New MISC section

[slaman992003]

My question relates to the MISC tab on the Player Database.

I was looking at %H for LD for Matt LaPorta. I was led here because it seems when he has made an adjustment in LD after he was recalled versus earlier in the season. 46% are going for LD.

My question is, what is the league average for LD going for hits?

Is this like a difusion index where 50% is average? or more objective and the % rate changes with every year?

Inquiring minds want to know! Thanks for any insight.

Steve

[Tom_T]

46% is his hit rate on line drives. Hit rate can never be higher than 100% (i.e. all balls-in-play are hits.) I don't know the league average offhand, but I'd expect the hit rate on line drives to be high.

LaPorta's actual line drive rate is 17%, but it's been better in the second half (21%) than in the first (17%). But, his contact rate is down a bit, and his overall hit rate this month is a sky-high 47%. Not sure if there's anything here that indicates improvement, although more line drives are always good.

[RobR]

Here's YTD stats. H% defined here as 1 - Outs / BIP.

Type	BIP	Outs	H%
Bunts	1,812	1,416	22%

GB	34,256	25,398	26%

LD	5,121	1,879	63%
FL-LD	9,283	2,114	77%
LD Tot	14,404	3,993	72%

FL-FB	9,553	5,449	43%
FB	19,352	16,678	14%
FB Tot	28,905	22,127	23%

[Ed@HQ]

Thanks for the numbers, Rob. The numbers I have in my head from other studies are GB=26%, LD=73%, FB=15%, so they match very closely. Some people would argue that there is scorer bias in there, meaning that scorers are more likely to classify something as a line drive if it falls for a hit, and more likely to classify it as a fly if it gets caught. Same thing goes for Hard Hit Balls -- i.e., one would be more likely to classify a one-hopper that jumps past the third baseman as a hard hit ball, but might be more apt to call it a medium hit ball if he snags it.

[Michael@HQ]

Ed's numbers are about right as long as remembers that the hit rate of 15% for flyballs (I got 15.7% if you want a more exact figure) excludes homers.

[slaman992003]

So...to make sure I've got it right

When I look at the LaPorta player database...

The main page GB, LD, FB % should add up to 100% and represent the % balls in play that are characterized by a ground ball, line drive or fly ball.

The MISC page (under the BIP section) shows the distribution of balls that go for hits as they are characterized as GB, LD, FB.

Correct?

Thanks Tom, Rob, Ed, Michael.

I'm still a little confused as to what Fliner-LD and Fliner-FB are. I can't find it in the glossary. Are these the ones that Ed is talking about (somewhere in between a ld and fb?)?

[Michael@HQ]

When I look at the LaPorta player database...

The main page GB, LD, FB % should add up to 100% and represent the % balls in play that are characterized by a ground ball, line drive or fly ball.

The MISC page (under the BIP section) shows the distribution of balls that go for hits as they are characterized as GB, LD, FB.

Correct?

Thanks Tom, Rob, Ed, Michael.

I'm still a little confused as to what Fliner-LD and Fliner-FB are. I can't find it in the glossary. Are these the ones that Ed is talking about (somewhere in between a ld and fb?)?

Using LaPorta's current MISC page as an example, 44% + 16% + 40% = 100%, so that's right. The percentages add up to 100%. The rest of the numbers on the current row are the actual numbers of balls in play, which typically won't add up to be 100.

Fliners are intermediate hits, somewhere between line drivers and flyballs. Look at the BIP Stats Notes at the bottom of LaPorta's page and you can read that Fliner-LD are included in LD% and Fliner-FB are included in FB%.

[slaman992003]

Thanks Michael