29ers Win Game; Beers Win Hearts and Minds

What else is there to say about playing the Beers other than, "fuck yes".  There's nothing like a good reminder of what's really important in the PCHL, nay, life, than when your team has the privilege of stepping on the field with the Beers.  Playing the Beers is, for me, like traveling back through time to visit my adolescent self playing baseball out front, using a car bumper as the right field pole and the tree across the street as the left, with the kids from my block literally the entire fucking day, albeit with considerably more booze and... uhhh... PED's(?) nowadays.    Baseball is fucking fun, man, at it's core, I mean.  Sometimes we all have a tendency to get caught up in the bullshit behind the scenes stuff; who should play where, what another team is doing, (over)analyzing the numbers, etc.  That's not to say thinking about the game in several dimensions doesn't add a depth to the game that makes it less boring than otherwise; I like that side of it a lot (if you couldn't tell).  At the end of the day we're out there playing some fucking baseball on the goddamn weekend with our buddies, and that's cool no matter how you slice it.  A Saturday with the Beers is a good sorta 'reset' on what we're all doing, why we show up, what good sportsmanship is really like, and a general reminder that although we may be on separate teams, we're all on this broader team of outcasts that is the PCHL, together.

I think I can safely speak for everyone on the 29ers when I say you guys are a class fucking act, and it's a genuine pleasure to get out there and compete with you guys every time.

Fuck yeah, Beers.  God bless each one of your mothers for birthing you.



GAME RECAP | 29ers 15 - Beers 1

I'm not going to spin my wheels too much on this one by going over each play-- I'll summarize the main points.  We won.  It was absolutely necessary to walk away with the "W" and we executed.  Good work, gents.

According to the book we scored 15 runs, although, for whatever reason, I thought we'd only scored 13(?)  Naturally, I'll defer to 15.  The Beers were held to one late inning run.  I'm told that run differential won't come into play for the post-season, but wanting to leave nothing to chance, we wanted to make sure and pad the differential.  Hopefully any perception of running up the score can be excused as a result-- we're in crunch time over here after all.

Miles was on the bump in this one and pitched really well; just a couple of walks(!)  I think he beaned James twice, but, ummm, sometimes you gotta bean someone?  James made sure to show us his lumps after the game; two big ones on his right arm.  Other than that, I don't know, it's hard to poke holes when someone pitches seven innings of one run ball.  Good job, Miles.  I don't know whether I'm more impressed with his pitching line or the fact that he walked twice, and once on a 3-2 count!  I just looked at Miles' stats for the year and he's third on the team in walks!?!  When in the fuck did that happen?  Bravo, young man, bravo.

DJ came in and did his thing for the final 2 innings, pitching great and not letting up a run.  DJ is really becoming a phenom of a relief pitcher, not to mention winning the hearts and minds of several long-time 29ers (I've heard two well respected players mention this).  There's something about a player who's willing to take in a teammates advice and implement it with positive results that puts a smile on everyone's face.  Like I said, I've talked about it with more than one person, and we all see it.  Keep it up, dude, people are paying attention even when it doesn't seem like it.  Also, dude hit another sac fly! #sacflysmatter

On the other side of the spectrum...

Hustle.  Please just hustle.  Not that anyone should hustle any less when the game is on the line-- you shouldn't-- but when we've got a blowout(?) and we're not giving 100% running down the line, even if it's a for sure out (it never is, btw), it's a super bad look to, essentially, tell the other team (or your teammates, for that matter) that, "nah, we're good, no need to get down the line".  I'm not calling anyone out because that's not a direction I want to take this thing, but there was at least one guy that made a couple of us in the dugout go, "damn... someone doesn't want PT".  Remember, people are paying attention, even when you think they're not.  Don't ever let yourself get in the routine of not running things out because it may just manifest itself unintentionally when it really does matter if you make it a habit.  It's one of the easiest things to control in your game no matter your skill level.  Be somebody that hustles.  Please?

