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FAQ - Baseball
- How many games did Cal Ripken, JR. play?
- Is Checklist Central affiliated with The Baltimore Orioles or with MLB?
- Who qualifies as a 'Rookie', officially, in MLB?
- Who is eligible for arbitration?
- How does arbitration work?
- What is a "10-and-5" man?
- What is a waiver claim and what is the trading deadline?
- What does "designated for assignment" mean?
- Who is eligible to play in the MLB post-season?
- When do MLB rosters expand and by how much?
- How did Fred McGriff get his nickname and what does it mean?
- How is home-field advantage determined for the MLB League Championship Series and the World Series?
- What is SABR and how do I get in touch with them?
- What did Kevin Costner say in that speech in Bull Durham?
- On a typical pro baseball field, there is a pair of dirt circles, about 1 meter in diameter, in the grass near home plate (not the on-deck circles). What are they for?
- Is there an archive site for baseball stuff?
- Is there any sort of technique that can be used to sort cards quickly?
- How is a pitcher's Won-Loss percentage calculated?
- How is a pitcher's Earned Run Average (ERA) calculated?
- How is a player's Batting Average (AVG) calculated?
- How is a player's Slugging Percentage (SLG) calculated?
- How is a player's On-Base Percentage (OBP) calculated?
- How is a player's Fielding Average calculated?
- How is a team's "Magic Number" calculated?
How many games did Cal Ripken, JR. play?
2,652 games. 502 more than Lou Gehrig.Is Checklist Central affiliated with The Baltimore Orioles or with MLB?
No, not in any way.Who qualifies as a 'Rookie', officially, in MLB?
In order to qualify officially as a 'Rookie' in MLB, a player must not have had ANY ONE of the following:- 130 AB's (At Bat's)
- 50 IP (Innings Pitched)
- 45 days on a Major League roster during the 25-man limit (i.e., before September 1). Time in military service or on the disabled list does not count against this limit.
Who is eligible for arbitration?
A player becomes eligible for arbitration after reaching three years of Major League service (although how this three year term is defined is for smarter folks than me). Additionally, a player who has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and is among the top 17% of players who meet that criterion in total service time is eligible for arbitration.How does arbitration work?
Once a team and a player have agreed to go to arbitration, each of them submits a salary figure for a one-year contract. The team and the player appear before a licensed member of the National Association of Arbitrators. Each side presents a case intended to convince the arbitrator that their salary figure is most appropriate. In general, this is done by demonstrating that the player is "comparable" to players receiving the amount of money being argued for. The choice of how to define "comparable" is often the difference in the cases. After the arbitrator has heard both cases, he chooses one of the two submitted figures as being the most appropriate. The player and team are bound to sign a contract for the next year at that figure. The arbitrator cannot choose any figure other than one of the two submitted.This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated.
What is a "10-and-5" man?
A player who has accumulated 10 years or more of MLB service, with at least the last 5 of them being with the same team. "10-and-5" players can veto trades or waiver claims.What is a waiver claim and what is the trading deadline?
It is not actually a 'deadline' since trades can be made after it. Basically, from the beginning of the season until July 31, teams may make trades among themselves as they wish (subject to the approval of "10-and-5" players). After July 31, any team wishing to trade a player must have that player "clear waivers". The waiver process works like this:- A team may "ask for waivers" on a player by sending notification of that fact to the MLB offices.
- The MLB offices publish to all teams the information that the player has been put on waivers. A claim is published for 3 days. If no team makes a waiver claim, the player "passes (or clears) waivers" and may be traded to any team.
- If more than one team puts in a waiver claim for the player, priority of the waiver claim is determined as follows: teams in the same league as the team asking waivers, in order from worst record (as of the claim date) to best, then teams in the other league, in the same order. The highest priority claim stands, others are dismissed.
- The team which asked for waivers may now:
- pull the player back from waivers, which ends the process
- trade the player to the claiming team (they may not negotiate with any other team)
- allow the claiming team to take the player for the standard waiver fee.
- pull the player back from waivers, which ends the process
- If they negotiate a trade with the claiming team, any player(s) being sent in return must either clear waivers or be delivered to the team after the end of the regular season.
- A "10-and-5" man may veto a trade or waiver claim transaction. If he does, he stays with the team which waived him.
If a team pulls a player back from waivers, they can ask for waivers on him again that season, but the second time the waivers are "irrevocable". The only difference is that, in step 4 above, they do not have the option of pulling a player back form irrevocable waivers.
This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated.
What does "designated for assignment" mean?
It is another way of saying that a player has been put on waivers for the purpose of sending them to the minors.Who is eligible to play in the MLB post-season?
Anyone who is on the 25-man roster or the disabled list as of August 31.This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated.
When do MLB rosters expand and by how much?
September 1. Rosters expand to 40 players.This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated.
How did Fred McGriff get his nickname and what does it mean?
This is a nickname given by Chris Berman (ESPN) that stuck. In the late 1970's, Public Service Announcements (PSA's) began appearing on TV and radio in the U.S. advising people on ways they could avoid and/or prevent crime. The character who gave out these valuable tips was an animated bloodhound with a gravelly voice and a trench coat named McGruff, the Crime Dog. Chris Berman hung the tag on McGriff during SportsCenter one night, and improbably enough, it stuck. You can still catch the PSA's, by the way.How is home-field advantage determined for the MLB League Championship Series and the World Series?
