Reader Input: The Most Sabermetric AL Team Blogs

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 12, 2008 5:05 PM EST

I like reading about baseball, especially from bloggers who really know their own team. But as a guy who's into the sabermetric point of view, it can be frustrating to wade through a lot of team-specific blogs to find the one I want to read. So, I need your help.

For the American League teams, please share what you think are the best sabermetric-oriented team blogs. You know, stuff like USSMariner and Lookout Landing -- sites that will use phrases like "wins above replacement" and "fielding-independent pitching", and that will post tables with numbers without first apologizing.

Feel free to pimp your own blog or comment on others, but let's keep this as positive as possible, and not put down blogs or authors. If there's any consensus on really good sabermetric team blogs or if I find blogs that I really like, I'll post a summary list of recommendations. And I'll put up a National League post in a day or two.

**For the record, I'm not saying that blogs that don't lean sabermetric are bad or uninteresting blogs.**

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OTM uses it SABRstats sometimes.

Usually not needed though.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Nov 12, 2008 5:08 PM EST reply actions

A few that come to mind

arongleeman.com is great on the twins
Chone Smith’s lanaheimangelfan.blogspot.com
athleticsnation.com
and of course, RJ’s own draysbay.com

by FTLOTC on Nov 12, 2008 5:45 PM EST reply actions

southsidesox

use funny numbers like crazy

I hope there isn't a rapiest ape.

by U-God on Nov 12, 2008 5:51 PM EST reply actions

it's always nice not to have to whore myself.

nothing gets ‘em wetter than infrequent postings on the city’s second favorite team

by colintj on Nov 12, 2008 10:42 PM EST up reply actions

you know i got ya

goon squad

I hope there isn't a rapiest ape.

by U-God on Nov 13, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

for the yankees

replacementlevel.com

if anyone knows one I would love to know a good saber red sox blog

by centris on Nov 12, 2008 6:19 PM EST reply actions

royals review

because Will is cool

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 12, 2008 6:32 PM EST reply actions

It has to be USS Mariner.

I’ll be shocked if there’s any better answer.

Royals Review is pretty good.

AJM at Lone Star Ball clearly understands sabermetrics, as do many of the readers, but it isn’t a heavy focus of the site. It’s definely more sabery than saber-illiterate, though.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Nov 12, 2008 6:50 PM EST reply actions

To be clear, I'd love to have at least one blog per team that I can add to my daily (maybe weekly) reading list.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 12, 2008 6:54 PM EST up reply actions

And, personally, I'm familiar with most of the SBN blogs.

But still feel free to sing their sabermetric praises if they deserve it.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 12, 2008 6:55 PM EST up reply actions

As far as Texas goes

besides LSB I’ll throw Baseball Time in Arlington out there.

"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08

by Lisa W on Nov 12, 2008 7:11 PM EST up reply actions

Gotta include

Rany on the Royals, even though, like most BP people, he is sometimes clueless when it comes to defense. or the limitations in VORP.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 12, 2008 10:39 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry.

I don’t read any other Rangers blogs.

(You hear me, Adam? lol)

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Nov 12, 2008 9:58 PM EST up reply actions

I'm the LSB blogger

And I endorse this comment.

by Adam J. Morris on Nov 12, 2008 9:34 PM EST up reply actions

Both of your links are pointing to USS Mariner, just to let you know.

by SanjiWatsuki on Nov 12, 2008 7:20 PM EST reply actions

Huh. Thanks.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 12, 2008 7:27 PM EST up reply actions

From a user on BTF

Toronto Blue Jays sabr stuff http://www.battersbox.ca/
For Jays Pitch F/X stuff go to http://bjays.wordpress.com/
For entertainment go to http://drunkjaysfans.blogspot.com/
Just follow links from drunk jays fans to see lots of other Jays bloggers.

by R.J. Anderson on Nov 12, 2008 7:49 PM EST reply actions

Too busy screenshotting Jeff's comments out of context.

