tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27163465.post7305604364502015943..comments2008-08-12T22:02:41.410-04:00Comments on Triple Steal: What We Learned On Opening DayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27163465.post-27058293111944811802007-04-04T11:10:00.000-04:002007-04-04T11:10:00.000-04:00The Hardball Times wrote about Lidge a couple of m...The Hardball Times <A HREF="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/luck-leaps-and-lapses/" REL="nofollow">wrote about Lidge</A> a couple of months back, and found:<BR/><BR/><I><BR/>Lidge's [percentage of pitches that are balls] rose back up to 2002-3 levels while his [percentage of pitchers swung at and missed] has been declining fast since 2004 and this time his [percentage of pitchers that are called strikes] didn't compensate, dropping his strikeout rate again, though not as much as 2004 to 2005. This time the walk rate also spiked, over two points and the home run rate nabbed him, jumping two points as well. No change in his overall GB%/FB% tendencies though so expect the home run rate to regress. Everything else is legitimate decline, and Lidge will need to regain those missed bats to be the pitcher he was in 2004.<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>You can have bad luck in 80 innings and get a 5+ ERA if some balls just land in the wrong place. But if you're generating fewer swings and misses, that's probably a sign that you're just losing your stuff, and not that you're unlucky. Too bad for me as an owner of Lidge on one of my fantasy teams (and given that Wheeler is owned by someone else).Warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09549212529481086642noreply@blogger.com