Managers looooooove head-to-head stats. If a hitter is 4-for-9 against a pitcher in his career, a manager can justify putting that hitter in the lineup the next time they meet. Who’s going to question that sort of science? A bunch of nerds yammering about sample size? Pfft. You know what sample sizes old-school managers care about? The ones at Costco, when they give you only one free coconut shrimp and trick you into buying a whole bag. What a bunch of crap.
Ryan Theriot, Secret Weapon
So when Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly announced that Ryan Theriot was in the game because of his success against Cliff Lee, you were right to guffaw.
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theriot against Cliff Lee | 19 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .313 | .421 | .313 | .734 |
Sixteen at-bats. And if he gets one fewer hit in those 16 at-bats? He’s a career .250 hitter, and he isn’t starting tonight.
So, obviously, Theriot is 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored against Cliff Lee tonight. Maybe there’s something to this stuff after all. And don’t look now, but here’s Theriot’s career against Cole Hamels:
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theriot against Cole Hamels | 22 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .333 | .364 | .571 | .935 |
Ryan Theriot, secret weapon.
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