July 28, 200719 yr Heck, how can you compare Ruth's 60 homers in the 20's to anything today? Balls that bounce over the fence aren't home runs now...they were then. That is right, until 1930 in the AL and 1931 in the NL a ball could bounce over or through a fence and be ruled a home run. Does your magical "adjusted numbers" factor for that? Maybe...maybe not. How really could they? Do they know exactly how many of Honus Wagner's home runs in 1911 bounced over a fence? No. T While I'm sure some enjoyed your history lesson, you have failed to prove anything. Why? Because its taken into account. Before you say "how do they know how many bounced?", it doesn't matter. "Bullcrap" you yell! It does not matter because the normalized stat takes into account how Ruth did RELATIVE to the other players THAT YEAR who played under the same rules. This is also why it doesn't matter that Whitaker played in a HR friendly park like Tiger Stadium. Why? Because the entire league played in Tiger Stadium that year and Lou Whitaker played in every other AL stadium that year. They can then use the composite yearly stats to determine how one year/decade/era compares to another and then adjust for it. By the way, I do find it interesting that posters comment on Whitaker's friendly HR park compared to the Astrodome YET forget to mention Enron. Not that it matters (as I just explained) but very telling to say the least. So that's why I asked the question of Ruth vs McGwire. Ruth's 59 were about double what the next guy hit that year. McGwire's 71, while uber impressive, were not AS impressive when you look at it as a RELATIVE number. Ruth didn't have to face relief specialists (accounted for). Ruth also didn't have bandboxes to play in (accounted for). Ruth didn't face black pitchers and compete against black hitters (accounted for). McGwire didn't have long train rides between towns (accounted for). Whatever you list, its accounted for. You can now return to "well Biggio's stats were better" line of thinking.
July 28, 200719 yr The good news for you guys is that I'm going on vacation. Bad news is my laptop will be in tow.
July 28, 200719 yr Maybe the way I view this process seems absurd to you, but I appear to be in step with those paid to vote on such things, so I'm in pretty good company. So now you think that if you're in the majority, you're right? Aren't you the one that carries the flag for Dunn and his defensive abilities DESPITE what the experts think? You admit that Dunn stinks defensively and if K3 admits that there is no where on God's green earth that Biggio is anywhere near Joe Morgan ,then I'll say that Biggio is a first-balloter and he's better than Whitaker. Until then I'm quite comfortable in the minority.
July 28, 200719 yr So which is it: A. Comparing stats from different times is the way to go ( Biggio had better stats than Whitaker) or B. You can't compare stats from different eras because the game changes(see your post above)? It can't be both. Jeez, you must be bored. You've invested more into this thread than I can promise you I have or will. Let me just end my posting in this thread with this: I've yet to make any reference simiilar to point #A above. I did NOT say that Biggio should be in because his stats are better. I continue to say you can't compare players of different eras and I don't care what his stats look like compared to Whitaker. Not sure how you got me and Point A into the same post, but it was wrong. Enjoy your reading on how to interpret stats, AJG, K3 and the rest of us will actually be watching the games. Aren't you the guy that routinely hasn't heard of players until they get to the Bigs? Maybe you should read fewer books about how to compare Cy Young and Eric Young and just sit back and enjoy the games. Just a thought.
July 28, 200719 yr Jeez, you must be bored. You've invested more into this thread than I can promise you I have or will. Let me just end my posting in this thread with this: I've yet to make any reference simiilar to point #A above. I did NOT say that Biggio should be in because his stats are better. I continue to say you can't compare players of different eras and I don't care what his stats look like compared to Whitaker. Not sure how you got me and Point A into the same post, but it was wrong. Enjoy your reading on how to interpret stats, AJG, K3 and the rest of us will actually be watching the games. Aren't you the guy that routinely hasn't heard of players until they get to the Bigs? Maybe you should read fewer books about how to compare Cy Young and Eric Young and just sit back and enjoy the games. Just a thought. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
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