Tom Hamilton--"SSSTAGGERING STAT ABOUT BOROWSKI"

There's no contest--it's long over--ie. who defines the daily discourse, whether athletes are enhanced or damaged (as pointed out by the ESPN ombudsman). Those with microphones know from ESPN's example that there are no consequences to what they say. I'm just documenting it.

• I was ready for Tom Hamilton's "staggering" revelation about the 1-2-3 stat on XM today and Charley Steiner's allowing it to stand without qualification. I've detailed here the encroachment of the 1-2-3 stat into "closer" evaluations as it further distances the degree of difficulty involved in a "closer" or late inning reliever's job. The 1-2-3 stat is used by the same people who tout the "total save stat" and the "conversion" stat.

• It totally removes multi-inning appearances ("saves" or not, could even be a "Win"), entering with runners on base, how many outs there were on entering, etc. If those things don't matter, why don't the guys with the cheap saves do them? ANSWER:--They have no answer.
• ****Earlier today Hamilton had staggered and "shocked" others with the news:****

• From OTB Blog:

"This was an e-mail I sent in to Bill Simmons (the very funny and actually intelligent sportswriter known as the “Sports Guy”) at 3:45am after reading his latest column… I decided it was good enough to post.

I’m an Indians fan currently living in NYC (yes, the ALDS rocked), and I thought you’d enjoy a few tidbits from the Indians’ announcers and an Indians fan in light of your latest article.

• 1) Tom Hamilton announced as Blood Pressure Borowski came in that “Indians fans might be shocked to learn that he had more 1-2-3 innings this year than Mariano Rivera.” My brother called me up to tell me this and say “Yep, I was shocked.”"

From OutsideTheBeltway blog, by Ezzie Goldish, 10/16/07 ****Next, from ClevelandSportsTorture.blogspot.com (Terry Pluto now in the act on the 1-2-3 stat):

"Terry Pluto, in today's PD, wrote:

But Joe Borowski is so much like this team. He's a low-budget guy coming through in a high-pressure situation. Now here's a statistic you won't believe, but Borowski has had more 1-2-3 saves than Mariano Rivera this season, 15-10."

ClevelandSportsTorture.blogspot.com Although they had a commenter who said: "Now I won't disagree with the sentiment, I kinda like Joe. The crowd certainly was chanting "Let's Go Joe!" during the ninth. But the impression of the statistic Pluto quoted was misleading. He may have had more 1-2-3 innings than Rivera, but let's compare him to other top closers this year. (And by my count, using ESPN.com's game-by-game stats, Borowski had 16 3-batter saves.) Caveat: I evaluated each closer's saves, counted the ones where they faced 3 batters. Sure, there could have been a double play mixed in, or they could have come in with 2 outs and faced 3 batters. But I'm at my desk at work doing this, and it's not my living!"

• The commenter concludes, "only F-Rod (K-rod) was close to Borowski in giving his fans nervous palpitations every time he came up...."

Back to Tom Hamilton, on a roll on Charley Steiner's show on XM, his voice rising with the urgency of what he was about to announce,

• "I did some research and found something SSSSTAGGERING..JOE....BOROWSKI....ACTUALLY...HAD....MORE.....1-2-3 INNINGS.....THAN.....MARIANO.....RIVERA......."

As I said, Steiner continued talking about general topics, allowed the characterization to remain an enormous, staggering revelation.

• Joe's 2007 has received nothing but Cy Young recommendations, praise in detail last night from Jon Miller/ESPN, repeatedly on XM by Buck Martinez, having his picture on FoxSports.com during an article discussing Cy Young candidates. Miller even said people shouldn't pick on Borowski for his high ERA, because a lot of it was left over from a grand slam he gave up at Yankee stadium in the beginning of the season, and it just takes awhile for the stat to recover.

The point is not about Borowski--he's fine, he's done a good job. The problem is the media selling the Total Save stat and the 1-2-3 stat, and saying those 2 stats make one PITCHER a better late inning reliever or closer to a team than another one, without citing other crucial data. What if one closer also performs the setup role for his team--isn't that 'staggering' considering another team would need another entire human being to set-up and close? What if a closer gave his team 2 SAVES IN ONE DAY? (Done 5 x in career by Mariano, in 2007 on May 3rd.)They don't mention this.

• I've noted on this blog Billy Wagner has had 2 inning appearances for the Mets this year which didn't end up technically as "saves" for him, so it's not just Mo who's involved here. Although Rivera's is the only name they're bringing up. And the fact that this will be accepted as "conventional wisdom" and has been by many people hearing it. Look at how excited the Indians fan was to hear it, how his brother actually called up to tell him.

Borowski never pitched more than 1 inning this year.

• 7 of his saves were less than 3 outs.

His 4 runners on base situations were in low risk, 1 or 2 out situations with a 2,3, or 4 run lead. None of which makes him a bad person.

• Since Hamilton mentions Rivera, I looked it up, and
• Mariano had 13 multi-inning appearances, and entered
• 16 times with runners on base.

I understand some teams will use the Total Save Stat and the 1-2-3 stat as, among other things, marketing vehicles for the team. The 2 stats are more tied to a manager's actions than the so-called "closer," and they devalue the harder work done by closers who come in and do what their team needs them to do, eg the example I just gave of Billy Wagner's 2IP performances. There were no saves involved,

• but you would've needed 2 Joe Borowskis.

• P.S. I'm only noting what the media has made into a big deal-- a stat--I didn't make it up myself.

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