OT: Interesting stat re: Astros cheating

[gamecockcat]

I'm not excusing the Astros for blatantly cheating but here is an interesting fact:

Bregman, Altuve and Springer ALL had a higher average, more HRs, more RBIs and higher OPS in away games than in home games where, evidently, they were being tipped off what type of pitch was coming. Makes one wonder just how much 'cheating' actually helped. In Altuve's case, his numbers away from home were significantly better than at home but Bregman's and Springer's were enough better that it is statistically significant.

Again, what they did was wrong. But, the case could be made that it didn't really help them based purely on results.

UPDATE: Nationals catcher claims Astros cheating in 2019 World Series. Of course, the visiting team won EVERY game in the Series. It makes one wonder if stealing signs is effective.

 

[Tskware]

I just did some digging and see your point:

In 2017 World Series, Houston was 2-1 at home, 2-2 on the road, and only got two hits in game four at home (their loss)

In 2018, they went 0-3 at Minute Maid Park, and lost the AL championship series 4-1, but they actually won a game in Boston

Last year, they 0-3 at home in the WS

Yes what they did was unethical, but at the end of the day, it's impossible to say it affected the outcome, so although it may look bad, I think they should keep the trophy

 

[funKYcat75]

Just because they suck at cheating doesn't mean they should not be punished. See: Bassett, Claude.

 

[cole854]

W/L is not as relevant as the stats at the plate. The opposing team can still go off at the plate, regardless of the antics of the Astros. And just because you know what is coming, doesn't mean every swing is going to result in a hit. And it may not have happened every game at home, but the below #'s sure indicate something went on.


During the 2017 Major League Baseball postseason, the Astros played 18 games – 9 on the road and 9 at home in Minute Maid Park, the place where Houston has been accused by over a half-dozen people, including opposing pitchers Danny Farquhar, Trevor Bauer and Carson Smith, of cheating while they were batting.

In the Astros’ 9 road games, the team batted .208 with a .284 on-base percentage, a .347 slugging percentage, and scored an average of 3 runs per game, winning 3 and losing 6.

In the Astros’ 9 home games, they batted .273 with a .343 on-base percentage, a .519 slugging percentage, and score an average of 5.7 runs per game, winning 8 and losing just 1 game.

The splits are equally as striking when taking a look at some individual Astros’ players’ home and road splits in the 2017 postseason.

Alex Bregman: Road – .154 BA, .508 OPS; Home – .273 BA, .857 OPS.
Carlos Correa: Road – .211 BA, .626 OPS; Home – .371 BA, 1.164 OPS.
Jose Altuve: Road – .143 BA, .497 OPS; Home – .472 BA, 1.541 OPS.
Brian McCann: Road – .037 BA, .198 OPS; Home – .300 BA, .849 OPS.
Evan Gattis: Road – .200 BA, .533 OPS; Home – .300 BA, 1.014 OPS.

 

[Tskware]

^
good work, I just looked at the last series of the year for each season, did not look at all of the postseason

 

[gamecockcat]

W/L is not as relevant as the stats at the plate. The opposing team can still go off at the plate, regardless of the antics of the Astros. And just because you know what is coming, doesn't mean every swing is going to result in a hit. And it may not have happened every game at home, but the below #'s sure indicate something went on.


During the 2017 Major League Baseball postseason, the Astros played 18 games – 9 on the road and 9 at home in Minute Maid Park, the place where Houston has been accused by over a half-dozen people, including opposing pitchers Danny Farquhar, Trevor Bauer and Carson Smith, of cheating while they were batting.

In the Astros’ 9 road games, the team batted .208 with a .284 on-base percentage, a .347 slugging percentage, and scored an average of 3 runs per game, winning 3 and losing 6.

In the Astros’ 9 home games, they batted .273 with a .343 on-base percentage, a .519 slugging percentage, and score an average of 5.7 runs per game, winning 8 and losing just 1 game.

The splits are equally as striking when taking a look at some individual Astros’ players’ home and road splits in the 2017 postseason.

Alex Bregman: Road – .154 BA, .508 OPS; Home – .273 BA, .857 OPS.
Carlos Correa: Road – .211 BA, .626 OPS; Home – .371 BA, 1.164 OPS.
Jose Altuve: Road – .143 BA, .497 OPS; Home – .472 BA, 1.541 OPS.
Brian McCann: Road – .037 BA, .198 OPS; Home – .300 BA, .849 OPS.
Evan Gattis: Road – .200 BA, .533 OPS; Home – .300 BA, 1.014 OPS.

Those are some eye-opening stats, for sure. The ones I cited in the OP pertained to the regular season only. IIRC, Altuve hit something like 80 points higher on the road with more power, Bregman hit 30 points higher, etc. But, the postseason stats you shared are definitely one-sided and certainly lends credence to the argument that they did cheat and it did make a significant difference.

I wonder if other teams also experience the same differential between home/away stats due to travel, not sleeping, different lighting, etc.? In the NBA, some guys shoot the lights out at home but can't throw it in the ocean on the road, for whatever reason. Astros definitely crossed the line but not exactly sure how you punish them. Vacate the title? Everyone knows they won it in 2017. Were other teams cheating in some way? Do you take the 2007 WS title away from the Yankees because ARod hit .400 during that Series and he's an admitted user of PEDs? How far do you take it?

 

[CB3UK]

There's all manner of whispers about the Astros not necessarily being alone in various form of cheating, which would surprise no one. I wonder if not wanting the whistle blown on those teams might play a part

 

[420grover]

It seems to me that as long as you don't gamble, everything else is just fine in baseball.

 

[Kooky Kats]

It seems to me that as long as you don't gamble, everything else is just fine in baseball.

No pepper

 

[michaeluk26]

There's all manner of whispers about the Astros not necessarily being alone in various form of cheating, which would surprise no one. I wonder if not wanting the whistle blown on those teams might play a part

You would think so.