Amazing stat trivia

[UPRedsFan]

File this one under the category of amazing stat trivia...

Tonight's starting pitchers Roy Oswalt and Micah Owings have identical batting average against for their careers: .256. Who da thunk?

And Owings is better for this season. Of course against the Reds Oswalt becomes unhittable, so this bit of trivia will have no effect on tonight's game.

[xavr1]

Here's some more amazing trivia considering the Reds inability to beat Oswalt (from Lance McAlister's blog):

Did you know?
Career batting average against Oswalt of active Reds that have faced Oswalt in their career:

.323 (41 for 127) with 4 hr's

Phillips 9 for 29 (.310)
Gonzalez 9 for 21 (.429)
Bruce 5 for 18 (.278)
Votto 5 for 17 (.294)
Taveras 4 for 15 (.267)
Hairston 2 for 7 (.286)
Nix 3 for 7 (.429)
Dickerson 2 for 7 (.286)
Hernandez 2 for 6 (.333)

Originally Posted by xavr1

Here's some more amazing trivia considering the Reds inability to beat Oswalt (from Lance McAlister's blog):

Did you know?
Career batting average against Oswalt of active Reds that have faced Oswalt in their career:

.323 (41 for 127) with 4 hr's

Phillips 9 for 29 (.310)
Gonzalez 9 for 21 (.429)
Bruce 5 for 18 (.278)
Votto 5 for 17 (.294)
Taveras 4 for 15 (.267)
Hairston 2 for 7 (.286)
Nix 3 for 7 (.429)
Dickerson 2 for 7 (.286)
Hernandez 2 for 6 (.333)

This has been a year for breaking trends. All the more reason to beat up on Oswalt tonight.

[UPRedsFan]

So maybe tonight we turn the tide against Roy.

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by UPRedsFan

File this one under the category of amazing stat trivia...

Tonight's starting pitchers Roy Oswalt and Micah Owings have identical batting average against for their careers: .256. Who da thunk?

And Owings is better for this season. Of course against the Reds Oswalt becomes unhittable, so this bit of trivia will have no effect on tonight's game.

It's not about BA against.

It's about OPS against.

And, since there seems to be in inference that Oswalt's huge number of Wins make him a better pitcher than Owings (which he is), Owings hasn't pitched enough innings in his career to where Wins are indicative of how he has pitched. That generally takes 7 or 8 years, and sometimes 10 or more years.

Oswalt's OPS against is .691.

Owings' OPS against is .760.

There's a huge difference in the number of extra-base hits that each of them gives up and the number of walks, too.

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by Dude Rock

This has been a year for breaking trends. All the more reason to beat up on Oswalt tonight.

I was thinking the same thing two days ago after someone had posted that the sky is falling because we have to face Roy and Wandy and Lee.

[UPRedsFan]

Originally Posted by Kingspoint

It's not about BA against.

It's about OPS against.

And, since there seems to be in inference that Oswalt's huge number of Wins make him a better pitcher than Owings (which he is), Owings hasn't pitched enough innings in his career to where Wins are indicative of how he has pitched. That generally takes 7 or 8 years, and sometimes 10 or more years.

Oswalt's OPS against is .691.

Owings' OPS against is .760.

There's a huge difference in the number of extra-base hits that each of them gives up and the number of walks, too.

[UPRedsFan]

I didn't infer anything about wins King. Only that I was surprised that their batting average against was equal for their careers.

Yes, Oswalt strikes out more people by a small margin and probably walks fewer (although I haven't looked at that). I guess the difference in slugging is the biggest explanation for the difference in career ERA's.

But aren't you surprised that batters don't have a higher average agains Micah or lower against Roy?

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by UPRedsFan

I didn't infer anything about wins King. Only that I was surprised that their batting average against was equal for their careers.

Yes, Oswalt strikes out more people by a small margin and probably walks fewer (although I haven't looked at that). I guess the difference in slugging is the biggest explanation for the difference in career ERA's.

But aren't you surprised that batters don't have a higher average agains Micah or lower against Roy?

I suppose I am.

Aaron Harang has had the problem the last two seasons of giving up a huge number of extra-base hits. They don't hit him for a high-average, but he throws the wrong pitch way too often.

If you remember strat-o-matic, or if you don't, it's about not throwing a guy a pitch he can crush,....ever. Oswalt consistently stays away from that, while Owings has not, and in the case of Harang, he takes too many chances thinking he can get away with a pitch. With Harang, it's all about not being smart about his pitches. With Owings, it's about his youth as he's still learning what not to do. I really like Owings, the pitcher. I've touted him all spring as being an important reason why the REDS will win 85 games this season, not a playoff team, but a winning team for the first time in years.