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Episode 21: Russell Carleton

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Russell-Carleton

On this episode of the Replacement Level Podcast Baseball Prospectus writer Russell Carleton joined me to discuss small sample sizes and when statistics start to stabilize. Russell also spoke about how much value good hitting & pitching coaches can provide to a team, the limitations of WAR(P), and the reliability of defensive metrics.

Russell also discussed his research on the Verducci Effect. Russell explained why Verducci’s theory isn’t accurate.

I hope you listen to and enjoy the interview. It can also be downloaded for free on iTunes.

Follow me on twitter @RossCarey

[podcast]http://www.replacementlevelpodcast.com/podcast/RLP_EP21_CARLTON.mp3[/podcast]
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Episode 20: Wendy Thurm

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Wendy-Thurm

On this episode of the Replacement Level Podcast Wendy Thurm joined me to discuss the business of baseball. We discussed the future of local TV contracts, what teams are set to benefit from the boom, and what teams will likely be shut out of the windfall. We also spoke about the state of free agency, the importance of variable and dynamic pricing, and why all sports might soon see a steady decline in attendance.

Wendy was a lawyer for over two decades. I asked her about MLB’s lawsuit against BioGenesis, what they’re hoping to accomplish, and more importantly if they will succeed with it. We also hit on how Barry Bonds is perceived in San Francisco and the Hall of Fame.

I hope you listen to and enjoy the interview. It can also be downloaded for free on iTunes.

Follow me on twitter @RossCarey

For a detailed look at Wendy’s work on local TV contracts you can read her FanGraphs piece here.

[podcast]http://www.replacementlevelpodcast.com/podcast/RLP_EP20_THURM.mp3[/podcast]
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Episode 19: Jay Jaffe

April 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
jay-jaffe

On this episode of the Replacement Level Podcast Sports Illustrated’s Jay Jaffe joined me to discuss his 20 ways to improve baseball right now piece. His ideas include expanding instant replay, using the DH in both leagues, and stopping the war on advanced metrics.

We offered some suggestions on how to revamp the Hall of Fame voting process and gave our very early predictions as to who will get enshrined in the 2014 class.

We also hit on Robinson Cano firing Scott Boras, and what that means for the Yankees and free agency in general. Jay also gave his thoughts on Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unifying their baseline for wins above replacement.

I hope you listen to and enjoy the interview. It can also be downloaded for free on iTunes.

Follow me on twitter @RossCarey

[podcast]http://www.replacementlevelpodcast.com/podcast/RLP_EP19_JAFFE.mp3[/podcast]
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Episode 17: Bill Petti

March 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Bill-Petti

On this episode of the Replacement Level Podcast FanGraphs writer Bill Petti joined me to discuss his favorite advanced metrics and why those numbers matter. Bill spoke about the differences between wRC+ and OPS+, the state of defensive independent statistics,  and why BABIP is at times misused.

Bill and I also discussed his work on predicting batter regression and why some hitters including Robinson Cano and Josh Hamilton might fall off “the cliff” this year.

I hope you listen to and enjoy the interview. It can also be downloaded for free on iTunes.

Follow me on twitter @RossCarey

[podcast]http://www.replacementlevelpodcast.com/podcast/RLP_EP17_BILLPETTI.mp3[/podcast]
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Episode 16: Ben Jedlovec

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Ben Jedlovec

On this episode of the Replacement Level Podcast Vice President at Baseball Info Solutions and co-author of The Fielding Bible-Volume Three, Ben Jedlovec joined me to discuss the state of defensive metrics. Ben spoke about how DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) is calculated, and what goes into the individual components involved in making those calculations. Ben also compared the differences between DRS and UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), and went into great detail about the reliability and accuracy of defensive metrics in general.

Ben and I also discussed the value of the defensive shift, if park factors can influence defensive performance, and the concept of  a defensive peak with regard to a player’s age.

Defensive metrics can be a controversial subject even within the analytical community. This interview is an in-depth look at how they are calculated, why they sometimes conflict, and if they are being weighted properly with regard to a player’s overall value.

I hope you listen to and enjoy the interview. It can also be downloaded for free on iTunes.

[podcast]http://www.replacementlevelpodcast.com/podcast/RLP_EP16_BenJedlovec.mp3[/podcast]
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