, as a Home Run is clearly more valueable then a Single or a Walk would be. A walk can be a great tablesetter for a scoring inning. Someone who gets on base allows his team the opportunity to move him along the bases and eventually score. The only situation I'd really be against someone taking a walk is if a team has their star hitter up in an RBI situation and he talks a walk because the next hitter is less likely to bring those runs home. But at the same time getting on base is still very important and if the next hitter hits a Home Run for example, then that's another run scored. So it has both it's Pros and Cons.And by the way, Adam Dunn is tied for 21st in Walks. Not exactly a great example. Someone like Ryan Howard would be a better example right now as he has a .406 On Base Percentage despite just hitting .215 and is leading the league in Walks.Also by the way, you can sort by Top 10 walks. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/battin...d=a&pos=all
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ May 2 2007, 11:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Seems like a pretty stupid rant to me as we all know you never took a class with Dusty Baker or Tim McCarver and this is just a blatent anti-Dusty Baker rant. Although I agree that On Base Percentage is more important then Batting Average. However, I would then contend that OPS (OBP + SLG) is a better stat then both of them, as On Base Percentage doesn't represent the importance of each hit, as a Home Run is clearly more valueable then a Single or a Walk would be. A walk can be a great tablesetter for a scoring inning. Someone who gets on base allows his team the opportunity to move him along the bases and eventually score. The only situation I'd really be against someone taking a walk is if a team has their star hitter up in an RBI situation and he talks a walk because the next hitter is less likely to bring those runs home. But at the same time getting on base is still very important and if the next hitter hits a Home Run for example, then that's another run scored. So it has both it's Pros and Cons.And by the way, Adam Dunn is tied for 21st in Walks. Not exactly a great example. Someone like Ryan Howard would be a better example right now as he has a .406 On Base Percentage despite just hitting .215 and is leading the league in Walks.Also by the way, you can sort by Top 10 walks. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/battin...d=a&pos=all</div>It was a joke of a note I wrote on facebook. The season is still early. Dunn will be up there when the season is over. And I don't think there is ever a situation where a walk is bad. Your best hitter getting one just means the opposition is pitching around the hitter. I would rather have him take a walk than hack at something bad
