If you hadn’t heard, Tom Tango of The Book is working exclusively for the Cubs now, doing smart-guy things. And over at ESPN Chicago, he answered some questions about his role with the Cubs. But he also got to sneak some science in there:
Maybe this stats thing will take off ...
You know, when I introduced Leverage Index to a larger audience, I did it the day after Game 6.
And what was clear then was that (Steve) Bartman had very little effect to the game. There were three clear plays that had a far bigger impact: (Alex) Gonzalez flubbing a potential double play and getting no outs, (Derrek) Lee doubling as (Mark) Prior’s last batter, and (Mike) Mordecai doubling as (Kyle) Farnsworth’s last batter. It’s easier to focus on the unusual play, but the focus should have been on the substantive plays.
The Alex Gonzalez play is most certainly what I remember about that inning. What I don’t remember is which Alex Gonzalez it was, and I’m not about to look it up. But the error was the turning point, not Bartman.
The whole Q&A is most definitely worth a read, if you’re so inclined.
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