Universal DH Drama

Hey all, We’ve had a relatively drama-free HBD world here for years and years, and I want to take some responsibility for letting this issue spiral a little more than it probably needed to. I originally conducted the vote simply hoping everyone would weigh in on whether Stickball should adopt the Universal DH. What became clear, though, is that not every owner voted, and not everyone who did vote felt equally strongly about the issue. The “No” voters, generally speaking, were pretty firm and vocal about their preference, while several of the “Yes” votes seemed a little more lukewarm or flexible. That made a very close vote difficult to interpret. The Universal DH would be a change to the way our world has traditionally operated, and it is completely optional. So when the vote came back this close, my feeling was that we probably should not make the change unless there was a clearer consensus—or at least some meaningful movement among the owners who strongly oppose it. For the record, as of this post, the tally has actually gotten even closer. Depending on how you count two owners who are essentially agnostic but lean slightly one way or the other, the vote is either 13–10 in favor or 12–11 in favor. Either way, that is extremely close. Because of that, I posted in World Chat that I would rather continue the discussion and make no change until at least the All-Star break next season. A one- to three-vote margin on something that changes a longstanding league rule just feels too narrow to rush through—especially when some of those votes are not particularly strong preferences. And I want to make one thing clear about my own position: I am personally FOR the Universal DH. So my hesitation here is not an attempt to steer the league toward the outcome I prefer. In fact, it is the opposite. I’m trying to respect the owners who strongly want to keep the current AL/NL distinction, even though that is not my own preference. My goal is simply to make sure that, whatever we eventually decide, people feel like the process was fair and that a significant change to Stickball wasn’t made hastily because of an unusually close vote. We’ve had a good world for a long time. I’d much rather take a little extra time, keep talking, and arrive at something most of us can live with than turn the DH into a bigger issue than it needs to be. -Stick

Stick’s HBD Field Manual: Safe Defaults, Why They Work, and When to Break Them — Season 73 Edition

Now pinned here, on the right, for your enjoyment! -Stick

        ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT  DRINKING WITH THE SCOUTS AT THE BARLEYMOE

Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by scouts Evan Williams,  Jack Daniels, George Dickell and Basil Hayden

Elijah: I thought we could discuss the type-A free agency signing. Who helped  themselves , who over payed and who made good decisions and lost their gamble.

Basil Hayden: Elijah, you know we're just scouts, who maybe drink too much, this is going to upset the league. 

Elijah: All these owners KNOW  we drink too much but they find us amusing.  I thought we could look at the twelve type-A free signings made this season.

George: Easy for you to say Elijah, Do we do it by team, do we do it by wins the previous season or teams  that are paying  you as a consultant?

Elijah: REALLY ! REALLY! I'm just here  to facilitate a discussiom about the league/

Elijah: Since free agency is all about how much is spent on a free agent,  Evan can you give us a list of the free agents and how much money they are being paid?

Evan:   Third baseman Dan Leach signed a 4 year contract for 10.8 million and 1 10 million bonus.

             Pitcher Rolando Guerrero signed for 14 million over 5 years.

             Pitcher Terry Morgan signed 5 years at 10 million

             Pitcher  Chris Foster signed 4 years for 8.55 million

             Pitcher  Adelny Mota signed for 3 years at 8.33 million

             Right fielder Henry Floyd signed for 4 years at 7.15

             Pitcher Corban Seay  signed for 2 years at 6.8 million

George: Does anybody give a damn about hitting?

Jack:     Apparently not George!

Evan:    Pitcher  Ira Bryant 5 years at 6.0 million

             Third baseman  Gregorio Ontiveros  2 years at 5.15 million

             Left Fielder Viosergy Carpenter 2 years at 4.1 million

              Pitcher Keyvius Glynn 2 years at 3.6 million

              Right Fielder Sven Hudson  2 years at 3.5 million

              Second baseman Max Macias  2 years at 3.36 millions

              Pitcher  Neftali Ortiz 2 years at 3.3 million

              Pitcher Ramon Tanaka 1 year at 1.49 million

Elijah : So we only had 15 type one free agents sign with other teams so far?

Jack:     I believe that all the type A players have been signed, there maybe 2 or 3 type-b players that are  available but this is really where we stand,

Elijah: George can you break this down a little about how it affects the current season?

George :  London. Norfolk, Kansas City and Colorado Springs signed 2 free agents.

George: London last season was 84-78, 3 games behind San Juan. They were a minus 16 in run differential. Norfolk in the same division as London was 84-78, 2 games behind San Juan. They had a positive run differential of 34 runs. Colorado Springs was 59-103 in Season 72. The only American League team to sign  2 type-A free agents was Kansas City. They won 107 games last season but lost in the World series to Seattle.

Basil:  I'd like to comment on the Kansas City situation Elijah, if I may.

Elijah: Everybody just jump in when you want. i'm here to listen and drink

Basil : duece112 has almost brought back his entire Kansas City Monarch team. There has been a little defensive shuffling ; shortstop Kirk Leonard wasn't resigned and remains a free agent. Carlos Fernandez, a defensive replacement last year has taken over the position this year. It's the changes in the pitching staff that is really interesting. Both Jody Blair and Neftali Ortiz were signed after spending the previous season in Seattle. Rolando Guerrero was also signed  away from Norfolk.

   Evan:  That is interesting because Norfolk signed Ernest Stone away from Kansas City. Stone was a type-B free agent.

Basil : It gets better, t seems to me. Ira Bryant who won 12 games for the Monarchs last season, is going to be hard to replace in  the rotation. Rolando Guerrero is slated for that spot in the rotation .Guerrero was used out of the bull pen by Norfolk last year and hasn't started a game since season 68. Also Jody Blair was a sometime starter for Seattle last year; so thats two guys adjusting to the starting rotation for a championship team. Blair will be replacing Felipe Lee in the rotation. Lee has moved, on currently holding down a long reliever with the Voodoo.

 Elijah: Can we move away and cover the National League East?

George: I'll be happy to cover that for you Elijah. To begin with the managers in the division have over 2300 seasons playing HBD. So this is a very strong competitive division. Last season San Juan won 87, Norfolk won 85, and London won 84. Using advanced standings San Juan and Norfolk  won exactly the number of games they should have. stonewalter  in London won  four games more than his run differential predicted. There was a three game split between first place and third  place.  San Juan lost two type-B relievers but added fight fielder Henry Floyd. In season 72 , 10 players started games in right field for the Expos. mike1184  has put an end to that.

 Jack: Did you forget about the Addison Mieses signing?

George: You love it when I mistake. yes I did.

Jack: Yes I do!

George: So San Juan added Addison Mieses but lost Alexi Chantres and Darren Duncan. Mieses has been a spot starter but Chantres and Duncan were replaceable pieces in the Expos bull pen.  

In Norfolk, needing to win 3 more games or improve by 17 runs; their approach was to sign Adelny Mota,  Terry Morgan and Ernest Strong. London signed Max Macias and Viosergy Carpenter, Both Macias , and  Viosergy Carpenter are former all stars were signed to ignite the offense. 

Elijah: Can we wrap this up and call the uber.

Jack: We have more research.

Elijah: This has been along night. Let's wrap this up by predicting who wins the National League East.

