1. Has anyone ever used PitchFix data (or the data Bill James charges you money for on his web site) to compare what "closers" throw in save situations versus non-save situations?
We hear all the time the meme that such players struggle when the game isn't in the line, and I wonder if it's just that they're taking the opportunity to tinker and test. I certainly would in their shoes.
2. We know that basketball teams tend to lose on the road. What statistical elements show the greatest disparity between road and home? If the biggest gaps included (for example) free throw attempts then a major explanation might be (for example) skewed officiating. So how do road teams compare to home teams for, among other things:
Shooting %?
Turnovers?
Offensive rebounds?
Defensive rebounds?
Free throw attempts?
Free throw %?
3-point attempts?
3-point %?
Shot clock violations?
(What would be the quickest, easiest way to test for home-cooked timekeeping?)
Can the home-road disparity be broken down further into how players perform by quarter?
Posted by Matt Bruce at May 14, 2008 01:11 PMIIRC, Slate did a study on FT% splits to see if the home fans waving all those things created a noticeable effect. The answer was that no, it didn't. (If they really wanted to screw with the FT shooter, they needed to synchronize their waving, apparently.)
Posted by: Paul at May 15, 2008 10:23 AM