Defensively the team was on-point.  Rickey and Ray deserve some love because they turned at least a couple double-plays (3-4?)  There was a 3-6-4 double-play that had me salivating from behind the plate.  The play started with a quick shot to Mike at first who finessed the ball over to Rickey at second like he was delivering baby Jesus to the apostles.  From second, Rickey turned what was once a baby into a man, and threw the Jesus-ball through the heavens, subsequently turning the Jesus-ball into what can only be described at this point in the play as God, before reaching Ray who was aggressively getting to and covering first as if it were the Virgin Mary waiting to become just "Mary", perfectly executing the holy trinity that is the 3-6-4 double play.  Well done, gents, well done... I'm certainly a believer now.

That analogy started off well-intentioned.  I'm sorry(?)

As for a Drive of the Game, it'd have to go to BC who roped a 2RBI double.  I wasn't watching when it was hit, so unfortunately I didn't get a good look at it, but as our only extra-base hit of the game, DotG definitely goes to him.

Defensive Play of the Game definitely goes to Rickey, Ray, and Mike for that savory 3-6-4 double-play I raved about a couple paragraphs up.

Impressive Line of the Game(?) would have to go to Zack, who put up another 'ho-hum' day, going 4-5 with 2 runs.  For those not paying attention to the stats, first off, get with it, but secondly, Zack has strung together a handful of games for what may be the quickest ascent up the stat-ladder we've ever seen.


DIGGING DEEPER ("Some Moneyball Bullshit" -Rickey Rein):

In this one we had our highest hit total of the season with 21 hits.  The previous high was 17 against the Cleaners in week 7, which surprised me.  Our walk total was the second highest of the year with 11, which is just under our season high from last week at 13.  First and foremost, good work to everyone on those two fronts.  The last two games we have been especially good in both the H and BB categories.  This is a trend I like to see, obviously, but the concept I want to reiterate from last week is the value of each H/BB...

If you remember (nobody reads this, I know) I talked about the value of each H/BB being ~0.5 runs.  We had a combined 32 H/BB's this week and scored 15 runs, which roughly works out to that number of ~0.5 runs per H/BB.  This just reinforces the approach we all need to have at the plate; your focus is to get on base, you can think of it as scoring a half run each time you do.  To raise the chance of getting on base you need to work the count and see some pitches.  Math doesn't lie as an aggregate.

I'll leave it at that for now.  You guys have been beat over the head with metrics for the last couple weeks and I don't want to get anyone off their game for tomorrow.  The underlying principle is, make your at-bats count.  There's nothing worse than the opposing pitcher throwing less than 10 pitches per inning.  We want to get deep on their starter this weekend.  We all know what's coming-- they're going to pitch their ringer.  Don't let that get you off this trending approach we've had the last couple games.  It will work, no matter how enticing that first pitch fastball looks.

Tomorrow is another must-win game.  We're used to this position, and we seem to thrive in this position, but it's a do or die for them as well (pending finishing their game vs. the Dealers).  They're going to bring it just a much.  We need to run our best out there and if you're on the bench for a majority of the game, don't get discouraged-- it's just as important to keep the vibes up on the bench.  Keep your collective heads in the game for those dreaded middle innings.  Don't let off the gas until the final out.  Every pitch/at-bat/defensive play matters tomorrow.  Don't try to do too much or be a hero.  Our defense is solid.  Don't do do them any favors.

Let's get it, boys.  Last game of the regular season and I want to prax on Wednesday!

BE SOMEBODY!!!

-Scott

STIZATS

Mid-Game Lull Almost Gets the Best of the 29'ers

With Ray's bandwidth being completely absorbed by the time and energy it takes to complete college and maintain his title as the 29'ers (PCHL?) Best Dressed Man, he's officially handed over the blog reins(?) to me (Scott) for the remainder of the year.  I guess this means I can stop hitting refresh on http://29ersbaseball.blogspot.com/ at an absurdly high frequency (seriously) for the days following each game in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, a new post will be up.  When you're on the wrong side of 30 these things matter.  So, for better or worse, I'm going to give this my best (mid-level, really) shot, try to keep you interested until the end, and maybe offer a different perspective by pulling apart the numbers of the game(s).

