Thursday’s Yankees-Indians telecast on Ch. 11 was another that examined, explained, excused and exhausted the game before it was exhumed and examined again. It wasn’t a game telecast as much as it was a 3-hour, 35-minute statistics-and-probability seminar.
In the first inning, Brian McCann hit a three-run homer. That inspired play-by-player Ryan Ruocco to recall in detail how the Yanks were leading the majors in three-run homers, but lately had hit only solo shots.
David Cone next explained: “Part of the reason for the solo shots, the last six games, is that there’s not enough runners on base.”
I’d never thought of that.
In the third, the Yanks had runners on first and second when McCann, rather than hit a three-run homer, flew out to right. Next, Chase Headley flew to right. Then newcomer Greg Bird flew out to deep left.
That, too, I suspect, was “part of the reason.”
Another part is that solo homers, at least 100 percent of the time, leave no runners on for the next batter. The best he, too, can do is hit a solo homer.
In the fourth, after Stephen Drew doubled to left, Cone was ready: “Just the 17th opposite field hit Drew has had all year.” To that, Ruocco added, “And you brought it up, yesterday, David, how rare it is that Stephen Drew goes the other way.”
Wait a second! That was Drew’s 59th hit of the season. If “only” 17 of them were to the opposite field, that’s 29 percent. So how “rare” is that? That’s not even medium rare.
(By the way, according to baseball-reference.com, it was a bit rare. It was Drew’s sixth opposite field hit, but who’s counting?)
(Italics for emphasis, ours.) Our 2nd request is that breath of fresh air Ruocco trim up those sideburns...
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