Elijah: Evan what do you predict

Evan: We haven't talked about this team but I like the retool by Allatarinc in Hartford

Elijah: Basil what is your opinion?

Basil : I stay with Mike and San Juan

Elijah : Jack ...

Jack: I'll go London with 99 wins

George: Jack, nobody's going to win 99 games in this divsion. My thoughts are San Juan and Norfolk end tied. Since Norfolk won the first series 2-1, I'll say Norfolk over San Juan by virtue of their head-head record.

AllStarInc

AllStarInc

        

Season 73 HOF Voting

 The impetus for this blog post is two-fold: first and foremost is the spirited discussion on the World Chat, and secondly is the fact that we've been looking for something to revive the blog a bit so I figured I'd use this space to talk through my thoughts on the HOF debate that we've been having (apologies to those of you on the HOF Committee as you've likely heard a lot of this already!) 

Throughout my time on the HOF Committee, I have used a number of metrics to help me make sense of a player's case for the HOF and/or to prioritize who to vote for in the years we had more deserving candidates than votes to use. The three primary metrics that I go to are Bill James' HOF Monitor Score, Wins Above Replacement and then one that I have adapted from an article a number of years ago about who the best-ever free-agency signing was in MLB up until that point which I have come to refer to as a player's "Importance Score." In short, the "Importance Score" combines a players Wins Above Replacement, Cy Youngs and MVPs (personal performance) with their number of World Series Rings (team performance) to get an overall sense of what they accomplished in their careers. 

In an ideal scenario, I'd have park-factor-adjusted WAR totals that I could use to calculate Importance Scores for each HOF candidate but which metric I use year to year depends on the amount of time I have available to calculate their performance (or if I've calculated some of it in a previous year.) The HOF Monitor Scores take the least amount of time, WAR totals take a medium amount of time, and Importance Scores take the most time, so while it is the metric I'd most like to use, it is also the metric I have recorded for the fewest players. 

This season, to jumpstart the conversation and make a "quick-ish" decision I chose to look at HOF Monitor Scores. Without going into too much detail about how scores are calculated (I'm happy to discuss it via TC, Sitemail or Discord but don't want to take up too much more space than I already have here)these are the categories that I typically sort players into using the HOFM Score:

• Should be Inner Circle HOF'ers (HOF Monitor Score of 130+)
• HOF Quality for sure (HOFM 100-129)
• Good points could be made for and against HOF worthiness (HOFM 70-99)
• Could make HOF given other special circumstances (HOFM 50-69)
• Why am I even on the ballot? (HOFM 49 and below)

Based on the players we had discussed last year and those who had been mentioned in World Chat, I was interested in finding out where Magglio Garza, JJ Jensen, Vic Almadova, David Oropesa, Willie Espinosa, Shane Ashby, Kelly Spiezio, Miguel Fernandez and Carlos Romero each ended up on that scale. The following is what I found out: 

Should be Inner Circle HOF'ers (HOF Monitor Score of 130+)...these are the types of guys I've advocated for "Lock" status across the years

• Carlos Romero, 327 points
• Magglio Garza, 178 points
• JJ Jensen, 158 points
• Vic Almadova, 140 points

HOF Quality for sure (HOFM 100-129)

• David Oropesa, 110 points
• Willie Espinosa, 109 points
• Shane Ashby, 102 points
• Kelly Spiezio, 101 points

Good points on both sides (HOFM 70-99) ...think "Hall of Very Good"

• Miguel Fernandez, 87.5 points

Special Circumstances Needed (HOFM 50-69)

None

Why?? (HOFM 49 and below)

None

By my count, that's 8 players that deserve to be in the HOF based solely on their individual bodies of work, and Fernandez makes a strong case individually plus he won 3 rings so he'd also get my vote in a binary world...which brings me to nine guys I'd happily vote for and I only get to vote for five of them. This means I have to pick and choose and ruffle some feathers (or get WISBob to give us 10 HOF votes! 🙏🏻😂) The four inner circle guys will definitely get my vote, and the fifth one will probably go to whoever among the second tier guys the rest of the committee was lobbying hardest for (but honestly that might even be Fernandez and I wouldn't be mad about that either.) 

Name That Player (and help a friend!)

 Hello Hive Mind!

The blog is returning with a new feature: interactive feedback. Before we get to the interactive portion, a little background is needed. IRL, I am a Special Education teacher tasked with teaching executive functioning skills to middle schoolers with ADHD. Being a former ADHD middle school boy myself, I know those kinds of lessons can be rather boring sometimes...and then when I was reading a WIS box score at lunch one day it hit me: I can use this site to my advantage to sneak executive functioning skills into things they view as just a big game. 

The premise: They get to start a franchise in the sport of their choice from scratch and be owner/GM/all other things (except players.) I will then use the Dream Team feature of WIS to make their dreams a reality and make them carry out the tasks of the various roles as we go and "accidentally" practice the executive functioning skills along the way. I started by having them choose a name and location for their teams, then asked them to pick their ideal starting lineups using any combination of players they wanted. 

Most of them understood the assignment, chose real athletes and I'll be able to set their teams up over the holiday break. A few got a little confused...and one student in particular fielded a baseball team that gave me a few good laughs and finally brings us to the interactive portion of today's post. The lineup and justifications for the student's selections are as follows: 

• Catcher-Helen Keller "because she'd offer good support"
• First Base- Taiki Shuttle (the horse) "because he's also a good runner" 
• Second Base- Hatsune Miku (the Japanese musical artist) "because they're a good runner" 
• Third Base-Big Papi ("A legend") 
• Shortstop-Stone Cold Steve Austin ("because he tackles the other team") 
• Outfield-Fredrick Douglas ("he would like it")
• Outfield-{her Middle School English Teacher} ("he's probably good") 
• Outfield-Dr. Gregory House ("to insult the other team") 
• Pitcher-Tractor Supply Manager...Just One Guy (no reason given) 
• Pitcher-Myself ("I was good at pitching") NOTE: she's a small caucasian female, currently in 9th grade

The interactive piece is that I need the help of this community to brainstorm actual players I can put into WIS' Dream Team in order to simulate games for this most glorious and entertaining of squads. My goal is to match personalities as closely as possible to the provided descriptions (ie Miku would ideally be an Asian player known for speed etc.) Let the brainstorming begin, and send me your thoughts via Trade Chat, Sitemail or simply post in World Chat 😀

                           Another Saturday night drinking with the scout at the Barleymoe

            Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Hiram Walker, Captain Morgan, and Jack Daniels.

Elijah:  Captain were you surprised to get your invitation to join us tonight?

Captain: Yes, you have made horrible accusations about me, in the past, taking owners hostage and using them to extort ransom from Mr. Stickball that he never pays.

Elijah: Well Seventy_77 and billhowell75 have been returned to us, so you are once again welcome at the Barleymoe.

Captain: I want you to know that not a single dollar was exchanged between me and Mr. Stickball.

Jack: I can verify that Elijah. Feamster, of the Jersey League, paid Bill's ransom and bruinsfan911 , of the Plumpy Rules! league , paid the ransom on Seventy.

Captain: I thought bruinsfan911 was an emissary from Mr. Stickball. I thought I had finally got some of his money.

Hiram: After all this time you should know Mr. Stickball is too cheap to pay you ransom.