This game, and every game henceforth (I said it) is a must win game.  I could feel that added pressure leading up to this game.  The entire week before-hand I was thinking about Saturday.  I didn't want to walk off the field at the end of the day knowing our season would only last two more games.  I feel like the rest of you all understood that as well.  It's about more than just knowing it, though.  It's about feeling it, the tone of the game, importance of every single play, and basically just focusing on going out there and controlling what you can, in whatever role you have, to get the job done.  Across the whole, everyone did their job for the most part.  There were a few moments where a couple of us were left scratching our heads, but nevertheless, good job out there, boys.

GAME RECAP | Nobles-7 at 29'ers-12

Well, shit, we got a lot of help in the first inning, putting six runs on the board via the Nobles somewhat shaky pitcher.  I mean we had great ab's(?)  We almost batted through the lineup, getting 11 men to the plate in the bottom of the first after a relatively quick top of the inning. I walked to lead off the game on four straight, BC followed with one of his own, then Rickey added another to load 'em.  With the bases juiced Bobby let the pitcher have a quick break, followed by three more walks to Large, Miles, and Ray.  I'm a big fan of watching you all have good at-bats; seeing someone work off 4+ pitches means they're doing their job (more on that later).  Pat followed those six walks up with an RBI single, and Zack followed Pats single with yet another walk that scored a run.  The line was moving, for sure.  DJ smoked a sac fly to center to score one more before we headed back out to the field-- #sacflysmatter.  Six runs in the 1st is the right move in a must win game, obviously.

The bottom of the second inning rolls around and we start in much the same way as the first; back-to-back walks out of the gate by Craig and I before back-to-back singles by Rickey and Bobby, both of which produced RBI's.

Coming out of the 2nd we'd put eight on the board.  This is where we decided that Ray's words of wisdom before the game were purely editorial and we let off the gas a little.  Perhaps it was the Nobles pitcher change, perhaps something else, but there was a definite shift in tone and demeanor coming from the group in those middle innings, just like Ray warned us of.  I hadn't really noticed the pattern before then, but after hearing Ray point it out before the game started I could definitely see it manifest in the middle innings.  There was a moment when I was coaching third and I look over at the bench and everyone looked flat.  I'm not saying I wasn't, too, but something changed.  We gotta figure that out because not every team is going to give(?) us eight through the first two-- we all know this, though.

So, eight runs through two is tight.  I'm cool with that.  I like big leads early.

Spoke too soon.  

Nobles come firing back with five/six(?) runs of their own over the first 4 1/3 innings.  What the shit?  I think I can speak for everyone when I say we were collectively shitting ourselves a little bit when they came back on us.  Are we really going to blow an eight run lead!?! With DJ on the bump him and I were working on a couple things prior to the game in an effort to, essentially, fuck with batters by expanding our tool box.  I won't go into the things we're adding to the repertoire because other teams may read this, but I think it took the focus away from just going out there and throwing strikes.  I'll take the blame for the runs that were let up; I should have just let him do his thing.

Zack relieved DJ and pitched amazingly over the rest of the game.  Being behind the plate, he's a fun guy to catch when he's 'on'.  When he has command of his curveball-- basically placing the ball wherever he wants-- the swing and misses start piling up and that chess match between pitcher and hitter becomes a little lopsided.  I don't remember a single curveball that got hit out of the infield. Zack simply stopped the bleeding the rest of the game, pure and simple.  God bless Zack's right arm and windswept hair.

With the game meandering along for a couple innings at 8-7, we arrived at the bottom of the seventh, and the top of the lineup up.  I led off with a single.  BC walked (check his K/BB ratio, btw!).  Rickey singled to load the bases, and Bobby continued his attack on SLG by hitting a double to score BC and I before Ray singled in Rickey three batters later.

OK, this feels better.

We tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth via a leadoff walk by Zack and a monster double (shot of the game?) by Shaun to score him.

We were able to hold Nobles to those seven runs, but this one felt a lot closer than it should have.  The takeaway here is not to get complacent, just like Ray talked about.  Easier said than done, I know, but we gotta keep the pressure up the entire game.  If there's one thing I've learned over the last ~2 years, it's that runs can get on the board quickly by any team in the PCHL.  Let's not forget that.

