Moneyball

With the end of regular season play, I present the final Moneyball statistics for 2003. They may be helpful as we consider the Billy Beane Award vote. Some of the trends have persisted, most notably that the Ruth Division overall was the toughest this year—it spent the least money but won the most games (although the Aaron division was very close). In particular, Portland and San Bernadino hoarded money but still won a respectable number of games. Williamsburg finished with a flurry of good luck/brilliant managing to play better without Mark Bellhorn and Braden Looper and thus finds itself among the elite. From the Aaron division, behind Buckeye’s mediocre record of 79-83 is a $$$/win of 0.39, third best in the league. Northwoods and Taggart improved their standing from the prior Moneyball report with $$$/win of 0.40 best for 4^th and 5^th overall; they had been just average in prior report.

Other anomalies of note come from the Cobb division, home of two of the most extravagant GMs: Rivendell and West Bend. Both mortgaged an extra $10+ million of their future on teams that hovered around 70 wins. This should make for easier competition for the Sky Chiefs, Black Sox, etc.

A “Pyrrhic” trophy may be in order for Plum Island which literally broke the bank in its quest to catch Toontown.

My vote for Billy Beane Award will go to LaFontaine Park. Although not the “best” ratio of 0.42 (compared to San Bernadino, etc, as above), it was perhaps the best of all the playoff teams (actually Williamsburg was the best of playoff teams 0.41—but that was the manager making the GM look good). The Diamonds spent $40 mil and came back with 95 wins---a very impressive inaugural season.

COBB		Contract$		Wins		$$$/Win
Silver Sluggers		25.9		53		0.49
Greenville Black Sox		42.8		87		0.49
Rivendell Knights		49.4		72		0.69
West Bend Rocks		42.8		68		0.63
Syracuse Sky Chiefs		48.7		107		0.46
Waukesha Keglers		48.6		97		0.50
Total for division		257.9		484		0.53
RUTH
Plum Island Greenheads		50.5		91		0.55
Gotham City Gargoyles		39.6		75		0.53
Portland Grays		28.7		73		0.39
San Bernadino Stampede		24.9		68		0.37
Toontown Rabbits		49		101		0.49
Williamsburg Burgesses		35.2		86		0.41
Total for division		227.9		494		0.46
AARON	Contract$		Wins		$$$/Win
Annadale Anteaters	36.4		75		0.49
Buckeye Eclipse	30.8		79		0.39
Abilene Longhorns	48.2		92		0.52
Virginia Patriots	41.9		90		0.47
Lafontaine Park Diamonds	40.2		95		0.42
Port Richey Sandcranes	31.7		61		0.52
	229.2		492		0.47
MAYS
Aspen Rainmakers	47.7		101		0.47
Boston Braves	35.1		62		0.57
Maryland Mounders	49		97		0.51
Northwoods Moose	23.7		59		0.40
Taggart Titans	28.4		71		0.40
West Oakland Wolverines	44.1		84		0.53
	228		474		0.48
Total Value of Contracts		943
Average per team		39.29166667
Average # of Wins		81
Average $$$/Win		0.49
Standard deviation		0.08