Using Bill James' Formula, Guess the Five Players With the Most Similar Career to Mantle

[Omar 382]

So Bill James wanted to test how similar one player's career is to another. To compare two hitters using his formula, one starts at 1000 points and subtracts points based on the differences in different statistical categories. One point is subtracted for each of the following differences: (1) 20 games played, (2) 75 at-bats, (3) 10 runs scored, (4) 15 hits, (5) 5 doubles, (6) 4 triples, (7) 2 home runs, (8) 10 runs batted in, (9) 25 walks, (10) 150 strikeouts, (11) 20 stolen bases, (12) 0.001 in batting average, and (13) 0.002 in slugging percentage. In addition, one subtracts the absolute value of the difference between the fielding position values of the two players.

I did all of this in R, with the following line of code:

Mantle obviously gets a similarity score (SS) of 1000. I cut off the next five players. Any guesses?

 

[Omar 382]

I'm not saying I agree with his formula, but I found it interesting

 

[broncosmitty]

Griffey, Musial, Cabrera, Frank Robinson, Chipper?

Did I get any right?

 

[Omar 382]

Griffey, Musial, Cabrera, Frank Robinson, Chipper?

Did I get any right?

No, but all very good guesses. A couple of the ones I got kind of through me for a loop

 

[broncosmitty]

No, but all very good guesses. A couple of the ones I got kind of through me for a loop

I'm curious to see who they are.

But I want to see other peoples guesses too.

 

[Cedrique]

Reggie? Schmitty? Canseco? Frank Thomas? Are they players that came after Mantle?

 

[Cedrique]

On second thought, Schmidt probably is out because of the batting average and fielding

 

[Omar 382]

Reggie? Schmitty? Canseco? Frank Thomas? Are they players that came after Mantle?

Any player since 1876 (as far back as my database goes). Yay to Schmidt (848 SS) and Thomas (856 SS)

 

[Cedrique]

Jimmy Foxx

 

[Omar 382]

Negatory

 

[Omar 382]

Boom

 

[Omar 382]

"matheed01" is Eddie Mathews

 

[broncosmitty]

JoeD, Larry Walker, Pujols,Hornsby?

 

[Omar 382]

What? I already gave them

 

[broncosmitty]

What? I already gave them

I can never read/see any of your pics.

Don't know why.

 

[handicappers]

Larry Parrish

 

[handicappers]

Steve Beuchele

 

[rmilia1]

Was going to say Sheffield. Guy is seriously underrated

 

[navamind]

J.D. Drew

 

[handicappers]

Pete Rose