By rotation. Each year, the divisions are ranked 1-2-3; in any series, the team from the higher ranked division has home-field advantage. A wild card team can never have home-field advantage in the league playoffs. The wild card plays the division winner with the best record unless they are in the same division. In that case, the wild card team plays the division winner with the second best record. The leagues alternate home-field advantage in the World Series.What is SABR and how do I get in touch with them?
SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research. They can be reached at:Society for American Baseball Research
P.O. Box 93183
Cleveland, OH 44101
www.sabr.org
What did Kevin Costner say in that speech in Bull Durham?
When asked what he believed in, Crash Davis said:Well, I believe in the soul. The c*ck, the p*ssy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are overindulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe that there oughta be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. Good night.
On a typical pro baseball field, there is a pair of dirt circles, about 1 meter in diameter, in the grass near home plate (not the on-deck circles). What are they for?
They are (or at least they were historically) used during practice and warm-ups as a place for coaches to stand and hit grounders and fungos without wearing out the grass in one spot.Is there an archive site for baseball stuff?
Yes. It is ftp.baseball.org. There is tons of good stuff available here by anonymous FTP.Is there any sort of technique that can be used to sort cards quickly?
Yes! (This is copyright material from Krause Publication's 'Sports Card Magazine'.)- Make 10 index cards numbered 0-9. If possible, use white index cards and write the numbers using a black, bold permanent marker (like a Sharpie). The contrast will make it easier on your eyes. Set the cards on a table in increasing (0-9) order. For example,
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
OR
0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 - Grab the cards you want to sort. Sort them by the last number on the index card (the Ones place). For example, cards with the #5 in the ones place would be put next to the #5 index card.
- When you are done, pile each stack on the next higher stack. Pick up the #1 stack, place it on top of the #2 stack. Then place that stack on top of the #3 stack. Continue through the #9 stack.
- Starting at the top of the stack (previously the #1 stack), resort the cards using the next to last number (the Tens place). For example, card #432 would go next to the #3 index card. Cards with no second number (say #1) would go on the #0 pile.
- After sorting all the cards by the tens digit, re-stack the cards on the next lower stack. Pick up the #9 stack and place it on top of the #8 stack, then place that stack on top of the #7 stack, etc.
- Resort the whole stack from the top (previously the #9 stack) by using the first number (the Hundreds place). Card #921 would go next to the #9 index card. Cards with no number in the Hundreds place (like #98) would go in the #0 stack.
- Re-stack the cards on the next higher stack (refer to step #3) and you're done.
How is a pitcher's Won-Loss percentage calculated?
Divide the number of games won by the total number of decisions.For example, if Mike Mussina has a 16-3 record, divide his win total (16) by his total number of decisions (16 + 3 = 19): 16/19 = 0.842
How is a pitcher's Earned Run Average (ERA) calculated?
Multiply the total number of earned runs by 9 and divide the result by the total innings pitched.Say Randy Johnson has allowed 67 runs in 220 innings pitched. Multiply 67 (total earned runs allowed) by 9: 67 x 9 = 603. Divide 603 by 220 (total innings pitched): 603/220. His ERA would be 2.74
How is a player's Batting Average (AVG) calculated?
Divide the number of base hits by the total number of at bats.If Tony Gwynn has 600 at bats and has 206 hits, divide his total number of hits (206) by his total at bats (600): 206/600. His batting average (AVG) would be .343
How is a player's Slugging Percentage (SLG) calculated?
Divide the total number of base hits by the total number of times at bat.If Sammy Sosa has 282 total bases and 440 at bats, divide 282 by 440 to get his Slugging Percentage. 282/440 = .641
How is a player's On-Base Percentage (OBP) calculated?
Divide the total number of hits, total Bases on Balls (BB), and total times hit by a pitch (HBP) BY total at bats, total BB, total HBP, and total Sacrifice Flies.For example, Derek Jeter has 434 at bats. He has 152 hits, 59 BB, has been hit by 9 pitches, and has 6 Sacrifice Flies. Here is the formula to determine his on-base percentage: (152 + 59 + 9) / (434 + 59 + 9 + 6) = 220/508 = .433
Simple stuff, right?
How is a player's Fielding Average calculated?
Divide the total number of putouts and assists by the total number of putouts, assists, and errors.For example, Nomar Garciaparra has 218 putouts and 290 assists, while committing only 2 errors. His Fielding Average would be: (218 + 290) / (218 + 290 + 2) = 508/510 = .996
How is a team's "Magic Number" calculated?
To calculate a team's Magic Number, determine the number of games yet to be played, then add one, then subtract the number of games ahead in the loss column of the standings from the closest opponent. Follow so far? Good.Let's say the Orioles have 50 games remaining to play and are 7 games ahead in the loss column of their closest opponent, the New York Yankees. Here's the formula: Games remaining: 50 + 1 = 51. 51 - 7 = 44. The Orioles magic number to clinch the AL East is 44.
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