Elijah: Regardless of who paid what, we are delighted that Seventy_77 and billhowell75 are back in the league. Now let's get down to business fellas. I want to talk about the players who were drafted or signed as internationals last year.

Hiram: Well when I started looking at these youngsters, I was flabbergasted that pimpbotlove used Wilin Uribe in the majors last season.

Jack: Well he paid him a bonus in excess of 19 million dollars. You don't win 8 World Series in this league unless you're bold.

Captain : And bold he was. Uribe made 5 starts at Hi-A and then was promoted to the majors; starting 24 games for Vegas in the regular season.

Jack: I could be mistaken but I think Vegas had three starters on the sixty day disabled list last season. When you get that thin on the mound you got to go with what you have.

Elijah:  Are there any other of the newly signed players that you like?

Captain: Javier Seanez was the only international to get more than a 20 million dollar bonus last year.

Elijah: Only one? Are the owners suddenly getting frugal or was this a bad year for internationals?

Hiram :  Eleven guys got bonuses in excess of 5 million dollars; I wouldn't call that frugal.

Elijah: Of the eleven,  are there any  that you think are definite Hall-of-Famers?

Hiram: I wouldn't go that far this early in their careers but the guy I like most is Wichita's first baseman Cesar Ortiz. He had an OPS over 1.0 at Low-A last year. He kills right handed pitching and has power.

Elijah: Jack of the players drafted, do you see any Hall-of-Famers?

Jack: Yea, I like three of them a LOT. Eight of the first twelve picks were pitchers. The first pick Jerrod Diaz will be a starting pitcher that I think will make the Hall. The fourth pick Rip Nunnari, a right fielder will also make the Hall in my opinion. But the guy I like the best is guy dudemac took with the ninth pick. Norm King is going to save a lot of games in his career. He pitched at three levels last year, had a little trouble in Hi-A but I think he will break Geoff Reuschel's record for most career saves.

Captain: That's a little bold isn't Jack?

Jack: Well I don't think anyone is going to remember what I said fourteen seasons from now.

Elijah: Let's have one more round fellas. Hiram call the uber.

Another Saturday night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

This Saturday Elijah Craig is joined by Johnny Walker,  Jim Beam, and George Dickell

   Editors note: I'm hesitant to resume to begin blogging again, since the leagues bloggers  are more serious and better writers. However this topic interest me. The Barleymoe is a typical Irish bar where important facts are mixed with both whiskey and humor.

Elijah: Fellas tonight I thought we would talk about how the players chosen in the rule 5 draft have faired this season.

Johnny: The thing that most strikes me about this draft is how aggressive Ottawa was to add important pieces to their system.

George : You don't see a lot of teams that go 102 and 60 allocate 4 or 5 spots for rule-5 players; the next season.

Jim: I think thuggis struck while the iron was hot. He hadn't used the rule 5 draft much in previous seasons.

George: Well he did really well getting 19 wins from pitchers in the rule 5 draft.

Johnny: The most amazing thing about his draft, the whiff he had on the first round with his pick of Terry Sheffield. After 16, forgettable games for Ottawa. Sheffield caught on with Montreal and was much better for the Magnifies.

Jim: Who the hell goes 19 and 5 with rule 5 pitchers?

Johnny and George in unisons: thuggis.

Elijah: Okay the guy is good but which player was the best pick in the rule 5 draft?

Johnny: Well I like Rigo Ordonez.  Taken in the second round,  by Wichita he hit .290 starting 92 games at first base.

George: Do you have a prejudice against batters in Colorado? Nathan Sanders slugged .477 for the Stickballers, his ops was .100 higher than Ordonez.

Johnny: Yes I do but I also grant that prejudice to pitchers that have to pitch in that ballpark.

Elijah: Jack what say do yee?

Jack: Well if you ask the question like a scotsman -yee- I'll go with Rigo Ordonez.

         But when it comes to the pitchers I want to point out Bruce Morgan dominated for Wichita with a 12-6 record and a 3.06 ERA.

George: Buster Lavarnway won 12 games for Harford. Ottawa won 11 more games than Hartford, so his contribution is greater thanMorgan's.

Jim: Elijah, am I supposed to render a decision about this two pitchers?

Elijah: No Jim I send out the invites so I get to make the final statement; have another drink it will make what I say easier for you to understand. The three of you come into this public house and believe you can pontificate what has happened and what will happen. The rule 5 draft is not about this year, it's about what these players do three season from now.

Johnny: So we wasted all this time on the draft with no results?

Elijah: No we had a very spirited discussion about the league while imbibing the only thing we love more than HBD.

Jim: Do you want me to call the uber?

Elijah: Please

My 2025 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot

 Since I have been using the "Importance Score" metric to evaluate the Stickball HOF for the past handful of seasons, I figured doing the same thing to the MLB HOF ballot would provide a good litmus test for how effective this made up metric actually is. As a reminder (or introduction) I calculate Importance Score using WAR/year and giving bonus points for MVP's, Cy Young Awards and World Series Rings. Generally speaking, any score in the double digits is something that I consider to be HOF worthy. Here's how this year's ballot looks:

Since MLB Hall voters are allowed 10 votes rather than just the five in HBD, my ballot for this year would be the following: 

1) Andy Pettitte

2) Dustin Pedroia

3) Ian Kinsler

4) Carlos Beltran

5) Mark Buehrle

6) CC Sabathia

7) Ben Zobrist

8) Jimmy Rollins

9) Felix Hernandez

10) Bobby Abreu

I have previously stated that I'd stay away from confirmed steriod users, so that along with the LONG list of worthy candidates on this year's ballot is why I started counting my votes at Pettitte rather than including A-Rod and Manny. That being said, if/when a Hardball player puts up those kinds of numbers I'd vote for them in a split second. It also tells me that the Importance Score (and the HOF cutoff being a double digit score) is just about right because the no-brainers end up clearly at the top and the guys that I often hear debates about (Tulo, Abreu, David Wright) are right in the middle with some just above and some just below the 10.0 cutoff. 

A Quicker MVP Voting Method: Seasons 65 + 66

 While I still believe that comparing Wins Above Replacement totals for the guys on the ballot is the most accurate and fair way to vote, doing that math can take a while. Therefore, I'd like to use something quicker (at least to start) when real life is busy, and I don't have time to do all that math. Enter the MVP Prediction System. It seems like it should be pretty reliable, and with the discussions around the real-life AL and NL MVP awards for this season heating up I want to take a few minutes to see who the Prediction System says should win this year. If I like the answer(s) it gives me, I may use it in Stickball (and my other HBD worlds) going forward. Let's get to it: 

2024 MLB AL MVP

• Leading the league in RBI = 1 pt : Aaron Judge 
• Leading the league in AVG = 1 pt : Bobby Witt
• Leading the league in HR = 1 pt : Aaron Judge
• 100+ RBI = 1 pt each: Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez
• .300+ AVG = 1 pt each: Bobby Witt, Aaron Judge, Vlad Jr, Yordan Alvarez, Steven Kwan, Yanier Diaz

Based on those criteria, the standings are as follows:

1. Aaron Judge: 4 points
2. Bobby Witt: 2 points
3. Jose Ramirez, Vlad Jr, Yordan Alvarez, Steven Kwan, Yanier Diaz: 1 point

