Posts by: Jeffrey Bellone

Using RE24 as a Counting Stat for D-backs Relievers

On August 7, 2014 By

We’ve used a lot of different ways to evaluate relief pitching on this site: We’ve tried to define “clutch” in terms of LOB%; We’ve looked at bullpens and one-run games; And we’ve also introduced the idea of using WPA/LI, to list a few. Our very own Ryan Morrison did excellent work at Beyond the Box Score to explain …

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Trade Deadline Day: Parra and Prado Traded

On July 31, 2014 By

Trade Deadline Day is a day filled with anxiety – both good and bad. There is excitement that maybe your team will surprise you, and make that big move, either for today or the future, that changes the club’s outlook. Then there is anxiety that the organization will remind you that they don’t get it. The fear that they make …

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Prado Once Again Finds Patience is a Virtue

On July 24, 2014 By

At a time in baseball when it seems like everyone is swinging and missing, Martin Prado is doing the opposite. We have noted several times on this site, the strange counter-nature of Prado’s approach at the plate. He is like a Dos Equis commercial; he doesn’t swing very often, but when he does, he prefers to make contact.

Of course …

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Evaluating the D-backs Starters Using Something Different

On July 17, 2014 By

Baseball is game of numbers. And with the increased use of advanced statistics, or sabermetrics, there are more numbers now than ever. We can literally look at the game from many angles, without even having to change our seat in the stadium. Advanced statistics allow us to find the true story, or at least something close to the truth, about …

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Breaking Down Vidal Nuno’s Debut, Inside the ‘Zona Style

On July 10, 2014 By

At Inside the ‘Zona, we strive to provide analysis that you can’t get anywhere else. We like to think of ourselves as reflective rather than reactionary. This is not the blog where you go to find knee-jerk reactions or instant commentary on a game-by-game basis. Hopefully, you come here for something more thoughtful. You bookmark this page (please do…

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Why Addison Reed’s Closer Role is Overblown (pun intended)

On July 3, 2014 By

A bad closer on a bad team is bad news. So Diamondbacks fans have reason to be frustrated with Addison Reed and manager Kirk Gibson’s decision to keep him in the closing role. Reed blew his fourth save of the season on Tuesday, he is pitching to a 4.15 ERA (4.57 FIP), and his always troubling HR/FB rate has ballooned …

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Miguel Montero’s Two Strike Power

On July 1, 2014 By

Miguel Montero is tied with Giancarlo Stanton for something related to power. The two hitters each have six home runs on two strike counts. That ranks tenth most in baseball this season, and coincides with a trend throughout the game that hitters aren’t afraid to swing for the fences, regardless of the count. For Montero, hitting long balls when faced …

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Do the D-backs lack clutch relievers?

On June 26, 2014 By

Last week, we discussed the term “clutch” and whether it means anything when looking at a team or player’s numbers with runners in scoring position. We found that “clutch” is more abstract, based on our natural instinct to place greater value on certain players who we perceive to perform better in certain situations, but in reality, it is meaningless. …

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Have pitchers found Aaron Hill’s weakness?

On June 24, 2014 By

It was the top of the eighth inning, in the first game of a doubleheader, when Aaron Hill drew a walk against Jose Valverde. The walk loaded the bases in a tie game, but would prove meaningless as Eric Chavez flew out to end the inning. Just a “BB” in the scorebook, to be forgotten about. Except that was …

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Competing Factors to Brandon McCarthy’s HR Struggles

On June 20, 2014 By

Brandon McCarthy is allowing more than one in five of his fly balls to turn into home runs. Think about that for a second. That means when you are watching McCarthy pitch, whether at home from your TV or live in the stands, any time the ball flies off the opposing hitter’s bat, and the camera angle adjusts towards the …

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