Monday, May 18, 2009

Phungo 5 with Nachos Grande and Joey Votto

This week the Phils are in Cincinnati for the middle series of a 3 city road trip. We checked in with Nachos Grande to gets some info on the latest edition of the Big Red Machine. While the Reds have struggled the last few years, if you've been paying attention you will have certainly noticed they have some promising young talent. The Reds enter the Phils Series 3 games over .500 and hopefully the Phils will not take this upstart team lightly.

Nachos Grande fills us in on the Reds young talent and discusses a recently retired star as well as some other subjects during this edition of the Phungo 5.



Is Joey Votto a batting champion?

I think Votto has the potential to be one of the great players - but I'm a little worried about his health currently. He missed a bunch of games because of the flu and he's been taken out of at least two games complaining of dizziness. The Reds certainly cannot afford to be without his bat in the lineup for extended periods!

Should I jump on a Homer Bailey auto if I find one cheap or is he destined for a career of setup relief?

Homer Bailey is, as they say, an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He pitches games where he is absolutely brilliant and then he'll go out and throw a game where little leaguers could hit home runs off him. I believe that it would be a good idea to pick up his auto on the cheap and then hope that Bailey gets traded to another team. I don't believe he'll amount to much with the Reds, but I think that a change of scenery (and a wake up call) would do him a world of good.

As a Mathematician do you have a favorite baseball stat - especially amongst all these new SABRmatic stats? and is there a statistic that you think is totally overrated??

Great question! I don't know that I have a favorite or least favorite statistic, but rather, I have a particular problem with the way certain statistics are portrayed by announcers and their ilk. For example, quality starts. Many people spout nonsense when talking about quality starts, heck, even the name is misleading. While giving up 3 runs or less is decent, it isn't always "quality". For instance, if you are going against Roy Halladay and he is throwing a 1 hitter through 7 innings and you've thrown 7 innings of ball while giving up three runs, well, that's not quality! On the flip side, if you are going against a pitcher like Eric Milton who has given up 7 runs in the first two innings and another 2 or three runs since then and you've only given up 4 runs in 7 innings, well, that's quality. Quality starts do not equal wins - nor do the really even tell the story of any particular game...

On the hitting side, I've never really understood the fascination with the "runs" statistic. It stands to reason that those who have high run totals probably have a high OPS, but even so, it's more of a team measure than it is an individual measure (much like wins and losses for a pitcher).


If you could retire one Cincinnati Red number that is not retired (other than 14) what would it be?

From the players of my era, the obvious answer is #11 Barry Larkin. I'm a huge fan of Larkin, and since he was one of the keys to the Reds last World Series appearance (and win), he deserves to have his number retired officially (it is unofficially retired already, no one on the roster is ever given #11).


Favorite WKRP Character?


You got me here - I never watched much of WKRP...instead I'll have to give a plug to "The Big Bang Theory" which is a show about a bunch of physicists (close to mathematicians) and a blonde girl next door...

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Thanks to Nachos Grande for this weeks Phungo 5. let me see here Votto - good but injury questions check, Bailey Change of Scenery good check, Quality Starts and Runs ayyy - hmm I actually like both those stats a little have to think on that one, Barry Larkin Check, Big Bang Theory Blonde? yep Check. While as much as I do have a bit of a liking for the Run Scored and Quality Starts stats, I do undertstand Nachos' having an issue with those stats - And hey I have to give credit anytime someobdy comments "Great Question" so 5 out 5 for Nachos' Grande

If you would like to check a previous Phungo 5 with Night Owl Cards click here.

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a thousand words

a thousand words
2008 World Champions