Points are also awarded for playing for a division winner (as of this writing that would be NYY, CLE, HOU.) Factoring in that bonus, the standings become:

1. Aaron Judge: 5 points
2. Bobby Witt, Jose Ramirez, Yordan Alvarez, Steven Kwan, Yanier Diaz: 2 points
3. Vlad Jr: 1 point

The final factor is if you play C, 2B, SS or CF on one of the division winners. Factoring in that bonus, we arrive at our final standings: 

1. Aaron Judge: 6 points 
2. Yanier Diaz: 3 points
3. Bobby Witt, Jose Ramirez, Yordan Alvarez, Steven Kwan: 2 points 
4. Vlad Jr: 1 point 

2024 MLB NL MVP

• Leading the league in RBI = 1 pt: Marcell Ozuna & Shohei Ohtani are tied
• Leading the league in AVG = 1 pt: Marcell Ozuna 
• Leading the league in HR = 1 pt: Shohei Ohtani 
• 100+ RBI = 1 pt each: none currently 
• .300+ AVG = 1 pt each: Marcell Ozuna, Luis Arraez

 That makes the initial standings: Marcell Ozuna 2.5 points, Shohei Ohtani 1.5 points, Luis Arraez 1 point. 

The current NL division leaders are PHI, MIL and LAD. That bumps Shohei up to 2.5 points to tie Ozuna for the lead. Since he's just DH'ing this year and not pitching, he doesn't get the positional bump either. That makes our final standings: 

1. Marcell Ozuna & Shohei Ohtani 2.5 points
2. Luis Arraez 1 point 

The linked BP article above says "if there's more than one candidate, sum their AVG, RBI's and HR and add a bonus (1 pt) for {C, 2B, SS, CF} and a bonus (1 pt) for playing for a divisions winner." 

• Ozuna: .307 AVG, 37 HR, 94 RBI at DH for ATL (no bonuses) = 131.307 points 
• Ohtani: .294 AVG, 41 HR, 94 RBI at DH for LAD (division bonus) = 136.294 points

Both of those predictions feel good, so now out of curiosity I'm going to compare this method to the WAR totals in Stickball to see if it makes a difference.

Stickball Season 65 AL MVP

• Leading the league in RBI = Dan Brown 
• Leading the league in AVG = Alex Calvo 
• Leading the league in HR = Vince Fonville 
• 100+ RBI = Dan Brown, Alex Calvo, Dennis Morgan, Vince Fonville, Eric Nola, Ted Touissaint, Wayne Teixeira, Gregorio Ontiveros, Harry Machi, Furio Betemit, Denny Kawasaki, Woody DeLuca, Parker Shelby, Damian Reed, John Rosenbaum, Danys Uribe, Darron Munson, Willie Espinosa, Daniel Wolcott
• .300+ AVG = Alex Calvo, Woody DeLuca, Koji Kim, Vince Lara, Emilio Jose, Gus Meng, David Beltre, Phil O'Shea, Rafael Jacquez, Vince Fonville

The AL Division winners this year were OTT, BUR, MTY and SF. After factoring in that and the positional bonuses associated with that, Here's the list of players who scored multiple points: 

1. Alex Calvo & Vince Fonville: 4 points
2. Dan Brown & David Beltre: 3 points
3. Emilio Jose, Woody DeLuca, Harry Machi, Damian Reed: 2 points

Calvo wins the tiebreaker over Fonville 187.342 to 179.301; Calvo also won the WAR total but by a much wider margin. Looking at the five guys on the ballot this season, let's see how the stack up using this scoring system: 

• Alex Calvo: 4 points
• Dan Brown: 3 points 
• Rafael Jacquez: 1 point 
• Brian Kojima: 0 points
• Vince Fonville: 4 points

The good news is that the WIS finalists are also the top two guys when you do it out the long way and, therefore, correctly identify the winner. The bad news is that guys like David Beltre get overlooked sometimes. 

Stickball Season 65 NL MVP

I follow the same process as with the AL MVP. The division winners were CLE, SJU, ELP and LV and I find the following players have multiple points by the end: 

1. Tim Martin, Niko Morton : 4 points
2. Hub Cooper, Del Lopez, Emil Vazquez, Joe Lange, Eugene Lee, Francisco Chavez, Guilder Gabriel, Isaac Holland : 3 points 
3. Cliff Leverton, D'Angelo Machado, Lorenzo Moreno, Oswaldo Cerveza, Claudio Jarvis, Ernest McPherson, Preston Cooney, Jorge Pena, Bob Haywood, Alex Manuel, Ivan Jacquez : 2 points 

Martin wins the tiebreaker over Morton 147.339 to 143.342 without even being nominated by WIS. Here's how the five guys who were nominated stack up: 

• Ivan Jacquez:  2 points 
• Cliff Leverton: 1 point (WAR winner...by quite a bit) 
• Bob Haywood: 2 points
• Claudio Jarvis: 2 points 
• Niko Morton: 4 points 

There'a fair bit of disagreement between WAR and this method for the NL MVP, and I like the WAR results better personally, but in a pinch this does seem like a good method to use. 

Stickball Season 66 AL MVP

It looks like I never hit "publish" on this post at the end of last season, so I'll just add another section to this already fairly lengthy post...and this time around it's Thanksgiving week so I don't have a ton of time and will use the method just for the five candidates. Here's how it shakes out: 

• Leading the league in RBI: Alex Calvo 
• Leading the league in AVG: Niko Morton (NL)
• Leading the league in HR: Alex Calvo
• 100+ RBI = Alex Calvo, Carlos Romero, Dan Brown, Ron Harris
• .300+ AVG = Alex Calvo, Carlos Romero, Dan Brown, Ron Harris
• Played for Div Winner: Carlos Romero, Ron Harris
• Playing C, 2B, CF or SS on Div. Winner: none

That gives us the final tally of:

• Alex Calvo = 4 points
• Carlos Romero & Ron Harris = 3 points
• Dan Brown = 2 points
• Rio Florimon = 0 points

Stickball Season 66 NL MVP

Repeating the same process as above provides the following results in the NL:

• Leading the league in RBI: Alex Calvo (AL)
• Leading the league in AVG: Niko Morton 
• Leading the league in HR: Alex Calvo (AL)
• 100+ RBI: Niko Morton, Pedro Trinidad, Henderson Moriarty, Ivan Jacquez, Jon Browne
• .300+ AVG: Niko Morton, Pedro Trinidad
• Played for Div. Winner: Pedro Trinidad, Ivan Jacquez, Jon Browne
• Played C,2B,CF or SS on Div Winner: none

That gives us a final tally of: 

• Niko Morton, Pedro Trinidad = 3 points
• Morton 161.362, Trinidad 132.323
• Ivan Jacquez, Jon Browne = 2 points
• Henderson Moriarty = 1 point

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Slim Stewart

Bio:   Slim Stewart was born in Mendenhall, MS (Pop. 2,504, 33 miles Southeast of Jackson).  He attended Lawrence County High School in Monticello, MS (Nickname: Cougars). 

Draft: Was the 3rd pick in Season 40 by Little Rock (tenaciousdx).   Signed for $3,8200,000 million.