J.K.L.

by Aaron Campeau on Nov 13, 2008 1:59 AM EST up reply actions

It's a passion.

by JI on Nov 13, 2008 11:55 PM EST up reply actions

Thank you, but I have no interest in coming up with something to write every day.

by JI on Nov 13, 2008 11:55 PM EST up reply actions

And to a lesser extent,

My Cardinals fandom, even though it spans my conscious lifetime, has always been somewhat bastardized. I don’t really feel comfortable as a spokesperson for their fans.

by JI on Nov 13, 2008 11:58 PM EST up reply actions

Have you seen Fungoes?

http://stl-sabr.bajink.com/fungoes/

by Dan Turkenkopf on Nov 12, 2008 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

Fungoes rocks

Probably my new favorite cardblog now that lboros is out of VEB. Future Redbirds is in the mix too.

by TICY on Nov 13, 2008 9:52 AM EST up reply actions

how about vivaelbirdos ?

by centris on Nov 12, 2008 9:22 PM EST up reply actions

Really? Like the Saint Louis Cardinals?

Cause all we do is talk crazy stats at www.vivaelbirdos.com on Sports Nation. Their is always a lot of good content on the site.

by FlimtotheFlam on Nov 13, 2008 11:19 AM EST up reply actions

I've given VEB a shot

but I’m not much of a fan. The front page is inoffensive, but I’m not wild about the comments.

by JI on Nov 13, 2008 11:59 PM EST up reply actions

Tigers

http://www.detroittigertales.com/ is my staple Tigers analysis blog. A higher tables:words ratio than you’ll find almost anywhere.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 12, 2008 8:26 PM EST reply actions

As a Mariner fan I'm greatful for USS Mariner and Lookout Landing

and there isn’t much better. Detectovision.com is pretty good Mariner (and general baseball) stuff that uses goofy numbers, but they don’t update a ton lately.

by JonBBT on Nov 12, 2008 9:05 PM EST reply actions

Saber-sites

Guys…Some of these are hit/miss with Saber content.

Jay Jaffe whips up some Yankee/Dodger/HOF metrics at times

http://www.futilityinfielder.com/blog/blog.shtml

Justin Inaz on the Reds.

http://jinaz-reds.blogspot.com/

SG and the Yankees.

http://www.replacementlevel.com/

J.C. Bradbury on his beloved Braves (and HGH).

http://www.sabernomics.com/

Rich Lederer — Angels and Burt Blyleven

http://baseballanalysts.com/

MSTI and the Dodgers

http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/

Bill Baer (Crashburnalley) and the Phillies

http://crashburn Alley.com/

Birds in the Belfry – O’s

http://www.birdsinthebelfry.com/

Rany on the Royals

http://www.ranyontheroyals.com/

by Repoz on Nov 12, 2008 9:52 PM EST reply actions

Good stuff. I'm not familiar with some of these and I haven't visited others in a long time.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 13, 2008 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

MetsBlog

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Nov 12, 2008 10:11 PM EST reply actions

I don't know if Dan Fox is still updating his blog

but it was great when he was.

nothing gets ‘em wetter than infrequent postings on the city’s second favorite team

by colintj on Nov 12, 2008 10:40 PM EST reply actions

Funny

I was kidding on my comment, I thought I didn’t even need to point that…

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Nov 12, 2008 11:15 PM EST reply actions

It was a pretty bad joke

I’ll take the blame on this… Other than that, meh…

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Nov 12, 2008 11:17 PM EST up reply actions

If suddenly my internet connection only allowed me to go to two sites, I'd choose USS Mariner and Lookout Landing.

If I could only choose one, it’d bee Lookout Landing.

There’s no arguing otherwise.

Yesterday's Pants
A blog-thingy about the Mariners and stuff.

by BrettJMiller on Nov 13, 2008 12:49 AM EST reply actions

Absolutely.

USSM is amazing, but I think that considering the work Jeff, Graham and Matthew are doing now LL has surpassed it. USSM still does certain things better than LL and is a must read of course.

J.K.L.

by Aaron Campeau on Nov 13, 2008 2:02 AM EST up reply actions

Gonna plug my own site here

I like some of the writing on Athletics Nation, especially salb918’s work, but a lot of times they come up short in the statistical department. So if you’re looking for A’s stuff, I suggest checking out my site, Oaktown Awesomer’s.

Coincidentally the post I just put up this morning is a look at Matt Holliday’s shift to Oakland, also trying to put an end to just the home/road splits people cite.

Can't get enough of the Oakland A's or Golden State Warriors? Visit Oaktown Awesomer's and Golden Stat Hoops

by iamawesomer on Nov 13, 2008 11:32 AM EST reply actions