Oscar Gamble Society

For those of you who just can’t wait for the 2011 release of MoneyBall, the newest edition of The Simpsons may be just the thing to tide you over.

MoneyBART, the 3rd episode of The Simpsons season 22, begins with what is probably the best (and darkest) opening ‘couch sequence’ in the show’s history.  For the remainder of the show, we explore what happens when Lisa takes over as coach of Bart’s little league team.  Our old friend Professor Frink sums it up best: “Using Sabermetrics, even an 8-year-old girl can run a ballclub with the sagacity of a Stengel and the single-mindedness of a Steinbrenner.”

This is by far the best Simpson’s episode in many years.  I don’t know whether it’s because of the fertile subject matter or if they just got some new writers this year, but I’d urge you to check it out.  Admittedly, Homer’s vodka and mayonnaise cocktail hit a little close to home for me, but that bit of discomfort was quickly eased by a seamless torrent of baseball and pop-culture references, including a nod to the patron saint of this very site, Oscar Gamble.

For those who aren’t actively TiVo-ing new Simpson’s episodes, you can catch the whole thing on Hulu.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/184048/the-simpsons-moneybart?c=Comedy/Sitcoms

I don’t see those WWJD wristbands around baseball too much - likely because as much as many may well like Je-sus, he no help them hit a curveball.  But I wonder if he could help the Brewers front office decide what to do as they muddle along in the midst of another forgetful season - currently sitting with a 40-50 record, nowhere close to the division or the wild card.  If they’re active as this year’s trading deadline approaches, it will be as sellers, not buyers.  No CC Sabathia walking through that door *this* July, Brewers fans.  So, WWJD? (more…)

Leave it to The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/umpires-perfect-game-goes-completely-unnoticed,17664/

Perusing the Boston Globe this past Sunday, and saw a little chart showing each team’s average home and road attendance.  Not surprisingly, the Yankees are the top road team (35,612).  Reigning WS champs, a number of well-known players, hated by so many yet also have fans everywhere… you know all the reasons.  The Red Sox are #2 (32,667).  They are not WS champs, but have won recently enough.  More to the point, they have a number of well-known players, are now hated by many yet also have fans everywhere… again, you know the reasons.  But while the Yankees are #1 in MLB, the Sox are only #2 in the AL.  The #2 team in MLB average road attendance - and #1 in the NL is… wait for it… the Houston Astros?! (more…)

Last week, Jonathon Broxton of the Dodgers came into a game with the Yankees in the 9th inning with a 4 run lead. The Yankees scored 4 runs to tie it up. (Yankees won in extra innings) Broxton did not get a blown save.  It wasn’t a “save situation” originally, therefore there was no “save” to officially blow.

So even though he blew the game for his team in the ninth inning, he still “only” has 2 blown saves on the season.  Yup… makes perfect sense to me.

So apparently there is great debate over whether Strasburg should go to this year’s All-Star Game or not.  Given the givens, I don’t understand why.  He clearly should go.  Let me ’splain: (more…)

Below is the NL MVP tally for this year; Prince Fielder was a not-too-shabby fourth. Given how much of the book Moneyball was devoted to Billy Beane’s mocking of Prince Fielder, and preference for Nick Swisher, does this constitute another blow to Beane’s reputation for astute judgment, if not to sabrmetrics in general? Swisher was a valuable contributor for the Yankees this year, but hardly worthy of MVP consideration like Teammates Jeter and Teixeira, both of whom were in the top four of the AL balloting IIRC.

The complete ballot: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile

Who should get in?

I see several names, a couple new ones and some that have languished for years now. Oh how I wish Mattingly were among them, though I confess its really not even a close call.

Others are an even greater stretch, though, unless there was another David Segui of whom I’m not aware.

My ballot would definitely include votes for Blyleven, Dawson, Larkin, and McGwire, and possibly for Lee Smith, Jack Morris, Tim Raines and Alan Trammell.

A bumper sticker that read:

“Jeter Drinks Wine Coolers”

I have to admit, that’s pretty good.

At Fox Sports, Jon Paul Morosi asks whether Ichiro has achieved enough to be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, Jeff Passan at Yahoo looks at Ichiro’s prospects for reaching 4,000 career hits.

Of course, astute followers of baseball could have examined these issues with the OGS back in 2007 and 2008.

At least these guys are in good company in lagging the OGS.