Win a Free Copy of THT 2015!
Have you heard? The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2015 is now available for sale. You can check out the table of contents and read some excerpts from the book. When you finish that you can purchase it from our independent publishing platform, Createspace, in print form, or from Amazon in print or Kindle form.
But wait, there’s more! Because we’re giving folk, and since it’s the beginning of the holiday season and all, we want to give you a chance to win yourself a free copy of the book. So today, tomorrow and Wednesday, we’ll be running a trivia contest based on one of the articles in the book. The first person to post the correct answer in the comments will win a free physical copy of the book (sorry, no free Kindle version). It’s just that simple!
Today’s question comes to us from Dave Studeman’s piece on WPA entitled “The Story Stat, Circa 2014.” In it, he tells us how he defines the “biggest” game of the year. To wit:
When I say “biggest” game, I mean the one with the most in-game drama. When teams swap leads, or just threaten to take a lead, win probability moves up and down a lot. When one team takes an early lead and cruises to a win, win probability basically moves in just one direction.
So I use swings in win probability to quantify how much drama there was in each game. Specifically, I take all the swings in win probability and divide by the number of innings in the game. (If not for this last step, all extra-inning games would be ranked ahead of nine-inning games.)
So, with that in mind, dear reader, the question before you today is this:
Which two teams were involved in the “biggest” regular season game of 2014?
Good luck!
Paul Swydan used to be the managing editor of The Hardball Times, a writer and editor for FanGraphs and a writer for Boston.com and The Boston Globe. Now, he owns The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Acton, Mass. Follow him on Twitter @Swydan. Follow the store @SilUnicornActon.
The Royals-As wild card game.
So, er — the Royals and As.
Sorry, that is a postseason game. We’re looking for regular season only.
Annnnnddd, it’s for the regular season only.
I’ll try Pirates and Nationals, while I’m here.
oakland vs Kansas City Wild card playoff
Rockies and Mets
Toronto and Detroit
Kansas City cleveland
Nationals/Dodgers
Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers
Detroit and Cleveland
Well hot dog, we have a wiener!!!
Congrats to MSpitz!!!
Damn, I thought that was a hard one. You guys always surprise me.
You sure it wasn’t this Rockies and Mets game? http://www.fangraphs.com/scoreboard.aspx?date=2014-05-03
Not doubting, but that’s a massive swing!
I never doubt Studes! Studes is always right.
Which game?
This one!
http://www.fangraphs.com/wins.aspx?date=2014-05-21&team=Indians&dh=0&season=2014
Thanks to everyone who played. I’ll try to come up with a harder one tomorrow!!!
Then the game ends on a balk after all that?
Look at the WPA’s for the last four relievers for both teams, even the pitcher credited with the win. That game was a doozy!
Toronto and Cincinati
Cardinals and Brewers
Dodgers and Giants
Phillies Marlins 3 Jul
or
Yankees Rays 2 May
I was thinking this Angels v. Red Sox game might have a shot:
http://www.fangraphs.com/wins.aspx?date=2014-08-09&team=Angels&dh=0&season=2014
Braves at Phillies 4/14/14 (the Dan Uggla grand slam game)
So yeah, Braves and Phillies.
Blue Jays vs Tigers. 19 inning game. Porcello comes in and blows the game.
We can purchase it from “from our independent publishing platform Createspace, OR from Amazon?”
Er, y’all know Amazon itself owns Createspace, and that they bought them nearly a DECADE ago? I actually like amazon and don’t have anything against them, but if that phrasing makes y’all prefer one of those two links over the other, just know amazon’s getting their cut either way. The *difference* is gonna be in the cut that the authors are getting.
That’s a perfectly reasonable reason to opt for the createspace version, don’t get me wrong, but just know that amazon’s still getting their bucks with a createspace purchase.