The Washington Post is Embracing Sabermetrics

[Frobby]

I've been noticing that the Washington Post baseball writers are using stats like WAR and UZR quite frequently now. Here's a bit from today from Adam Kilgore:

Zimmerman's finish in the MVP voting upset the emerging narrative about new stats taking hold among the BBWAA's award voters. Zimmerman, according to FanGraphs.com, ranked third in the NL in WAR and fourth in UZR. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Zimmerman ranked seventh in OPS+, seventh in WAR and fifth in Win Probability Added.

* * *

The fact, illustrated so well by advanced metrics, is that the Nationals won more games with Ryan Zimmerman at third base than they would have with Martin Prado. Zimmerman's WAR was 7.2. Prado's was 3.9. Prado's wins may have seemed like they were more important, but his contribution to his team was less than Zimmerman's. Zimmerman was more valuable, period. A win is a win is a win.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2010/11/ryan_zimmerman_deserved_better.html

And here is what Dave Sheinin had to say when Rolen beat out Zimmerman for the Gold Glove:

By more advanced metrics, Zimmerman remained an elite defender in 2010, rating a 13.9 UZR (ultimate zone rating) by the Web site Fangraphs.com, ranking third in the majors. (Rolen, at 10.6, ranked sixth.) Zimmerman also narrowly finished second to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria in voting for the Fielding Bible Awards, a non-league-specific poll of sabermetrically inclined journalists and bloggers.

However, it is unlikely many of the Gold Glove voters - NL managers and coaches - consulted advanced defensive metrics before casting their ballots. The primary criteria appear to be fielding percentage (Rolen, at .977, ranked second in the league) and reputation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/10/AR2010111007002.html

It would be nice to see the Sun reporters giving this level of analysis.

[ShaneDawg85]

Countdown to the Sun starting to use them as well, because Baltimore is always trying to copy DC and not be original.

Although to be fair I have seen the writers, at least some, use some stats like on base and/or slugging percentage.

[Nigel Tufnel]

The Washington Post embraces sabermetrics the same week that Wilbon resigns - a coincidence?

[square634]

The Washington Post embraces sabermetrics the same week that Wilbon resigns - a coincidence?

I had no idea he resigned and can't find anything about it online. Can you post a link? I'm curious as to why he resigned.

Edit: Never mind, found a link: http://dc.sbnation.com/2010/11/18/1822598/michael-wilbon-leaving-washington-post-espn

[Arthur_Bryant]

I had no idea he resigned and can't find anything about it online. Can you post a link? I'm curious as to why he resigned.

Edit: Never mind, found a link: http://dc.sbnation.com/2010/11/18/1822598/michael-wilbon-leaving-washington-post-espn

Adam Kilgore tweet when Wilbon resigned:

I was really hoping I'd get to meet Mike Wilbon before he left for ESPN.

Ouch.

[DrungoHazewood]

Countdown to the Sun starting to use them as well, because Baltimore is always trying to copy DC and not be original.

Although to be fair I have seen the writers, at least some, use some stats like on base and/or slugging percentage.

It would be nice if the Sun started using stuff like this, since the Post's only O's coverage is taken directly from the Sun. They've had some kind of partnership to provide O's coverage ever since the Post dropped their O's beat writers a couple years ago.

[Frobby]

It would be nice if the Sun started using stuff like this, since the Post's only O's coverage is taken directly from the Sun. They've had some kind of partnership to provide O's coverage ever since the Post dropped their O's beat writers a couple years ago.

Both Sheinin and Kilgore covered the Orioles at one time or another for the Post, before they dropped their coverage.

[Frobby]

Just another example of this from today's artice on the LaRoche signing:

Last season, LaRoche had a .261 batting average, a .320 on-base percentage and slugged .468. In his eight-year career, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates, LaRoche has hit .271/.339./.488 with an average of 26 home runs and 93 RBI per 162 games.

"You have a lot of confidence with every throw that's going over there," said former Nationals closer Matt Capps, a teammate of LaRoche's in Pittsburgh. "You can throw it 10 feet short, 10 inches short, 20 feet short, he's going to pick it every time. That's another good sign for Washington."

LaRoche's offensive numbers align with league average statistics for a first baseman, but he meets Rizzo's qualifications as a strong defensive player. Last season, LaRoche posted a 5.2 UZR, short for ultimate zone rating, an advanced fielding metric devised by the Web site FanGraphs.com. LaRoche ranked third in that category among major league first basemen, behind only Daric Barton of the Oakland Athletics and Ike Davis of the New York Mets.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/04/AR2011010406502.html

The paragraph about LaRoche's ability to scoop throws isn't pertinent to this thread, but I thought it was interesting to those of us who were debating the merits of LaRoche vs. Lee.

The Post routinely gives the slash line for hitters in their stories, and they are citing UZR and WAR on a semi-regular basis.

[DrungoHazewood]

Just another example of this from today's artice on the LaRoche signing:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/04/AR2011010406502.html

The paragraph about LaRoche's ability to scoop throws isn't pertinent to this thread, but I thought it was interesting to those of us who were debating the merits of LaRoche vs. Lee.

The Post routinely gives the slash line for hitters in their stories, and they are citing UZR and WAR on a semi-regular basis.

Ain't progress great? I can remember when the cutting-edge of baseball coverage in the Post was the once-weekly back-page list of triple crown stats for all of the players in the majors with enough PAs to qualify for the batting title, sorted in order of batting average. That and maybe Boswell tooting his own Total Average horn every once in a while.

[Frobby]

Ain't progress great? I can remember when the cutting-edge of baseball coverage in the Post was the once-weekly back-page list of triple crown stats for all of the players in the majors with enough PAs to qualify for the batting title, sorted in order of batting average.

Hey, I LOVED it when Sunday rolled around and I had all morning to study that list. I have to say, I wish they still published it, instead of just giving the top 5 in a bunch of categories.

[DrungoHazewood]

Hey, I LOVED it when Sunday rolled around and I had all morning to study that list. I have to say, I wish they still published it, instead of just giving the top 5 in a bunch of categories.

Oh, sure, I did too. I specifically remember Wade Boggs showing up on the top of the list, and me thinking it had to be some kind of mistake or fluke that some guy I'd never heard of was hitting .350. And I was always annoyed at the minimum PA qualifier that excluded a lot of Orioles like Jim Dwyer or Benny Ayala. If you wanted to look up even their current triple crown stats there really wasn't any option. It was baseball cards and game programs and the 1980 Baseball Encyclopedia from the library.

If I'd had baseball-reference as a 13-year-old kid I'm pretty sure I'd have failed all my classes and gotten even fewer dates than I did in real life.