Author: The Baseball Zealot

Quit messin’ wit’ my box scores

BoxScore7

With the advent of the digital era, we as baseball fans now have a bevy of sports information at our fingertips.  We have baseball data galore, streaming video, analysis all of it coming to our screen even to our mobile devices. 

That was pretty apparent when I was standing next to three Cub fans at the Illinois game last Saturday.  Between pitches, they would refresh their smart phones so they could check on the progress of the Cubs-Cardinals game. 

Unfortunately, with progress in one area, we step back in one or two others.  Do a search on “Where are the box scores?” in your favorite search engine and you’ll find more than a smattering of articles or even letters to the editors complaining about newspapers no longer printing box scores in their sports section. 

An argument can be made which I will not refute that print newspapers have seen better days and are on their decline.  Whether their demise is here and now, is quite debatable.  And not doubt it’s true, a lot of newspapers in smaller markets have legitimate financial reasons to cut back on sports coverage.

Also interesting are those newspaper outlets who still print or post boxscores on their web site and use it as a marketing tool.  Like Freep.com.  No, they’re not like those other papers.  

Even among web-delivered stats and box scores there has been a trade-off.  For years, I’ve enjoyed the USA Today’s section for one simple reason
 in years past, they’ve displayed their box scores in a one-page format.  A year or two ago, they “enhanced” it slightly but it only required one click to expand all box scores. 

But the full box scores page on UST is no longer.  They’ve taken the “Box Scores” link down.  Unless, I’m missing something, they no longer do that forcing us web browsers to click back and forth for each game. 

The reason is simple from USA Today’s (and ESPN’s and MLB.com’s etc) perspective.  It means more click-throughs and more ad views and therefore more ad revenue.  

Maybe I’m being picky.  But my time is valuable and I’d just as soon scroll down a page.  I will give USA Today credit for keeping their Stats by Team in a one-page format for each league.  That is still pretty handy. 

Quit messin’ wit’ the box scores.  Analysis is great but it’s only opinion.  Box scores are the reality of baseball.

4-15-09 L-O-T-D: James Loney

James Loney  2 AB, 0 H, 3 RBI

DonS emails:

Guys,
 
  Last night, James Loney got 3 rbis without getting a hit.
 
  I wonder when’s the last time THAT happened.
 
  LSOTD on the Baseball Zealot?
DonS.
 
Well, as rare as it is, it’s not as rare as I thought it would be.  The last person to have 3 or more rbis with no hits in a game was Hideki Matsui on July 29, 2007 when the Yankees played the Orioles.
 
It’s happened nine times in this decade.  The strange thing is that it happened FOUR times in 2000.  Ben Petrick of Colorado (remember him?) did it by driving in four runs without the benefit of a hit.
 
 
.  

Four years and still Zealotin’

tbzatum

Four years ago today, I wrote the first post for The Baseball Zealot. 

Four years goes pretty fast but we got a lot done.  We managed to put out a audio podcast for over a year (they’re still there if you want to listen to them).  I have a pretty impressive photo gallery if I may say so myself. 

I’ve spun off two websites because I thought the attention they were getting on the Zealot deserved it.  The APBA Blog focuses on the tabletop game APBA and the many leagues that play it.

Also, I began Illinois Baseball Report after covering the University of Illinois baseball team for a couple years on the Zealot.  I finally realized that the topic deserved their own site.  While the topic interest may not be as broad, I think it’s a website that well put together and I’m having a lot of fun doing it. 

By the way, not only is it The Baseball Zealot’s birthday but it’s also my good friend and co-blogger Teddy Ballgame’s birthday.  That’s how I remember his birthday.  Or maybe it’s the other way around. 

I couldn’t do the Zealot without Teddy and those aren’t just nice words.  I really couldn’t.  Especially during the college baseball season when I’m off to every home game covering the Illini, Teddy’s there writing about the MLB.  thanks, Tedd. 

Happy Birthday to you and us!

-TBZ

Baseball and Marriage

Put this in the “Now That We’ve Solved All Other Problems" category


The University of Denver Center for Marital and Family Studies has found that divorce rates are lower in cities that have a MLB team. 

Specifically, the study looked at cities before they acquired a team and afterwards. 

A new study from the centre looking at divorce rates before and after cities got Major League Baseball teams is fascinating in its implications. The study showed that cities with major league baseball teams had a 28 percent lower divorce rate than cities that wanted major league baseball teams.

University of Denver psychology professor drew some rather interesting conclusions from this study:

“Going to a baseball game and not talking about relationship issues, but rather having fun and talking as friends is one of the ways to protect and preserve love,”

So go to a baseball game and don’t talk about those nasty relationship issues.  That’ll only get you in trouble. 

Reed Johnson: Defense matters

reedjohnsoncatch

Whatta catch by the Cubs’ Reed Johnson! 

If you haven’t seen it, catch the video at mlb.com. Johnson’s catch stole a bases-loaded home run from the Milwaukee Brewers’ Prince Fielder on Sunday.  The Cubs won the game 8-5.

Is it safe to say that Reed Johnson’s defense has won at least one game so far this year?

PS Alfonso Soriano hit his 51st career leadoff homerun in the game.  I guess it’s a matter of perspective.  I look at it as 51 home runs with nobody on base.

IBR interviews UM blogger before upcoming Illini series

In anticipation of Illinois’ series with Michigan this coming weekend up in Ann Arbor, I’ve done a Q&A interview with a blogger from Varsity Blue, a most excellent UM sports blog. 

You can find the Q&A over at Illinois Baseball Report.

Michigan is the defending Big Ten champs but VB will be the first to tell you that they’ve lost more than a few players over the off-season.  So far, they are 18-10 (3-3 in the Big Ten).  Yet, they are still Michigan and it doesn’t help that we are playing on their home turf. 

Update: And yes, I did an interview with Varsity Blue where I give them the scoop on the Illini.

Go Illinois!!

Scientific American interviews UI professor on the physics of baseball

Just in time for the start of the baseball season, Scientific American has published an interview with University of Illinois physics professor Alan Nathan on his favorite topic:  The Physics of Baseball. 

Way back when at a time when we had the time to do a podcast, we interviewed Dr Nathan on Baseball Zealot Radio.  I’m sure the physics of our sport haven’t changed too much so take a listen.

4/5/09 Linescore of the Day: Opening Day

Derek Lowe 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (Win)

There was only one game on the docket (not including the Dodgers and Giants who were still finishing up their Cactus League action) but Atlanta Brave starter Derek Lowe made the LSOTD pretty easy to select. 

Lowe shut out the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies for eight innings allowing only 2 hits and NO walks.  He struck out four batters. 

In three previous Opening Day starts, he was 0-3 with a 8.44 ERA so I guess he was due. 

The mercy rule… Kentucky-style

On April 1, the Kentucky State baseball team probably wishes it hadn’t gotten out of bed. 

According to AP, they allowed 22 runs to Eastern Kentucky, in the first inning.  After the first five innings, the score was an incredible 49-1.  At that point, the game was cancelled and so was the second game of the doubleheader. 

Don’t blame EKU Coach Jason Stein.  He did right by putting in second-string players after the first inning.  But the runs kept coming.

Since the game was cancelled, you won’t find an official boxscore out there.  However, Jayson Langfels of EKU went 7 for 8 with 2 homers and 11 rbis.  It was also reported that Kentucky State committed 9 errors which in their coach’s eyes, “was generous”.

It’s quite a story.  I’ve certainly heard of the mercy rule being invoked before.  But I’ve never heard of it affecting future games (in this case, cancelling the second game of the doubleheader).