GDT 7.25.14 Back Home for the Best Rivalry in Baseball

[SFGRTB]

Giants Lineup vs. Zack Greinke:

Pence-9
Blanco-8
Posey-3
Sandoval-5
Morse-7
Crawford-6
Uggla-4
Sanchez-2
Lincecum-1

Hey, our 2nd baseman isn't batting 2nd.

Uggla and Abreu purchased. Adrianza and Scutaro DL'd. DePaula and Noonan DFA'd.

 

[calsnowskier]

I would rather see Craw at 2. Blanco actually becomes somewhat productive in the lineup when he is at the bottom. When you give him a "task", he fails miserably. Craw, while not getting results, at least puts together nice, pitch-filled ABs.

Other than that, I am good with the lineup.

6-3 good guys

 

[SFGRTB]

LA has their 1-2-3 starting this series, Giants have their 5-6 going after today.

 

[SFGRTB]

I would rather see Craw at 2. Blanco actually becomes somewhat productive in the lineup when he is at the bottom. When you give him a "task", he fails miserably. Craw, while not getting results, at least puts together nice, pitch-filled ABs.

Other than that, I am good with the lineup.

6-3 good guys

Over his career, Blanco has hit pretty well in the 8th spot. Career .298/.383/.364 line in 351 PAs. Compared to .243/.335/.324 leading off in 1177 PAs.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I'm hapy to see Uggla and Sanchez buried at #7 and #8.

I am UNhappy to see Blanco at #2. boo.

 

[msgkings322]

LA has their 1-2-3 starting this series, Giants have their 5-6 going after today.

Yeah, normally I'd be thinking we gotta win 2, and that's still the goal, but considering our injuries and the pitching matchups winning 1 is acceptable. Still leave us in first place.

Last Dodger games until mid September.

 

[Stokes1931]

Over his career, Blanco has hit pretty well in the 8th spot. Career .298/.383/.364 line in 351 PAs. Compared to .243/.335/.324 leading off in 1177 PAs.

The way we need to score first this season, I'd almost move Posey to 2nd and move everyone else up a spot.

Guppy may do OK hitting lead off if his career, but he is Terrible leading off in the 1st inning. Too anxious. Too undisciplined. Will not take pitches. Too many fly all outs. (Last night in the 9th, instead of getting on, tries to hit a game tying home run, which is not his game.) I tracked it this season and I think he was something like 2-27 leading off in the 1st inning with a walk or two. I hope he does well in the 2-hole, but I have little upon which to base my hopes. He has been hitting better of late, down in the order.

 

[msgkings322]

The way we need to score first this season, I'd almost move Posey to 2nd and move everyone else up a spot.

Guppy may do OK hitting lead off if his career, but he is Terrible leading off in the 1st inning. Too anxious. Too undisciplined. Will not take pitches. Too many fly all outs. (Last night in the 9th, instead of getting on, tries to hit a game tying home run, which is not his game.) I tracked it this season and I think he was something like 2-27 leading off in the 1st inning with a walk or two. I hope he does well in the 2-hole, but I have little upon which to base my hopes. He has been hitting better of late, down in the order.

Have you checked these stats against the norm? Don't most teams have much better records when scoring first? For one thing, it means they don't get shut out...

I doubt the Giants are more reliant on scoring first than any other team.

You like to ride your hobbyhorses pretty hard...

And Blanco has had some very good games against tough lefties like Sale and Lee. Maybe vs Kershaw too?

 

[Stokes1931]

Have you checked these stats against the norm? Don't most teams have much better records when scoring first? For one thing, it means they don't get shut out...

I doubt the Giants are more reliant on scoring first than any other team.

You like to ride your hobbyhorses pretty hard...

And Blanco has had some very good games against tough lefties like Sale and Lee. Maybe vs Kershaw too?

Any suggestions about where to check on the norm would be appreciated, really. I have been tracking Giants games on Excel since 2010. I would not like to do that with every team on that stat. Maybe have to go to a paid source like Stats?

It is hard to argue that the Giants are playing near .800 ball when scoring first, and .300 ball when not. Like you, I'd assume most teams do better when scoring first. But this is almost a .500 difference, which seems extraordinary. So for this team, for this season, I think they are more reliant on scoring first. Don't you think this is an extraordinary split?

I'd be glad to try and track this down if you have any ideas about this sort of stat.

 

[calsnowskier]

The way we need to score first this season, I'd almost move Posey to 2nd and move everyone else up a spot.

Guppy may do OK hitting lead off if his career, but he is Terrible leading off in the 1st inning. Too anxious. Too undisciplined. Will not take pitches. Too many fly all outs. (Last night in the 9th, instead of getting on, tries to hit a game tying home run, which is not his game.) I tracked it this season and I think he was something like 2-27 leading off in the 1st inning with a walk or two. I hope he does well in the 2-hole, but I have little upon which to base my hopes. He has been hitting better of late, down in the order.

