Comments on: On WPA; Or, why Johnny Damon is your 2009 AL MVP http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/ In-your-face baseball commentary Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:19:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Nick Kapur http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61673 Nick Kapur Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:15:57 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61673 Jimmy~ No, it does not. It uses the winning percentage of all teams ever before and after that given event. If you calculated WPA differently for different teams, there would be no way to compare players on different teams. Jimmy~ No, it does not. It uses the winning percentage of all teams ever before and after that given event. If you calculated WPA differently for different teams, there would be no way to compare players on different teams.
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]]> By: jimmy http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61650 jimmy Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:36:21 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61650 i really like this statistic. contributions in tight situations is what interest me. one question. does wpa factor in winninmg percentages of teams and their likelihood of winning. for example yanks vs. washington. i really like this statistic. contributions in tight situations is what interest me. one question. does wpa factor in winninmg percentages of teams and their likelihood of winning. for example yanks vs. washington.
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]]> By: Nick Kapur http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61618 Nick Kapur Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:03:37 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61618 In case it's not clear for some reason, I personally am not actually arguing for WPA to be used to evaluate the MVP. My point is just that if sportswriters actually want to evaluate what they claim to want to evaluate, then *they* should be using WPA. In case it’s not clear for some reason, I personally am not actually arguing for WPA to be used to evaluate the MVP. My point is just that if sportswriters actually want to evaluate what they claim to want to evaluate, then *they* should be using WPA.
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]]> By: kensai http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61614 kensai Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:50:50 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61614 There's an argument to be made here, but I still don't like using WPA in any value argument because it is still a matter of opportunity to make a difference rather than skill. There’s an argument to be made here, but I still don’t like using WPA in any value argument because it is still a matter of opportunity to make a difference rather than skill.
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]]> By: Action Jackson http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61582 Action Jackson Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:54:04 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61582 Something like Bay's first 12 home runs this year came with men on base, I'd imagine that's the kind of things that bumps up your WPA. I also wonder if the defense statistics give Bay a bad rap because they don't take park dimensions into account... at Fenway, a lot of fly balls that Bay would have gotten to end up off the wall (or even in the Monster seats). I remember that the Pirates used to play Bay in center occasionally, he has some speed (12/14 for steals this year, 10/10 last year), and he plays the wall well enough at Fenway, so I don't entirely understand how he can be as terrible on defense as the statistics claim. Did he have the same kind of poor defense statistics last year, or in 2007 with the Pirates (in a different home park)? Something like Bay’s first 12 home runs this year came with men on base, I’d imagine that’s the kind of things that bumps up your WPA.

I also wonder if the defense statistics give Bay a bad rap because they don’t take park dimensions into account… at Fenway, a lot of fly balls that Bay would have gotten to end up off the wall (or even in the Monster seats). I remember that the Pirates used to play Bay in center occasionally, he has some speed (12/14 for steals this year, 10/10 last year), and he plays the wall well enough at Fenway, so I don’t entirely understand how he can be as terrible on defense as the statistics claim. Did he have the same kind of poor defense statistics last year, or in 2007 with the Pirates (in a different home park)?

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]]> By: Nick Kapur http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61580 Nick Kapur Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:56:19 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61580 Yep. Well, for one thing, just like most MVP voters, WPA completely ignores defense. But also, Bay's hits this year have just happened to come in really high leverage situations. Yep. Well, for one thing, just like most MVP voters, WPA completely ignores defense. But also, Bay’s hits this year have just happened to come in really high leverage situations.
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]]> By: Sarah Green http://umpbump.com/press/2009/09/09/on-wpa-or-why-johnny-damon-is-your-2009-al-mvp/comment-page-1/#comment-61579 Sarah Green Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:51:32 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=6832#comment-61579 Am shocked that Bay is so high. Really?! Am shocked that Bay is so high. Really?!
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