On winning percentage and associated pedantry

by 1967ers on May 20, 2009 2:56 PM EDT

Many years ago, I was coaching a Tee-ball team on which my younger brother played. There was an umpire who was the sort of person who really got off on yelling at little kids and asserting his authority over a bunch of five-year-olds (sort of a proto-Cartman many years prior to the creation of South Park).

One play, we had a runner on second when a grounder was hit to third. The fielder threw the ball into the parking lot somewhere (real good arm if only he knew where it was going) so we sent the runner home. Basic play. He would have come to third on the ground ball and home on the overthrow. Nothing fancy or aggressive, just the sort of normal play that led Tee-ball games to finish with scores in the low 30s.

The ump sent our kid back to third.

"Gee," one of our other coaches wondered aloud, "how come?"

The ump then comes over to us and rips us a new one, screaming at us about how "the play had already been initiated to first plate and once a play had been initiated to first plate we couldn't send the runner and if YOU" (pointing to me, since I had the clipboard and was obviously the authority figure) "HAD READ THE RULE BOOK, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!"

Not being one to gracefully defuse the situation, I calmly pointed out that if he himself had read the rule book, he might have noticed that "first plate" was actually called "first base."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" He must have been either short sighted or really hard of hearing, as he came about three inches from my nose before bellowing in my face.

Always willing to help, I repeated myself.

At this point, our umpire had what I believe is best described as a conniption, running around in circles, saying a lot of incoherent things and finally, pleadingly, pointing at me and saying, "I'M not being technical, HE'S THE ONE being technical."

It was generally agreed that the umpire lost the confrontation.

The point of the story is that if you want to make any kind of argument in sports and win it, it really, really helps if you have your terminology straight.

That's all.

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A Nation of Masochists a blog dedicated to Leafs Nation, who are continually punished but keep coming back for more.

by furcifer on May 20, 2009 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

That’s a really funny story. I give refs a lot of crap but I’ve had one or two teach me the logic/rules behind their reasoning. I appreciate that a lot more than the refs that tell me to shut up (granted, sometimes I deserve it).

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on May 20, 2009 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

The fun part there was that I’d spent the first half of the game as the second umpire because one of them had been late. So when he asked me whether I thought I could do a better job than he could, it was real easy to say, “Yes.”

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on May 20, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

you seem like a real stickler, 67. i think we’d get along famously.

rec’d.

by daoust on May 20, 2009 3:46 PM EDT reply actions

I picks my spots….

This guy, however, was a total putz. Made me a hero with the moms and dads, though.

Analysis makes up an enormous part of what I do for a living – digging into things, meaning behind the numbers and all of that. Bad logic and bad math drive me bananas,

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on May 20, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

mmmmm

bananas

"Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on May 20, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

sounds like we might have the same job 67, and definitely the same irritation with lazy math.

by daoust on May 20, 2009 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

recd

as always

"Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on May 20, 2009 4:12 PM EDT reply actions

5 recs, 7 comments.

Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure!

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on May 20, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

pretty good ratio.

A Nation of Masochists a blog dedicated to Leafs Nation, who are continually punished but keep coming back for more.

by furcifer on May 20, 2009 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Wait a second… this didn’t have anything to do with winning percentage!

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on May 20, 2009 8:12 PM EDT reply actions

Well, I was 1-0 in the confrontation….

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on May 21, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Team A goes 35-0-47 in the regular season. Team B goes 37-45-0.

Team A never lost a game in regulation, but is the worst shootout team on the face of the earth. Still, they’re in every single game that they played. That record is good for 117 points and likely leads the conference if not the league.

Team B rarely gets to overtime (they could have won some in OT, given that record) and when they lose, they lose in regulation. That record gets them 74 points, which is draft lottery territory.

Are we to believe that Team B is better in any respect because they won more games?

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on May 21, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Of course not. But Team B did win a higher percentage of it’s games.

And Team A is over .500, but doesn’t have a winning record.

Also, Gary Bettman makes me want to kick baby squirrels.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on May 21, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

But I’m really not convinced that team B winning a greater percentage of its games indicates in any way, shape or form that they were a better team. Unless that discrepancy is huge, team B clearly outplayed them.

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on May 22, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions