NERD Game Scores: Potentially Due Enthusiasm for T.J. House

by
July 21, 2014

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

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Most Highly Rated Game
Cleveland at Minnesota | 20:10 ET
T.J. House (45.0 IP, 89 xFIP-, 0.0 WAR) faces Kris Johnson (8.1 IP, 103 xFIP-, -0.1 WAR). The former, in his rookie season, has recorded both a park-adjusted xFIP (89 xFIP-) and strike rate (65.9%) nearly a standard deviation above the mean produced by those pitchers to have recorded 20-plus innings as a starter. While his low-ish arm slot (pictured below) isn’t ideal for neutralizing right-handed batters, he’s done so well enough over nine appearances (including eight starts) to record fielding-independent numbers superior to league average.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Revealing Screencap: T.J. House’s Arm Slot
Here’s a revealing screencap depicting Cleveland starter T.J. House’s relatively low arm slot:

House Slot Image

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Regarding Today’s Free Game
The author went to bed last night before Monday’s free game was announced, although the identity of same can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and very sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and also the rest of the internet.

NERD Image 4

Away   SP Tm. Gm. Tm. SP   Home Time
Hyun-Jin Ryu LAN 7 5 5 5 2 PIT Edinson Volquez 19:05
Ryan Vogelsong SF 3 6 6 2 9 PHI Cliff Lee 19:05
Miles Mikolas* TEX 7 4 6 3 6 NYA Shane Greene* 19:05
John Lackey BOS 8 2 6 5 6 TOR Drew Hutchison 19:07
Tom Koehler MIA 3 8 5 7 6 ATL Julio Teheran 19:10
Mat Latos CIN 3 3 5 6 7 MIL Wily Peralta 20:10
T.J. House CLE 9 7 7 4 5 MIN Kris Johnson* 20:10
Jeremy Guthrie KC 3 5 6 2 10 CHA Chris Sale 20:10
Doug Fister WAS 4 7 4 8 1 COL Franklin Morales 20:40
Justin Verlander DET 3 4 4 5 4 AZ Vidal Nuno 21:40
Bud Norris BAL 3 6 6 6 9 LAA M. Shoemaker 22:05
Jon Niese NYN 4 2 5 5 6 SEA Roenis Elias 22:10

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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Brett
11 years ago

Potentially providing additional excitement to the author with respect to Glenn Anthony House: T.J. is the shortened form of his nickname, “Tiger Junior” (a la the Bossman Junior moniker espoused by the Upton brother).

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