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Baseball Basics: Can you explain the term OPS?

Posted by on 5 January 2012, 1:16 am

Can you explain the term OPS?

This is a question I get asked about all the time, as the term has become more used in everyday baseball lingo. So, I will do my best to explain OPS and why it is has become so beneficial.

Definition of OPS:

OPS, is the abbreviation for the batting stat on-base plus slugging, which is the sum of a hitter’s on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG).

Since a batter’s success is mainly attributed to hitting for power (SLG) and getting on-base (OBP), the statistical answer to combine both is OPS.

Ultimately, it is like killing two birds with one stone.

OPS formula breakdown: Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: Can you explain the term OPS?’ »

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Baseball Basics: The Posting System

Posted by on 16 December 2011, 3:49 am

If you are a baseball fan, you must have heard the name Yu Darvish.

Darvish is Japan’s newest pitching phenom who is coming to MLB in 2012, but that seems to be the extent of some fans knowledge by choice or not.

Well, since I did receive a few emails this week asking me to explain what the process is for a MLB team to sign a Japanese player in a Baseball Basic, now seems to be the perfect time.

What is the Posting System?

The posting system is the process used by a MLB team can acquire a player from Japan’s Nippon Pro Baseball.

Here is a simple breakdown of the process:

  • An NPB player and his team both have to agree that he can be posted.
  • The NPB player’s team informs Japan’s NPB Commissioner’s Office of the posting, then proceeds to call MLB, who in turn notifies all 30 teams. This can only take place between November 1st and March 1st.
  • Once posted, MLB teams conduct a four-day silent auction bidding to win just an exclusive 30-day window to come to contractual terms with the NPB player who is posted. Bids go directly to MLB Commissioner’s Office and are sealed.
  • Once four-days are up, MLB discloses only the highest bid to the NPB team without revealing the name of the bidding ball-club.
  • The Japanese team has 30-days to either accept or reject the bid, and no negotiation is allowed. The MLB team does not pay any money at this point.
  • If the bid is rejected, the NPB player remains with his Japanese team and cannot be posted again until the following year.
  • But if it is accepted, the MLB team has won the 30-day exclusive period to sign the NPB player. Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: The Posting System’ »

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Baseball Basics: What is the Rule 5 Draft?

Posted by on 2 December 2011, 11:08 pm

What is the RULE 5 DRAFT in Major League Baseball?

PURPOSE of the RULE 5 DRAFT:

The Rule 5 Draft was generated to stop MLB teams from stockpiling minor league prospects indefinitely in their farm system. With the Rule 5 Draft a player has an opportunity to be picked up by a team who is willing to play him in the Majors.

WHERE AND WHEN IS THE RULE 5 DRAFT:

The Rule 5 Draft happens in December at the annual Winter Meetings of all 30 MLB teams General Managers. This off-season’s Winter Meetings begin on December 5th, with the Rule 5 Draft scheduled for the last day of the Winter Meetings, which is on December 8th.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE RULE 5 DRAFT:

Any minor league player, who has been retained for three, (signed at age 19) or four years, (signed at age 18); and are still not on their respective club’s 40-man roster. Minor leaguers’ who are on the team’s 40-man roster before the fixed time expires are protected, or ineligible to be drafted under Rule 5.

MLB Teams with no open spots on their 40-man roster are not allowed to partake in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 Draft allows for a team to steal a raw, top prospect from another club who deems the player is not close to Major League ready in terms of their team. These are diamonds in the rough and are rarely found, but one example of a successful Rule 5 drafted is two-time CY Young winner Johan Santana.

EXAMPLE OF RULE 5 DRAFT: Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: What is the Rule 5 Draft?’ »

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Baseball Basics: The Unassisted Triple Play

Posted by on 11 November 2011, 3:47 am

 

own work

Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki turned an unassisted triple play back in 2007. Image via Wikipedia

“What is the hardest play in baseball?”

“The unassisted triple play.”

Does this question ring a bell at all? Maybe from a Holiday Inn Express commercial that played a million times throughout the regular season.

The ad wizards behind that one should be ecstatic because I have been asked to explain the unassisted triple play more times than I can count, because of that commercial. And ironically, it has been mostly girl friends and very mild baseball fans that have been so curious about the what, how and why of the unassisted triple play.

So, what is the definition of an unassisted triple play?

An unassisted triple play is when a defensive player gets all three outs on his own, within the same play. No other defensive player can touch the baseball or contribute in any way.

What happens in a “typical” unassisted triple play?

In a “typical” unassisted triple play there would be runners on first and second, and categorically there can be no outs in the inning.

The two base runners’ call for a hit and run, which entails both taking off the moment the ball leaves the pitchers hand. Basically it is like getting a head start.

Then the batter hits a line drive right at the shortstop, or second baseman that happens to be positioned close to second base. The SS or 2B catches the ball on the fly (out #1), then proceeds to touch second base (out #2) and then tags the runner who came from first (out #3).

Why are shortstops and second basemen purposely used in the example? Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: The Unassisted Triple Play’ »

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Baseball Basics: What Is A 6-4-3 Double Play?

Posted by on 25 May 2011, 10:26 pm

What is a 6-4-3 Double Play?

That is a question I get all the time from friends of mine, so much recently that I thought I would explain why announcers will refer to an out in this way.

When a team is playing defense, meaning the players are in the field each of the nine positions is assigned a number.

Please look at the diagram below:

1 - pitcher

2 – catcher

3 – first baseman

4 - second baseman

5 – third baseman

6 – shortstop

7 – left fielder

8 – center fielder

9 – right fielder

 

As you can see each number corresponds with a specific position.

A 6-4-3 Double Play is just one example of the specific sequence of how an out was made.

In this case it means the ball went from the shortstop, who threw it to the second baseman, who to the first baseman resulting in two outs.

Here is another example from MLB.com:

If the hitter grounds out to shortstop, for example, write in “6-3,” which shows the shortstop threw him out at first base. If the hitter flies out to left field, write a “7.”

If you were unfamiliar with this kind of explanation, I bet you didn’t realize how simple a formula was used.

Hope this helps, and please email me or leave a comment with any more questions if you are still confused at all.

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Baseball Basics: Statistical Basics Part 2

Posted by on 13 May 2010, 7:19 pm

The first part of this basic covered the batters, so here is the second post which gives definitions of the pitching statistics abbreviations.

Baseball Basics Question:

“WHAT STATISTICS DO ALL THE ABBREVIATIONS STAND FOR?” PART 2

For Pitchers:

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Baseball Basics: Statistical Basics

Posted by on 13 May 2010, 2:09 am

Hey newbie fans, hopefully by now you have started to grasp the basics of baseball.

Now with the season in full swing, you newbies should be ready for the next question. This has been asked a few times over the last week.

Baseball Basics Question:

“WHAT STATISICS DO ALL THE ABBREVIATIONS STAND FOR?”

Batters and pitchers both have their own set of statistics. To make it easier, I have two separate posts, one for batting and the other for pitching. Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: Statistical Basics’ »

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