Scout Pasqual Javier: “Slim Stewart is an exceptionally talented pitcher with a high ceiling. His combination of velocity, control, and competitive mindset makes him a standout prospect. While there is still development needed, particularly with his secondary pitches and consistency, his raw talent and work ethic suggest a bright future ahead. With the right development and support, he has the potential to become a top-of-the-rotation starter at the major league level.  Projection: Future All-Star caliber pitcher with potential to be a key contributor to a major league rotation. With continued growth and refinement, he could emerge as an ace for any team.”

Manager (trapapoodle): “He stayed slim by doing ballroom dancing in his spare time. He was also very superstitious. Other than that I just remember he was a great pitcher and an even better man.  He was just a consistently excellent pitcher for me and I'm still working on replacing him.”    

Career Earnings: $121,131,000

Career: Slim Stewart broke into the Majors in season 42 and had a 20-year career.  He spent his first 18 years in the Little Rock organization that drafted him (New Orleans, Wichita, Charleston).  He finished his MLB career with one-year stints in Boise and El Paso.  He was a 9-time All-Star and won one World Series Ring with Charleston in Season 54.  He also threw a no-hitter in Season 58. The Season of 54 was also his best year. In that year he had a 19-4 record while throwing 212 INN. He also posted a 2.04 ERA, .205 OAV, .93 WHIP, and 184 K’s.  He finished his career with 260 Wins, 3166 K’s, a .228 OAV, 1.10 WHIP, and 2.98 ERA.  He owns the single season record for WHIP of .90 for Charleston in Season 58. He also owns Career records in Charleston for Wins 258, WHIP 1.08, K’s 3,073, INN 3589, ERA 2.88, OAV .226.

Hall of Fame Speech: Ladies and gentlemen,

To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a profound honor, one that reflects not just my journey but the countless people who have supported me along the way. As I look out at all of you, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. This recognition is a testament to the incredible game of baseball and to the remarkable journey I’ve had, from a small-town kid with big dreams to a Hall of Famer.

As I look back on my career, I am reminded of the humble beginnings in Mendenhall, Mississippi. Growing up, I was just a kid with a dream and a fastball, playing on the backlot fields and dreaming of making it to the big leagues. To think that a small-town kid like me could come this far is nothing short of extraordinary.

Getting drafted straight out of high school by Little Rock was the start of an incredible adventure. I remember the excitement and nerves of stepping into professional baseball, not knowing where the road would lead but eager to give it everything I had. Little Rock gave me the chance to start my journey, and I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

Eighteen seasons with Charleston—the team that became my second family—were the highlight of my career. To win a World Series in Season 54 was a moment of sheer joy and validation. That championship was not just a testament to my hard work but to the collective effort of an amazing team. To my teammates and coaches, thank you for your unwavering support, guidance, and the countless memories we created together.

I’ll never forget the day I threw that no-hitter. It was one of those rare and magical moments where everything seemed to fall perfectly into place. But even more than that, it was a testament to the teamwork and preparation that went into every game.

To my family, thank you for your endless support and sacrifices. Your belief in me kept me grounded and motivated through the highs and lows of my career. Your love and encouragement made every victory sweeter and every challenge more manageable.

To the fans of Charleston and beyond, your enthusiasm and loyalty were a driving force for me. Your cheers and support turned every game into a celebration and gave me the energy to perform at my best. I am honored to have been part of this community and to have shared so many great moments with you all.

Baseball is a game of countless stories and countless dreams. I hope my story serves as a reminder of the power of perseverance, dedication, and passion. To be remembered in this way is both humbling and inspiring, and I am deeply grateful for this recognition.

Thank you for this incredible honor. It’s a privilege to stand here and celebrate the game that has given me so much. Here’s to the future, to the next generation of players who will carry on the legacy of this great sport.

Thank you all.

Season 65 Awards Voting

 Just as a reminder, the following are Wins Above Replacement totals that include batting, fielding and pitching data and have been adjusted for both home parks and primary defensive positions. Without further ado, let's get to the numbers and see if the #Cliff4MVP campaign is justified 😂🤔

AL MVP

• Alex Calvo (LF-Monterrey), 9.57 WAR
• Dan Brown (RF-Monterrey), 5.46 WAR
• Rafael Jacquez (2B-Fargo), 6.09 WAR
• Brian Kojima (1B-Santa Cruz), 3.89 WAR
• Vince Fonville (RF-Ottawa), 5.59 WAR

NL MVP 

• Ivan Jacquez (1B-St. Louis), 7.63 WAR
• Cliff Leverton (1B-Las Vegas), 9.87 WAR
• Claudio Jarvis (1B-Charleston), 7.10 WAR
• Niko Morton (1B-El Paso), 7.31 WAR
• Bob Haywood (1B-Santa Fe), 3.97 WAR

AL Cy Young

• AJ Moreno (SP-Fargo), 7.59 WAR
• Juan Romero (SP-Louisville), 3.59 WAR
• Brad Jensen (SP-Monterrey), 5.07 WAR
• Wladimir Campos (SP-Ottawa), 3.80 WAR
• Warren Buckel (SP-Kansas City), 4.78 WAR

NL Cy Young 

• Tom Scott (SP-Helena), 4.94 WAR
• Shaggy Conforto (SP-Cleveland), 4.85 WAR
• Felipe Lee (SP-San Juan), 5.72 WAR
• Mitchell Bergman (SP-San Juan), 3.19 WAR
• Germany Gilliam (SP-Las Vegas), 1.66 WAR

AL Rookie of the Year

• David Beltre (CF-San Francisco), 4.58 WAR
• Brian Kojima (1B-Santa Cruz), 3.89 WAR
• Koji Kim (CF-Kansas City), 4.31 WAR
• Dan Leach (RF-Santa Cruz), 1.60 WAR 
• Stretch Stockton (CF-Colorado), 1.61 WAR

NL Rookie of the Year

• Hong-Gu Martin (RF-Charleston), 3.77 WAR
• Germany Gilliam (SP-Las Vegas), 1.66 WAR
• Timothy Gray (RP-Seattle), 2.27 WAR
• John Browne (LF-Helena), 2.45 WAR
• Charles Siddall (SP-El Paso), 1.85 WAR

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Leonys Nieves

 

Bio:   Leonys was born in Satsuma, FL (unincoporated community in Putnam County, 55 miles East of Gainesville).  He attended Crescent City High School (Nickname: Raiders). He then played at Davidson Collage in Davidson, NC (nickname: Wildcats)

Draft: Was the 2nd pick in Season 43 by Richmond (vegascowboy).   Signed for $3,910,000 million.

Scout Pep Dickey- “Leonys Nieves is a highly promising prospect with great power. His potential impact at the major league level is significant, with the upside of becoming a key contributor offensively. With continued development and adjustment to higher competition, he has the potential to become a cornerstone player for any organization. Projection: Future All-Star and middle-of-the-order hitter.”

Career Earnings: $55,729,000

Career: Leonys Nieves broke into the Majors in season 46 and had a 14-year career.  He spent 10 of those 14 years in the Richmond organization that drafted him (Florida, Augusta, Dover, Cleveland, Jacksonville) before being traded to Santa Fe for 3 seasons. He finished his MLB career with one season in Louisville.  He was a 6-time All-Star and won 2 MVP awards (51, 53), and 7 Silver Slugger Awards (47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55).  His best year was his MVP Season of 53. In that year he hit .340 with 216 H, 33 2B, 2 3B, 52 HR, 128 RBI, and 5 SB.  Over his career he hit .308, 2209 H, 374 2B, 31 3B, 494 HR, 1401 RBI, 67 SB and an OPS of .966. 

