Fudging with Numbers III (July 19, 2007)
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by Manny Stiles
Stats stats stats;
In true "Fudgie" fashion, I present Fudging With Numbers III - another installment in one of the endlessly running series of running series' by Manny Stiles.
A "Fudgie" is a term 'endearingly' reserved by locals for vacationers to Northern Michigan, specifically to Mackinac Island (sounds like 'mack-in-awe'). "If it's "tourist season", why can't we shoot them?" Visitors flock from around the globe to taste the famous fudge and visit Old Fort Mackinac on the motorless horse and bicycle-only island.
After asking anyone why it was fudge that became famous on the island and not some other treat/confection (which originally was more famous for Indian candies and jewelry) the closest answer I got was - "I don't know". So of course, this keeps me up at night...
And while motorized vehicles aren't allowed on the island, you can still find Harley-Davidson shirts that infer they are... where were the T-Shirts that say "I got Fudged Up on Mackinac Island"? - I would have bought one of those! Is there no creativity left in the world??
So while it remains an utter mystery how "Fudgies" came into being, no one can doubt my passion for Fudging with Numbers!
(see:Fudging with Numbers 1) (see:Fudging with Numbers 2)
Fudging With Numbers
The Tampa Bay Rays (despite Manny Stiles as 'Good Luck Charm') currently have the worst record in baseball and are playing under .400 ball (overall) on the season... BUT -
In games with less than 10,000 paid attendance, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are playing .643 baseball (9-5 record) - this includes a 3-0 record in Orlando 'home' games...
In games with more than 37,100 in attendance, they are playing .800 ball (4-1 record)
So clearly, the key to their success is very small and very large crowds - or just play ALL of their games in Orlando! - they are 24-51 (.320 Winning PCT) with crowds between 10,001 and 37,099 paid attendance!
Maybe if they jack up the prices and lose the cheap beer and free parking, they'd win ALL of their games at home!
Little Fudging here, just Pondering some things
Baseball
- Managers
- Jim Leyland was the last full-season manager (Jack McKeon was interim in 2003) to win a World Series (1997) and never have a MLB playing career since Earl Weaver in 1969.
- Two seasons ago, EVERY MLB manager had compiled an official MLB career before managing. The number of managers coming into this season (4) without MLB playing careers have increased by 50% during this season (there's now 6!) - at this pace ZERO managers will have had MLB playing careers by 2011!
- Barry Bonds
- Where was the outcry/Bud Selig when he became the All-Time Natonal League HR leader (#734?) - or All-Time Lefty HRs with #715?
- Take away his Home Runs (coming into today) and Bonds' SLG% is a mere .376! (Ruth's SLG - HRs is .418! Hank Aaron's SLG-Hrs is .371)
- Barry Bonds has around 400 more career SBs than Babe Ruth, but almost 60 fewer career triples!
- Barry only needs to play a little over 6 more seasons of an average of 565 plate appearances to tie Pete Rose for All-Time leader in plate appearances...
- Alex Rodriguez
- A-Rod is the only player in MLB to debut at age 18 since 1979. Every other player was at least 19.
- If A-Rod continues at his current pace and only plays until his 40th birthday, he will finish with 815 Home Runs. If he plays until his 44th birthday at the same pace, he would have 955 Home Runs...
- If A-Rod continues at his current pace and plays until his 44th birthday, he would finish with exactly 4,192 hits!
- Also, at his current pace he will finish his career with ZERO World Series titles.
- Roger Clemens
- He is the only living MLB pitcher to have more shutouts (46) than years on the planet (44) - but not for long =)
- Clemens is only 64 shutouts away from tying Walter Johnson for most all-time.
- If Clemens doubled his career Complete Games mark (118 to 236) he would qualify for 95th place on the all-time Complete Games list.
- If Clemens multiplied his career Complete Games number times four (to 472), he would be 10th on the All-time Complete Games list... (and still 277 behind Cy Young)
Basketball
- Are Yi Lost?
- Coincidence? The guy who founded the Fort at Mackinac Island was also the first Non-North American guy to cross Lake Michigan - Jacques Marquette landed just north of Milwaukee and thought he found China...
- Maybe Yi should play baseball like Bo Jackson did and then he won't get vilified for not wanting to play with the team that drafted him.
- Fran Vasquez could give Yi some pointers...
- No one complains about this... but A-Rod.
- Shaquille O'Neal has amassed over $231 million in SALARY in his career (not including endorsements or film grossings - snicker, snicker)
- Stats like 'Player Losses' mean little until you see the names on the list...
- Antoine Walker is the Greatest at something - and Isiah Thomas is the only HoF'er in the top 15!
- Omen for Oden?
- In NBA-ABA history, there have been 29 players/coaches with "Greg" in their name and 29 players/coaches with "Kevin" in their name. Oden and Durant will raise those tallies to 30.
- There has never been a player named Greg named as an All-Star, there are no Gregs in the HoF (until Gregg Popovich squeaks in) and Greg Kite is the only player named 'Greg' (any spelling, first or last name) to win an NBA championship...
- There have been 5 Kevin All-Stars, A Kevin MVP and even a Kevin in the HoF (Guess who?) Kevins have amassed too many rings for me to bother counting...
NFL
- What If???
- Jim Brown - He played his 9 years when NFL seasons were just 12 and 14 games long. If we prorate his shortened career over today's standard 16 game seasons, he would have had 2,713 more yards and 23 more touchdowns!
- If Jim Brown had as many rushing attempts as Emmitt Smith (at his career pace), he would have amassed 34,308 yards (or almost 16,000 yards more than #22)
- Coming into this season, the Arizona Cardinals are the only NFL team that is undefeated outside of the United States borders in the regular season.
- If Johnny Unitas had as many pass attempts as Brett Favre he would have thrown for 63,804 yards (3.5 more miles than Favre) and 460 TDs (44 more than Favre) but with... get this - 125 more Int's!!! Johnny U was a GunSLINGER!
HDBs
- The Record Curve
- In the past 10 years, the record for HDBs eaten at Nathan's annual 4th of July Hot Dog Gluttonyfest has increased 270% - at that rate, the record in 2017 should be around 178 HDBs!
Just recklessly chucking numbers out there and seeing what sticks!
Until next time, peace and good tidings to each of you!