Gregor Blanco 2014 Batting Splits | Baseball-Reference.com

Blanco is batting .091 when leading off the first inning this year.

BBRef is a GREAT source for all kinds of stats. I always find new stuff when I just surf around there...

 

[Stokes1931]

As I do my Excel sheet each year, I add some columns of stats to track. In 2012, I jumped on the RISP stat. This year, I noticed the winning first record. Here's what I found so far, just with the Giants

2014

.792 when scoring first
.306 when not scoring first
(.486 difference)

2013

.615 when scoring first
.333 when not scoring first
(.282 difference)

Calculating 2012, as I was not tracking it that year.

 

[msgkings322]

Any suggestions about where to check on the norm would be appreciated, really. I have been tracking Giants games on Excel since 2010. I would not like to do that with every team on that stat. Maybe have to go to a paid source like Stats?

It is hard to argue that the Giants are playing near .800 ball when scoring first, and .300 ball when not. Like you, I'd assume most teams do better when scoring first. But this is almost a .500 difference, which seems extraordinary. So for this team, for this season, I think they are more reliant on scoring first. Don't you think this is an extraordinary split?

I'd be glad to try and track this down if you have any ideas about this sort of stat.

I'm sure one of the exhaustive sites keeps track, but I'm not so interested to do the digging. I really do doubt the .500 spread is THAT big. How does it compare to the Giants in 2010-2013?

 

[Stokes1931]

Gregor Blanco 2014 Batting Splits | Baseball-Reference.com

Blanco is batting .091 when leading off the first inning this year.

BBRef is a GREAT source for all kinds of stats. I always find new stuff when I just surf around there...

Thanks, Cal. I use them as well.

BBRef has stats for Guppy hitting in the 1st inning, and for hitting leadoff, but not leadoff in the 1st inning. That's one that I have tracked, and he is 2-27 leading off in the 1st inning. He has one other AB in the 1st inning when not leading off, probably one of those early games when we scored 5-6 runs in the 1st inning.

Trying to find team stats, though, on winning %. Can't find it there.

 

[calsnowskier]

Thanks, Cal. I use them as well.

BBRef has stats for Guppy hitting in the 1st inning, and for hitting leadoff, but not leadoff in the 1st inning. That's one that I have tracked, and he is 2-27 leading off in the 1st inning. He has one other AB in the 1st inning when not leading off, probably one of those early games when we scored 5-6 runs in the 1st inning.

Trying to find team stats, though, on winning %. Can't find it there.

The link I provided was pointing directly to leading off the first inning. Look again.

 

[msgkings322]

Any suggestions about where to check on the norm would be appreciated, really. I have been tracking Giants games on Excel since 2010. I would not like to do that with every team on that stat. Maybe have to go to a paid source like Stats?

It is hard to argue that the Giants are playing near .800 ball when scoring first, and .300 ball when not. Like you, I'd assume most teams do better when scoring first. But this is almost a .500 difference, which seems extraordinary. So for this team, for this season, I think they are more reliant on scoring first. Don't you think this is an extraordinary split?

I'd be glad to try and track this down if you have any ideas about this sort of stat.

.486 may be high, but even then, what does it mean? The Giants should try to score first? Well yeah, they should. And also score last, and also not let the other team score at all.

It reminds me of those 'Keys to the Game' graphics in a Fox broadcast. You know: "Lincecum needs to pitch with good command. Giants 3-4-5 hitters need to produce. No mental mistakes."

Well, like, yeah sure.

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

.486 may be high, but even then, what does it mean? The Giants should try to score first? Well yeah, they should. And also score last, and also not let the other team score at all.

It reminds me of those 'Keys to the Game' graphics in a Fox broadcast. You know: "Lincecum needs to pitch with good command. Giants 3-4-5 hitters need to produce. No mental mistakes."

Well, like, yeah sure.

No.1 lesson is to always score the most runs. No matter when or how, if you can score more runs than your opponent. The advanced metrics and history show you have a GREAT shot at winning

 

[Stokes1931]

2012

.755 when scoring first
.361 when not scoring first
(.394 difference)

 

[Stokes1931]

The link I provided was pointing directly to leading off the first inning. Look again.

Now I see it, batter leading off the game. Thanks.

 

[msgkings322]

Bat flippin' POS.

And yet, I actually like players to have some flair. He just sometimes pushes it too far...

 

[MarcoPolo]

2012

.755 when scoring first
.361 when not scoring first
(.394 difference)

Maybe I'm missing something, but shouldn't they add to up 1.0? Or at least close to it? And not 1.16?