He holds the Single Season record for Richmond at 57 Homeruns (Season 48).

Hall of Fame Speech:  Ladies and gentlemen, family, friends, and fellow baseball lovers,

Wow. Standing here tonight, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and humility. It’s truly an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a place where the legends of our game are celebrated, and I’m deeply touched to be counted among them.

When I reflect on my career, I can’t help but think of where it all began. Getting drafted by Richmond was a dream come true. Those early years with the organization shaped me not just as a player, but as a person. Spending a decade with Richmond was like growing up in the game; it was a time of learning, of building my craft, and forging lifelong relationships. The support and belief the organization showed me during those formative years were invaluable. To the Richmond fans and everyone involved with the team, your faith and encouragement laid the foundation for everything that followed.

To my teammates, coaches, and mentors: your support, guidance, and belief in me made all the difference. I owe so much to those who stood by me, pushed me, and celebrated with me through every high and low. The memories we made together will forever be cherished.

To the fans who filled the stands, cheered us on, and shared in the excitement of the game: your passion and enthusiasm are what made every moment on the field special. You inspired me to give my best every time I put on that uniform. The energy you brought to the ballpark was a driving force that kept me going, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

And to my family—my rock and my foundation—thank you for your unwavering support and love. Your belief in me kept me grounded and motivated, and I’m so thankful for every sacrifice you made so I could pursue this dream.

Baseball is more than just a game. It’s a part of who we are, a reflection of our perseverance, and a celebration of our triumphs. To be remembered in this way is both humbling and inspiring. I hope that my journey, my dedication, and my love for the game serve as a reminder that with passion and hard work, we can achieve incredible things.

Thank you for this incredible honor. I’m deeply touched and will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. Here’s to the game that gave me everything, and to the future generations who will continue to make it great.

Thank you all.

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Diego Trinidad

 

Bio:   Diego was born in Barranquilla, CO (Pop. 1,206,319) (located in the northern part of Columbia on the Caribbean Sea).  

International Signing: Signed for $18 million in Season 38 (2^nd most that year) by Fargo (thebigdogs)

Scout Ben Wilson: “Diego Trinidad, an 18-year-old outfielder, stands out with his impressive blend of power and athleticism. His smooth, compact swing and advanced hitting mechanics suggest high potential for both average and power. Trinidad’s raw power is evident in his ability to drive the ball deep, and his above-average speed makes him a threat on the basepaths. Defensively, he combines a strong arm with good range, making him a reliable option in the outfield. With a strong work ethic and baseball IQ, Trinidad is poised to develop into a future star.”

Manager (thebigdogs): “Diego was by no means my best player, but he was very clutch.  I was surprised what I got out of him.  I thought he was good but not great.  He turned out to be great and was key piece to the start of the Fargo dynasty in Seasons 45-50.”    

Career Earnings: $83,437,000

Career: Diego Trinidad was signed as an international free agent in Season 38 for $18 million by Fargo (thebigdogs). He broke into the Majors in season 41 and had a 14 year career.  He spent 10 of those 14 years in Fargo before playing with Toronto (1 season), Ottawa (1 season), and Albuquerque (2 seasons).  He was an 5-time All-Star and won 2 MVP awards (43,47), 1 Silver Slugger (43) and has 3 World Series Rings (47,48,49).  His best year was his MVP Season of 43. In that year he hit .321 with 214 H, 36 2B, 2 3B, 46 HR, 136 RBI, and 26 SB.  Over his career he hit .297, 2388 H, 441 2B, 47 3B, 428 HR, 1533 RBI and 288 SB. 

Hall of Fame Speech: “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and esteemed members of the Hall of Fame,

It is with immense joy and profound gratitude that I stand before you today. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a dream realized, a pinnacle of a journey that began many years ago in the lively streets of Barranquilla, Colombia. I am deeply honored to be here, reflecting on a career that has been more than I could have ever imagined.

Growing up in Barranquilla, baseball was more than a game; it was a way of life. From the moment I picked up a bat, I was hooked. The dusty fields and makeshift teams taught me the fundamentals of the game and, more importantly, the values of hard work and perseverance. Little did I know then that those humble beginnings would lead me here, to this incredible moment.

My journey took me from Barranquilla to the cold, bustling streets of Fargo, where I spent ten unforgettable years. Fargo was where I learned what it meant to be part of a team, where I developed my skills and began to make a name for myself. To my teammates in Fargo, your camaraderie and support were the foundation of my success. We celebrated together, fought through tough times together, and those memories will always hold a special place in my heart. Winning three World Series rings with Fargo was a dream come true, a culmination of years of hard work and dedication.

After Fargo, my career led me to Toronto, where I had the privilege of playing for one year. That season was a whirlwind, a chance to showcase what I had learned and to experience the game at a new level. To the fans and the team in Toronto, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the team’s success.

Ottawa was another chapter, though brief, it was filled with its own unique experiences. The time spent there was a testament to the unpredictable nature of baseball, a reminder that every moment, every game, is precious and fleeting.

Finally, my career brought me to Albuquerque for two more remarkable years. Albuquerque was a place where I was able to embrace the game with a renewed energy and passion. The support from the fans and the incredible team spirit made those years some of the most rewarding of my career.

Throughout my career, I was fortunate to earn two MVP awards and to play in some of the most thrilling games of my life. These accolades are not just personal achievements but reflections of the support and dedication of everyone around me. I owe this recognition to my coaches, my teammates, and, most importantly, to my family.

To my family in Barranquilla and beyond, your love and belief in me were the driving forces behind every swing, every pitch, and every play. Your sacrifices and support made this journey possible, and I share this honor with you.

To the fans, your unwavering support has been a source of strength and motivation. Your cheers, your passion, and your loyalty are what made every game special. I played for you as much as I played for myself, and I hope I brought you the joy and excitement that you brought me.

As I reflect on this incredible journey, I am filled with gratitude. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is not just the culmination of a career but a celebration of the love for the game and the people who make it all possible.

Thank you to the Hall of Fame committee for this extraordinary honor. It is a testament to the game we all love and the incredible journey that baseball has taken me on. Here’s to the dreams that drive us, the teams that support us, and the fans that inspire us.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Estimated Career WAR: Stickball HOF Edition

 My last few posts have detailed how I calculate Estimated Career WAR, and this post will focus more on the results than the process. As of this morning, I have an Estimated Career WAR total for each member of the Stickball HOF, so now it's time to break those down a bit...partly for fun and partly to help the HOF Committee evaluate candidates.  Before we do a super deep dive, the full results without commentary can be seen below (HOF members are highlighted in gold). In my next post, I'll look at the HOF in more depth with a position-by-position breakdown and maybe another metric or two.  

