Let's play a game of pitcher comparison:
Pitcher A: 185IP, 2.97ERA, 1.22WHIP
Pitcher B: 202IP, 3.02ERA, 1.20WHIP
Pretty similar right? It's tough to say which pitcher is having the better season. Except that Pitcher A is Brett Myers and Pitcher B is C.C. Sabathia. I understand that CC faces tougher lineups in the American League, but the fact that he will probably win the Cy Young award, while Myers pitches in obscurity in Houston, is a testament to East Coast bias, the media's obsession with the Yankees, and on the flip side the media's ignoring of smaller market teams like Houston. The media constructs images of who the elite players are and do not focus enough on actual production.
I completely agree Jeremy. Even I am guilty of forming an opinion of Brett Myers without really looking at his production. The Astros are set if he can keep up this production -- or something like it -- for the rest of his contract.
ReplyDeleteBrett Myers is really good... but the "east coast" bias in baseball is really a "good teams" bias.
ReplyDeletethat bias exists because the AL east is BY FAR the best division in baseball, and the distant second is (drum roll...) the NL East.
The Red Sox, who are a distant 3rd in our division right now, would be a 1/2 game up on Maher's beloved Rangers and a game back of Minnesota in their division. NOT TO MENTION, were they playing against the shitty teams in both those divisions instead of against the statistically AND record-wise two best teams in baseball (Rays and Yanks) their record would likely be significantly BETTER than it is right now. Add to that the insane amount of injuries the Sox have had this season, and you have a scary top 3 teams.
Past that you have to look at the Blue Jays, who have a +31 run differential despite being FOURTH in our division. If you look at that teams' lineup and stats from this year, they would be significantly better were they allowed to play in any other division, as is the case with EVERY TEAM that plays in the AL east.
It's not an "east coast" bias, it's that the best teams in baseball this year (Phillies, Braves, Yankees, Rays) are all east coast teams.
in the NL East you have arguably 2 of the top 4 (and i might argue 3 of the top 5 if Oswalt had been on the Phillies this year and his stats had been significantly better as I believe they would have been) pitchers in the entire NL.
there's a reason nobody is giving the Rangers/Twins/Reds/Padres/Giants as much face-time or media attention, it's because NOBODY THINKS THEY WILL ACTUALLY WIN, and in all reality they won't. Those teams just aren't as good as the elite teams who, shockingly, happen to play on the east coast.
it isn't a "bias" if your teams/players are just better haha.
in closing, stats don't occur in a vacuum. They ONLY matter when you put them in context, and Jeremy come on if you really think comparing a pitcher's stats who plays in the NL central against the Brewers/Cubs/Pirates regularly versus a pitcher who pitches against the Sox/Rays/Jays regularly is fair you're kidding yourself.
Did I not say that I understand that CC regularly faces tougher lineups? Yes, Sabathia is clearly having a better season, given the context that he pitches in. All I am saying is that the extent to which these pitchers are different (for this season) is overstated by the media. Sabathia is considered the best pitcher in the entire American League. Myers on the other hand-- I don't think anyone besides Astros fans have payed attention to what he's been doing.
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe I shouldn't be criticizing "East Coast Bias" now that I think a little bit more about this. But the media does decide who the elite players are. In the national league, the media has chosen Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, and Tim Lincecum as the darlings that coverage time must be dedicated to. But honestly, Matt Latos has been the best pitcher in the NL this season. Why is he not in the Cy Young talk? What about Tim Hudson? Jaime Garcia? These guys don't throw 100mph, don't have nickhames like "The Freak," or have no-hitters/perfect games to their name like the "darlings," but have been just as good if not better.
Why do we care if the guy has a wicked curveball or an untouchable fastball? When deciding on awards like the Cy Young, we should merely be focusing on production.
All I have heard on Sportscenter is that the race is between Sabathia and Price, with perhaps some consideration for Buchholz if he closes the season on a strong note.
ReplyDeleteSo I just looked at the stats for starting pitchers in the American League. Did you know Sabathia and Price are merely 6th and 5th in the AL in ERA. Why have we not heard about C.J. Wilson, Felix Hernandez, or Trevor Cahill? Again, I understand they play fewer games against the teams of the AL East, but these guys need to be in the discussion.
C.J. is the only one on a contender. that's the short answer. he should get consideration but without a doubt whichever team wins the AL east/gets clutch starts out of their horse down the stretch should get the Cy Young (Price/Sabathia)
ReplyDelete