The Ray's a lot better at these and I can't come up with anything and feel somewhat inadequate now defensive play of the game goes to Bobby for his 5-3 double-play.  A special shout-out to Large on this one, as his perpetually effortless pick-skills at first buttoned this play up nicely.  Is there really a better first baseman in the league than Large?  ... I wouldn't bet against him.

Player of the game award goes to Zack, who got the game ball.  A solid line at the plate (2/2, 1RBI, 1R, 2BB) and perhaps an even better line on the bump (I wish we had pitching stats).  Zack was contributing everywhere in this one.  Good work, bud.  I kinda miss him/us right now.  Call/text me?

DIGGING DEEPER

In his perpetual "do as I say not as I do" approach to managing, Miles told everyone to see pitches in this game.  We listened, Miles, we listened.  The team notched its highest BB total of the season with 13 total walks.  We also had an above average (9.9/game) hit total with 14.  As most of you know, I love a good at bat.  There's a ton of good that can come from working the count and seeing pitches.  How do we turn that into more than just rhetoric, though; what's the math behind it?  I'm glad you asked.

I went through the scorecard and took a look at the number of pitches each batter saw (great work to everyone for keeping track of that, btw).  The team had 47 total at bats.  I went through each at bat to see if the player got on base (error free, of course) and how many pitches that player saw.  This doesn't take into account foul balls with two strikes because those aren't tracked, but that's OK. Further, I counted a sac fly, for example, as, essentially, not getting on base even though it's a positive play. #sacflysmatter

Going through the spreadsheet I identified whether or not a player had a "positive at bat" by assigning it a "1" (got on base) and "0" for "negative at bats" (did not get on base); meaning, a walk and a hit is basically the same.  We simply want to find any correlation between getting on base and how many pitches a batter saw.  Here's what I found out:

• H+BB:  27
• Pitches Seen per Positive AB:  ~4
• Pitches Seen per Negative AB:  ~3

Now, these two figures may not seem that far apart, but the difference is ~33% more pitches seen on "positive at bats" (batter gets on base).  This is just a one game sample, but it's indicative of a broader trend proven through thousands/millions of at bats in MLB.  Simply put, seeing more pitches will yield better results.  This doesn't mean that you let an 0-1 fastball get by you, but it does mean you should consider trying to see as many pitches as is practical every single time up.

Seeing pitches does a couple things that can't easily be measured.  For example, if you can, as a batter, let the guy in the on-deck circle see a handful of pitches while he's getting in his practice swings, that'll help your boy and his timing.  Further, getting that overall pitch count up on the opposing pitcher will help get him out of the game sooner; pitchers simply can't throw forever.  If, as a team, we're able to get through their first and second pitcher before the eighth inning, for example, we're spending the last two innings vs. they're number three or four guy.  That's where you want to be at the end of the game.

Now, we all know positive results from at bats is good, but how good is it; how does it correlate to runs?  I'm glad you asked...

I went through each of our games over the season and took the total average runs score per game and divided it by the average H+BB per game.  Here's how that data breaks down:

• Average H+BB/Game:  15.625
• Average R/Game:  7.8125

Knowing those numbers allow us to break down how much a H+BB is worth relative to Runs, which works out like this:

• Avereage R/Game / Avereage (H+BB/Game):  0.5

Hits tend to be a little bit more valuable than walks, for obvious reasons, but the underlying principle here is, for every "positive at bat" you essentially put half a run on the board.  That's cool, right?  You like runs, don't you?  I found that to be pretty interesting.  Your job as a batter is to simply get on base.  To do that, it makes sense to see more pitches.  Now, again, this is aggregate data and just because you see four pitches does not mean you're going to get on base (obviously).  But if you can adapt your approach to seeing more pitches across enough bats, I think you'll see positive results overall.  Math doesn't lie.

Ok, Beers are up next and they barely lost to the Cleaners (2-4).  Show up.  Keep your head in the game.  Keep your foot on the gas.

I love you.

-Scott

STATZ