MLB All Stars: Who Earned It? (Red Sox & Rockies Edition)

 This blog post will focus on MLB rather than Stickball, but my goal here is to provide real-life examples of the kinds of things that I'd like to use the WAR data that I calculate in Stickball for. Since the MLB All-Star Rosters have recently been announced, there is much chatter about whether those chosen deserve to be there, who got snubbed etc. As someone who is a Red Sox fan first and foremost, with the Rockies as my adopted NL team, those are the two that I hear most about. Tanner Houck, Raffy Devers, Jarren Duran and Ryan McMahon all certainly pass the eye test as All-Stars but there are a couple other Red Sox that I thought would be deserving if they got the nod (I'm looking at you, Connor Wong.) 

The phrase "All-Star Caliber season" gets tossed around a lot in various sports, but it can be kinda hard to define. Thanks to the ever-helpful website Fangraphs.com, there is actually a definition that I find to be both helpful and pretty accurate: 4.0 WAR or more for a full year. Since the All-Star Break is about halfway through the season, the logical conclusion would be that anyone who has 2.0 WAR or more at the halfway point is having an "All-Star Caliber season"...so now all we need to do is to take a look at Fangraph's data to see if those chosen are in fact worthy and/or if anyone got snubbed. Here's what I found: 

• Tanner Houck = 3.2 WAR --> on pace for 6.4 WAR, which is an "MVP Level" season
• Raffy Devers = 3.3 WAR --> on pace for 6.6 WAR, which is an "MVP Level" season
• Jarren Duran = 3.3 WAR --> on pace for 6.6 WAR, which is an "MVP Level" season
• Ryan McMahon = 2.1 WAR --> on pace for 4.2 WAR, which is an "All-Star Caliber" season

The following guys from those two teams are having "All-Star Caliber" seasons without getting selected:

• Kutter Crawford = 2.0 WAR --> 4.0 WAR pace 
• Brenton Doyle = 2.4 WAR --> 4.8 WAR pace 

Overall, the voters got it right...although I selfishly would have liked to see some love for Crawford (arguably one of the best baseball names in the game right now!) and Wong who is ridiculously athletic for a catcher; his 1.6 WAR is not quite up to the level of All-Star, but is also lower than I would have expected. 

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Luther MacDougal

 

Bio:   Luther was born in Omaha, NE (Pop. 488,000).  Even though he was born in Nebraska, he attended high school across the river in Iowa at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs.  He pitched for the Lynx and helped lead them to back-to-back state championships.  He was an All-Class All-State selection in his Junior and Senior year.

Draft: Was the 21st pick in Season 37 by New York (tmfran).   Signed for $2,130,000 million.

Scout Vinny Childs- “Luther MacDougal has an above average arm.  His curveball could materialize into a great pitch.  He has average velocity and control which could hold him back.  He could be an All-star, but a regular bullpen arm is more likely.”

 Career Earnings: $42,735,000

Career: Luther MacDougal was drafted 21^st and signed by New York (tmfran) in Season 37. He broke into the Majors in season 43 and played 15 seasons all for New York.  He was an 11-time All-Star and won 7 Fireman of the Year Awards (46, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55).  His best year was Season 48. In that year he threw 44 INN with a WHIP of .86.  He was 43 of 46 in Saves, with 35 K’s and OAV .177 and 1.43 ERA.  Over his career he had 480 SV, and 21 Wins.  He also accumulated 606 K’s over 767.1 INN with a .227 OAV, 1.15 WHIP, and 2.83 ERA. He holds the Season and Career Record for Saves for New York with 47 in season 50 and 480 overall.

 Speech Highlight-  “Thank you. Thank you. First of all, I don't understand why I always have to be the last (smiling). I keep saying that for the last 20 years. Last 17 years of my career, I always say, Why I have to be the last one?  I guess being the last one is special…………As a young boy in my beautiful Panama, yes, I wanted to be the next Pelé. Was not about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, I wanted to be a Pelé. Pelé is a soccer superstar. So every child in every Latin country wanted to be the next Pelé.   But my abilities were not good enough for me to be a soccer player. So the Lord was pushing me to baseball. I loved baseball, but I didn't thought that baseball would be something I would use as a career.”

Anatomy of an Importance Score: Pitcher Deep Dive

 Starting last season, I began a series of posts that explain the method to my madness in terms of how I arrive at the Importance Scores that I share. So far I've talked about the different methods of calculating WAR and done a deep dive on a position player. During the HOF Committee's debates this season, we had some discussions about Slim Stewart...but I didn't have any data on him yet so he makes a lot of logical sense to be the focus of my deep dive on a pitcher. 

Just like with position players, I have an Estimated WAR total and a Park Adjusted WAR total. The difference is that I calculate the Estimated WAR for pitchers differently than I do for hitters. In the case of pitchers, I use the HOF Monitor Score and convert that to an Estimated WAR mark based on the different scales that are used. In other words, a HOF Monitor Score of 130 is considered an absolute lock for the HOF and 100 Career WAR is also considered an absolute lock...so I take the HOF Monitor Score and divide by 1.3 to get an Estimated WAR total. This method is significantly less accurate than the Estimated WAR for hitters in terms of being close to the Park Adjusted WAR total but still does a good job of identifying viable candidates. 

Here's how I arrived at Slim Stewart's Importance Score: 

• 4 years with 18 or 19 wins = 16 HOFM points
• 6 years with 15-17 wins = 12 HOFM points
• 1 year with 200-249 K = 2 HOFM points
• 4 years with 14 + Wins & .700 + Win% = 8 HOFM points
• 9 years with ERA under 3.00 and 150 IP = 9 HOFM points 
• 9 All Star selections = 27 HOFM points 
• 260 Career Wins = 20 HOFM points
• 0.639 Career Win % = 8 HOFM points 
• 7 playoff wins = 7 HOFM points
• 2.98 Career ERA = 10 HOFM points
• 3166 Career K = 10 HOFM points = 129 total HOFM points

129 HOFM points/1.3 = 99 Estimated Career WAR; 19 ML seasons = ~5.20 WAR/season

With the Importance Score being WAR/season with bonus points for Cy Youngs, WS Rings and MVP Awards as well as seasons with 4+ WAR the final category gets left out until I calculate Park Adjusted WAR. So, for right now Stewart's Importance Score is 5.2 + 2 bonus points for his World Series Ring = 7.20 total...but that will (likely) go up when I have time to calculate all 19 of his Park Adjusted WAR seasons. 

Anatomy of an Importance Score: Position Player Deep Dive

 Ultimately, my goal with calculating WAR totals is to come up with an average WAR per year because that's the baseline for my "Importance Score" metric that I use to judge the Hall of Fame candidates. So, for example, someone who produced 50 WAR in 10 seasons would have a baseline Importance Score of 5.0 before bonuses (which are given out for WS Rings, Cy Young Awards and MVP Awards.) 

