Home
I've watched very little baseball in the last 2-3 years. Pandemic shortened season, 7 innings games, runner on 2nd in extras, games averaging 5 pitchers per team (I'm estimating that, just seems that way when I read box scores), increasing interleague play, prolonged pitching changes have all taken their toll. Also, my Dad, a lifelong Sox fan that went back to the early Luke Appling years, passed away at 94 y/o from Covid in 2020. I always enjoyed talking baseball and getting his old stories (he saw Yogi Berra hit two homers in Old Comiskey's upper deck in one game, one in right field, one in left). Also, I often used baseball as a tool to keep our conversations and communication going.
That said, by not seeing much baseball recently, I've gotten away from a lot of the new tech broadcasts. A few years ago, I remember seeing exit velocity discussed or posted when someone hit a homer. On tonight's Mariners game, I see it posted on nearly every ball in play. While my initial thoughts were "that's annoying" my subsequent thoughts changed after seeing a player robbed by hitting a screaming liner right at a perfectly positioned shortstop. The liner was about 10 mph higher than a subsequent homer. If they are officially calculating exit velocity for every at bat, I'd be interested to know who the league leaders are. It wouldn't and shouldn't replace current stats like batting average or slugging percentage but I could see where it would be complementary to them. I'd like to know how exit velocity for a team coordinates with their win total. I'd also like to know the exit velocity allowed for the pitching staff and see how that coordinates with other measures of efficacy.
In the past, typically when I've raised some question about stats on the board, Roger would come in with information indicating someone else had already thought of whatever point I was raising. But Roger doesn't seem to be here anymore and a slightly more than cursory review of stats on ESPN or Baseball Reference doesn't indicate this is closely being tracked.
So, does anyone know if this is becoming a thing to be followed somewhere?
That said, by not seeing much baseball recently, I've gotten away from a lot of the new tech broadcasts. A few years ago, I remember seeing exit velocity discussed or posted when someone hit a homer. On tonight's Mariners game, I see it posted on nearly every ball in play. While my initial thoughts were "that's annoying" my subsequent thoughts changed after seeing a player robbed by hitting a screaming liner right at a perfectly positioned shortstop. The liner was about 10 mph higher than a subsequent homer. If they are officially calculating exit velocity for every at bat, I'd be interested to know who the league leaders are. It wouldn't and shouldn't replace current stats like batting average or slugging percentage but I could see where it would be complementary to them. I'd like to know how exit velocity for a team coordinates with their win total. I'd also like to know the exit velocity allowed for the pitching staff and see how that coordinates with other measures of efficacy.
In the past, typically when I've raised some question about stats on the board, Roger would come in with information indicating someone else had already thought of whatever point I was raising. But Roger doesn't seem to be here anymore and a slightly more than cursory review of stats on ESPN or Baseball Reference doesn't indicate this is closely being tracked.
So, does anyone know if this is becoming a thing to be followed somewhere?
