PI

[AlwaysinModeration]

I posted this at the end of a different forum and got a lot of positive reactions, so starting a new forum on it specifically.

My proposal, it it’s simplest form:  divvy up any runs that are allowed by relievers between the pitcher who left the runner on base and the reliever, in a proportional fashion.  
 

It would be called Proportioning Inherited, or PI for short.  Who doesn’t like PI?  No one, that’s who!

Here’s how it would work:

If an inherited runner on third base scores, the earned run would be given as follows:

0.75 to the starter*, 0.25 to the reliever.

If an inherited runner on second base scores, the earned run would be given as follows:

0.5 to the starter, 0.5 to the reliever.

If an inherited runner on first base scores, the earned run would be given as follows:

0.25 to the starter, 0.75 to the reliever.

*starter, or reliever who gets pulled from the game

Here is an example of how it would work.  In Wednesday’s game vs the White Sox, Aaron Bummer came in to the game in the 8th, gave up a single and a double and left the game with a run in, two outs and a runner on third.  Gregory Soto came in to the game and gave up an RBI single and then recorded the third out.

Traditional line:  

Bummer:  0.2IP, 2ER 

Soto:  0.1IP, 0ER

PI line:  

Bummer:  0.2IP, 1.75ER 

Soto:  0.1IP, 0.25ER

Of course, this formula doesn’t account for # of outs; it would have been much harder for Soto to prevent the run if he came in with zero outs.  So it’s not perfect. But this formula is pretty simple to implement, it’s fairly intuitive, it involves some fairly simple and elegant math, it’s way more fair to pitchers’ ERA then the current system, and it has a cool All-American name like PI.  Again, who doesn’t like pie?

Who’s with me?  Who wants to jump on the PI bandwagon?

Of course, once this takes off, we are going to need some interns to go through all of the old boxscores and start giving Ron Davis all of the extra earned runs that he deserved….

 

 

 

[ashbury]

This is not too far removed, in spirit, from the Win Probability Added statistic.