Talking baseball - Somewhat stat heavy analysis of NL Cy Young race

[cmk418]

So I'm going to look at this NL Cy Young logically:

Pitcher #1 - 19 wins (1st)
- 2.63 ERA (4th)
- 1 complete game
- No shutouts
- 233.0 innings pitched (1st)

Pitcher #2 - 15 wins (4th)
- 2.48 ERA (2nd)
- 4 complete games (1st)
- 2 shutouts (1st)
- 225.1 innings pitched (3rd)

Pitcher #3 - 17 wins (2nd, but 1st in win/loss %)
- 2.24 ERA (1st)
- 3 complete games (3rd)
- 1 shutout (6th)
- 192.2 innings pitched

So, this begs the question - if respective clubs are taken out of this scenario, does pitcher #2 still win? Are we putting that much stock into things like complete games and shutouts (which, don't get me wrong are incredibly nice) and less into things that matter more come the end of the year, like ERA and number of wins (or win/loss percentage?)

Or are we treating this like the Academy awards and since pitchers #1 & #3 play for the same team, they "split the vote"? Or, is this just a case of laziness since pitcher #2 won it last year, they'd give it to him this year? I really do not want to play the 'bias against the Midwest' card, but things like this make it difficult not to.

For the record, I think Mr. Lincecum is a fine pitcher, as evidenced by the fact that he beat the crap out of the Cards every time we faced him this year.

I just happen to think that the stats show that Mr. Carpenter is more qualified to win the 2009 NL Cy Young award than the other two candidates. (And this comes from a person whose favorite pitcher is Adam Wainwright.)

Oh and in case you haven't figured it out by now. #1 = Adam Wainwright, #2 = Tim Lincecum, #3 = Chris Carpenter.

Thank you for your attention. We now return to our regularly scheduled program.

Comments

[kerkevik.livejournal.com]

Hi,

can't follow close enough to comment on who the winners of awards should be so, in commenting on this past season, all I can say is this... those *&W^$"£^$)^ yankees!!!

:-)

from a BROOKLYN Dodgers fan whose been in mourning ever since he discovered his team had ceased to exist something like half a decade BEFORE he was born :-(

Still under Willow & Tara's spell,
Ray.

[cmk418]

There are very few baseball teams that I passionately dislike (maybe the Mets, and inexplicably, Seattle), but I grew up the child of a baseball fanatic which left me with something of an appreciation for the game. My dad ran the numbers himself and came up with Wainwright as the top pitcher, with Carpenter in second and Lincecum in third.

At least they managed to do right with the MVP award.