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Dumbest stat in baseball: hitting the cycle

Posted on 8/25/15 at 11:38 pm
Posted by LSULyle00690
Hoover, AL
Member since Sep 2004
7055 posts
Posted on 8/25/15 at 11:38 pm
Any stat that actually discourages a player from getting as far as he can on the basepaths is insane and should be eliminated.

Example: player A hits a home run, a triple, and a double. His next at bat (he needs a single for a cycle) he hits a ball to the wall but stops at first to get his cycle.

What if it's a 9-9 game in the 9th inning? What if his team is in a tight playoff race? We are gonna miss the playoffs for your cycle?

It's just plain dumb
Posted by BayouBengals03
lsu14always
Member since Nov 2007
99999 posts
Posted on 8/25/15 at 11:45 pm to
I'm surprised no-hitters haven't been devalued in our current sabermetric baseball world.

A dude could allow 25 balls in play, have balls crushed all over the field, and walk 7 batters, but no one would care. Even if his FIP or whatever wasn't as good as someone who threw a CGSO with 16 strikeouts, we would still praise and remember it more.
Posted by swamie
Where opportunity meets hard work
Member since Jan 2007
27253 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:02 am to
You're confusing stats with accomplishments
Posted by Lester Earl
Member since Nov 2003
278385 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:04 am to
U mad the Giants got their arse whooped
Posted by kilo
Member since Oct 2011
27424 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:04 am to
I agree. I look at total bases more now and the cycle is an interesting novelty from another era, because lets behonest, many folks just cant leg out a triple.

Posted by C
Houston
Member since Dec 2007
27824 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:06 am to
There's a uniqueness to the cycle. No one is stopping at first if they are behind. Please link a time when a ball player stopped at a base to hit for the cycle which cost the game?
Posted by TheWalrus
Member since Dec 2012
40512 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:06 am to
I agree. Or this scenario, a guy has a single, double, and homer, hits a gapper and gets thrown out on a low percentage attempt to get a triple for the sheer novelty of some arbitrary fairytale stat.
Posted by kilo
Member since Oct 2011
27424 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:09 am to
quote:

A dude could allow 25 balls in play, have balls crushed all over the field, and walk 7 batters, but no one would care. Even if his FIP or whatever wasn't as good as someone who threw a CGSO with 16 strikeouts, we would still praise and remember it more.


Im all for saber analyzing things but you can take it to other extremes. Spend some time on fan graphs and you can develop a base to back almost any argument comparatively.

I cant remember the blog for the life of me at this point but a guy compared obscure players with HOF bonifide players and worked the saber metrics in a way that made the obscure player look better. Its an interesting read and I will try to find the blog.



Posted by LSULyle00690
Hoover, AL
Member since Sep 2004
7055 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:16 am to
Only down 3, aoki, Duffy and belt up in the 9th
Posted by WITNESS23
Member since Feb 2010
13722 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:20 am to
quote:

What if it's a 9-9 game in the 9th inning? What if his team is in a tight playoff race? We are gonna miss the playoffs for your cycle?


Nobody would stop on first if their team is relying on them to get in scoring position.

Think of Maurice Jones-Drew falling down on the 1.
Posted by pvilleguru
Member since Jun 2009
60453 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 6:38 am to
I agree that it's one of the dumber ones.
Posted by Lakebound
Member since Nov 2004
3832 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 7:15 am to
Two doubles, a triple and a home run > hitting for the cycle.

Call that first scenario cycle-plus. Elias, who's the all-time leader in those?
Posted by The Sad Banana
The gate is narrow.
Member since Jul 2008
89498 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 7:41 am to
quote:


Example: player A hits a home run, a triple, and a double. His next at bat (he needs a single for a cycle) he hits a ball to the wall but stops at first to get his cycle.
Yeah, but who would do that? Probably no one...except maybe a St. Louis Cardinal.

And a cycle isn't necessarily a stat...it's more of an accomplishment--a dumb made up one. I'm sure a player would rather hit 4 HR's instead of a single, double, triple and HR.
This post was edited on 8/26/15 at 7:42 am
Posted by Stagg8
Houston
Member since Jan 2005
12987 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 7:43 am to
Robin Ventura once stopped between first and second on a grand slam. Thug.
Posted by Dire Wolf
bawcomville
Member since Sep 2008
36610 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 8:00 am to
quote:

There's a uniqueness to the cycle. No one is stopping at first if they are behind. Please link a time when a ball player stopped at a base to hit for the cycle which cost the game?



it did not cost them the game but a friends little brother stopped at 2nd on sure fire triple to get the cycle
Posted by motorbreath
New Orleans Saints fan
Member since Jun 2004
6381 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:03 am to
Its a cool accomplishment. Nothing more than that. No player has ever stopped at first to get a cycle when he could have had the extra base or 2.
Posted by Goldrush25
San Diego, CA
Member since Oct 2012
33794 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:27 am to
quote:

for the sheer novelty of some arbitrary fairytale stat.


I do agree with this part. A player that gets 2 HRs and 2 doubles or 3 HRs has likely helped the team more yet the cycle gets the glory.
Posted by Wayne Campbell
Aurora, IL
Member since Oct 2011
6371 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:39 am to
quote:

--a dumb made up one. I'm sure a player would rather hit 4 HR's instead of a single, double, triple and HR.


Obviously. And hitting 4 HRs in a game is much less likely. 71 HOF players have hit the cycle, only 5 have hit 4 HRs in a game. Lou Gehrig and Chuck Klein are the only ones to have done both.
This post was edited on 8/26/15 at 10:23 am
Posted by Baloo
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
49645 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:19 am to
This is why people hate stat guys. OF COURSE hitting the cycle is dumb and goofy. It's fun precisely BECAUSE it's dumb and goofy.

Lighten up, and remove the sticks from your butts, like Kevin Bacon taught that town in Footloose. Some things are just fun. It's okay to enjoy fun things.
Posted by Maximus
Member since Feb 2004
81262 posts
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:38 am to
quote:

Example: player A hits a home run, a triple, and a double. His next at bat (he needs a single for a cycle) he hits a ball to the wall but stops at first to get his cycle.

What if it's a 9-9 game in the 9th inning? What if his team is in a tight playoff race? We are gonna miss the playoffs for your cycle?


When has anything remotely like this ever happened in the history of baseball?
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