To make the most accurate comparisons possible, I would ideally compare apples to apples aka shortstops to shortstops and designated hitters to designated hitters etc. To this end, I have sorted the HOF by position where "position" is defined by where they played the most ML innings rather than what WIS says on the site (because sometimes there's a difference.) As of this writing, there are no shortstops in the Stickball HOF and just one DH. This means that figuring out what the "average HOF DH" in Stickball world is fairly straightforward and also my next project...which makes that player, Yeico Johnson, the perfect case study for my "Anatomy" series of posts. Here's how that goes: 

Step 1: Calculate Estimated Offensive WAR 

• When I plug the stats from the HOF spreadsheet into this calculator, I find that he produced 1929 Runs Created in his career as a DH
• According to research that I did awhile back a "replacement level" DH should produce 70 RC/year and his 2433 games played = 15.02 full seasons...so 15.02 seasons * 70 RC/season means that a replacement level DH that got his amount of playing time would produce 1051.30 Runs Created
• That means that he is 1929-1051.30 = 877.7 Runs Created above "replacement" 
• At 10 runs/win, that gives him an "Estimated WAR" of 87.77 on offense 

Step 2: Calculate Estimated Defensive WAR

Once I have an Offensive WAR total, I shift my focus to defense. For this, I lean heavily on the FanGraphs Positional Adjustment.  Their career innings at each position and those adjustments from FanGraphs account for one part of the defensive WAR calculations and Errors, Plus Plays and Minus Plays account for the second part of the defensive WAR calculations. In the wOBA calculations that my more complicated spreadsheet uses a single is worth 0.31 Runs Created, so to make my life easy I do (Plus Plays-Errors-Minus Plays)*0.31 to get a "Raw Fielding Runs" total at each position. Then I combine the Raw Fielding Runs with the Positional Adjustments to get Total Fielding Runs which are then converted to Fielding WAR using the "10 runs per win" rule once again. My calculations for Johnson are below: 

In total, his Estimated Defensive WAR is -12.28 Wins Above Replacement. 

Step 3: Combine WAR totals....87.77 Offensive WAR & -12.28 Defensive WAR = 75.49 total for Estimated WAR

Step 4: Create An "Importance Score" Baseline... Johnson saw ML action in parts of 18 ML seasons, so 75.49 WAR/18 seasons = an average of 4.19 WAR/season. 

Step 5: Calculate "Importance Score" Bonus Points...the Importance Score is essentially borrowed from an MLB.com piece on ranking the best free agent signings of all-time, so I also basically borrowed their scoring system. That system awards 2 points for a WS Ring, 2 points for a Cy Young and 2 points for an MVP Award. They also award 1 additional bonus point for each year that a player recorded 4+ WAR, but I don't give those out until I've had a chance to calculate Park Adjusted WAR for each year of a player's career. Johnson didn't win any rings but he does have 3 MVP awards to his name, so that's 6 bonus points. 

Step 6: "Final" Importance Score with Estimated WAR... Johnson's Importance Score using Estimated WAR is 4.19 (baseline) + 6 (bonus points) = 10.19 total. The general guideline that I have given the HOF Committee is that any player in double digits is likely worthy of election, so Johnson clears that bar. 

(Step 7: Calculate Park Adjusted WAR for all seasons of a player's career)

(Step 8: Adjust baseline Importance Score using new WAR totals)

(Step 9: Award 1 bonus point for each season of 4+ WAR)

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Renato Hernandez

 

Bio:   Renato was born in Maiquetia, VE (Pop. 88,000, in North Central Venezuela, on the Caribbean Sea).  Renato broke on to the baseball scene when he pitched for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.  In that tournament he struck out 18 batters in just 8 innings of work.  He then signed with Austin in Season 42.

International Signing: Signed for $7 million in Season 42 (8^th most that year) by Austin (rwgeorge7)

Scout Lucas Fick- “Renato displayed great velocity with tremendous control in the WBC.  He reminds you of Mariano Rivera being so effective with just 2 fastballs.  His pinpoint control made him deadly to right handers.”

 Career Earnings: $101,839,000

Career: Renato Hernandez was an international free agent signed by Austin (rwgeorge7) in Season 42. He broke into the Majors in season 44 and played 17 seasons.  He also played six seasons for Tampa/Memphis before heading to FA.  In FA he signed with Seattle and played 10 for the Super Troopers. He then finished his career playing one season in Huntington.  In his first pro season he had elbow surgery that almost cost him his career.  He rehabbed and when on to be a 14-time All-Star, won 5 Fireman of the Year Awards (48, 52, 54, 55, 56), and won 3 World Series Ring (52, 53, 55).  Renato was so consistent for his career; it is tough to pick out his best year.  But I feel his best year was Season 53 in Seattle. In that year he threw 91 INN with a WHIP of .91.  He won 10 Games and had 32 SV, with 93 K’s and OAV .191 and 2.37 ERA.  Over his career he had 645 SV, and 53 Wins.  He also accumulated 1081 K’s over 1142 INN with a .207 OAV, 1.06 WHIP, and 2.35 ERA. He holds the Season and Career Record in Saves for Seattle with 53 in season 52 and 435 overall.

Speech Highlight- After being compared to Mariano Rivera..he copied some of his speech “But my abilities were not good enough for me to be a soccer player, so the Lord was pushing me to baseball.  I love baseball but I didn’t think baseball would be something I would use as a career.”

Meet Your Hall of Famers: Aurelio Wong and George Paul (The Cousins)

 

Bio: Aurelio Wong and George Paul were known as "The Cousins" of the Fargo locker room.  Although they were born in different countries, their personalities mired with each other as if they were cousins.  Aurelio was born in Barahona, DO (Pop. 138,000, in Southwest Dominican Republic).  George Paul was born in Atlanta, GA (Pop. 498,000).  Paul attended Crim High School in East downtown Atlanta.

Wong was an IFA: Signed for $19 million in Season 42 (The most that year) by Fargo (thebigdogs)

Paul was drafted: 3^rd overall in Season 39 by Fargo (thebigdogs), Signed for $3,440,000

Scout Abdullah Woodward: “Both Wong and Paul were great hitters.  Just different.  Wong had a lot of power and would swing and miss his fair share.  Paul was a great contact hitter with above average power.  Both could run…Paul had great speed and Wong had above average speed.  Neither was a great defender.”

Manager (thebigdogs): “Both Wong and Paul were an interictal part off the Fargo offense in the World Series runs in the late 40’s and early 50’s Seasons.  They added power and speed to make our offense elite.”

Career Earnings: Wong $176,137,000  Paul $96,062,000

Teams:

Wong: 15 ML Seasons Fargo 9, St Louis 1, El Paso 4, Las Vegas 1

Paul:  17 ML Seasons Fargo 11, New York 6

Awards:

Wong: 4-time All-Star, 2 Silver Slugger Awards (48, 57), and 4 World Series Ring (47, 48, 49, 51)

Paul: 4-time All Star, 1 MVP (50), 6 Silver Slugger Awards (43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50) and 4 World Series Ring (47, 48, 49, 51)

Best Season:

Wong (Season 50): 175 H, 122 R, 23 2B, 7 3B, 55 HR, 166 RBI, 34 SB, .275 AVG, .924 OPS

Paul (Season 50 MVP): 209 H, 118 R, 43 2B, 4 3B, 43 HR, 145 RBI, 42 SB, .302 AVG, .911 OPS

Career Stat:

Wong: 2476 H, 1633 R, 347 2B, 75 3B, 670 HR, 1945 RBI, 469 SB, .274 AVG, .887 OPS

Paul: 2833 H, 1637 R, 539 2B, 76 3B, 508 HR, 1818 RBI, 791 SB, .291 AVG, .866 OPS

Speech Highlight: “The baseball journey goes beyond stats, accomplishments, and money….it is about the relationships and brotherhood you have with other players and coaches.  This journey has been filled with those relationships and am ever grateful.”