Six Stats you might not know about… Ron Roenicke’s tenure as Milwaukee Brewers manager
As the Milwaukee Brewers 18th manager in their 46-year history, Ron Roenicke in 2015 begins his fifth season as skipper of the Brew Crew. Here’s a look at some of Roenicke’s numbers through his first four seasons.
1. Roenicke is one of five Brewers manager to win over 300 games with the club. Leading the way is Phil Garner who won 563. He is followed by Ned Yost (457), Tom Trebelhorn (422), George Bamberger (377) and Roenicke (335).
2. Roenicke is one of five Brewers managers (minimum of 100 games managed) to have a career winning percentage over .500 with the team. Roenicke is fourth on the list at .517. Harvey Kuenn’s .576 tops the list followed by Buck Rodgers at .549, Bamberger (.518), Roenicke (.517) and Trebelhorn (.515).
3. Roenicke last season became the sixth manager in Brewers history to manage the team for 600 or more games. Those with 600-plus games as Brewers manager: Garner (1180), Yost (959), Trebelhorn (819), Bamberger (728), Roenicke (648) and Del Crandall (609).
4. Roenicke is one of only four Brewers managers to pilot the team for four consecutive complete seasons. Garner managed the Brewers for seven consecutive complete seasons, while Trebelhorn and Yost had five such seasons. Garner was fired in his eighth season; Yost was let go at the end of his sixth season.
5. Roenicke is one of the four Brewers managers to lead the team into the post-season. His 11 post-season games in 2011 ranks second on the team behind Harvey Kuenn’s 12 post-season games in 1982. The others: Buck Rodgers (five post-season games in 1981) and Dale Sveum (four playoff games in 2008).
6. Roenicke last season tied Trebelhorn for the most winning seasons as Brewers manager (complete seasons) with three. Bamberger had two complete seasons above .500, while Garner, Kuenn, Rodgers and Yost each had one full season at the helm above .500.
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Does the Brewers pitching staff need to hit more opposing batters?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Ron Roenicke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Recently I read a posting by a Facebook friend where he was answering a question others had posed to him about why the Brewers were struggling. He went on to say that he thought the Brewers pitching staff was not pitching inside enough. As a former teammate of mine and a professional pitcher who had a brief stint in the majors, he has, in my mind, credibility in his analysis. It was an interesting post to read.
It got me thinking: Should the Brewers pitchers be pitching inside more to opposing batters? And… did my friend’s theory have any statistical validity?
Because his hypothesis focused on the current team under manager Ron Roenicke, I decided to look at the numbers from Roenicke’s two-plus years as Brewers skipper. Specifically, I looked at how many opposing batters Brewers pitchers had hit since Roenicke took over the team in 2011. The findings were very interesting:
* Since 2011 (and including games this year through June 20), the Brewers rank 30th in the majors (dead last) with the fewest numbers of opposing batters hit by their pitching staff with 79. The closest team to the Brewers are the Angels with 93. At the other end of the scale were the Boston Red Sox whose pitching staff had plunked 177 batters in that same timeframe.
* Since 2011, Brewers batters had been hit 179 times, first in the majors. That’s a difference of 100 when compared to how many batters the Brewers pitching staff had hit. Let that sink in a little… the Brewers batters have been hit 179 times; the pitchers have hit 79 batters.
* The difference of 100 batters (179 Brewers batters hit; 79 batters hit by the Brewers pitching staff) is the largest differential in the majors. The closest team to the Brewers are the Red Sox; their pitchers have hit 177 batters and their batters have been hit by opposing pitchers 120 times, a difference of 57.
* Looking just at 2013, the numbers are again similar. The Brewers pitching staff has hit 15 batters, ranking 28th in the league. Brewers batters have been hit 33 times, ranking third in the league. The difference of 18 is the highest in the majors.
* In looking at the teams that rank in the top three in most batters hit this year by their pitching staff (Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Arizona), those teams have a combined 126-89 record (a .586 winning percentage). The three teams ranking in the bottom three of most batters hit by their pitchers this season (Seattle, San Diego and Milwaukee) have a combined record of 98-120 (a .450 winning percentage).
So what do the numbers tell? Should the Brewers pitching staff be pitching inside more often?
Me, I’m not sure what the pitching staff should do. But my friend’s theory sure has the support of the numbers.
What do you think?
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Brewers 54-game record not providing much hope for team and fans
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If Brewers fans are hoping for a turnaround to the team’s 2012 season, their 54-game record is not providing much hope, especially if you compare this year’s 54-game record to previous seasons.
Manager Ron Roenicke’s Brewers are currently 24-30 in their first 54 games, the one-third point in the 162-game season. In the 44-year history of the franchise, this six-games-under-.500 mark is among the worst records at this point in the season. Here’s a look at the worst 54-game records in Brewers history.
54-game record, year
17-37: 1970
18-36: 2002, 1972
21-33: 2003, 1971
22-32: 2010, 2000
23-31: 1994, 1991, 1976
24-30: 2012, 1999, 1996, 1989, 1984, 1969 (as Seattle Pilots)
Of the 16 seasons listed above (not counting this year), the Brewers ended the year at .500 or above in only two of those seasons (1989, .500; 1991, .512).
In addition:
* In the franchise history, the team was over .500 at the 54-game mark in only 15 of the 44 seasons. They were at .500 (27-27) in four seasons. Of these 19 seasons where they were .500 or above after 54 games, the teams finished above .500 in 10 of those seasons.
* In 24 seasons the Brewers were under .500 after 54 games. In only three of those seasons (2008, 1991, 1983) did the team finish with a record above .500.
* The Brewers have made the playoffs in four seasons. The record of those playoff teams at the 54-game mark: 1981: 30-24; 1982, 27-27; 2008, 26-28; 2011, 29-25.
Here’s a look at the five seasons when the Brewers had 30 or more wins at the 54-game mark (and how they ended that season):
54-game record, Year (end of the year)
31-23: 2009 (finished the season 80-82, third in the division)
30-24: 2007 (finished the season 83-79, second in the division)
30-24: 1987 (finished the season 91-71, third in the division)
30-24: 1981 (finished the strike-shortened season at 62-47, winning the A.L. East. Lost in the A.L. Division Series)
30-24: 1980 (finished the season 86-76, third in the division)
Gibson & D’Backs make a little history
Image via Wikipedia
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a biweekly blog published every Wednesday and Sunday with bonus “SIX STATS…” posted every Friday.
With apologies to Milwaukee Brewers fans, Arizona’s Kirk Gibson will likely be selected the National League Manager of the Year when awards are handed out. Milwaukee’s Ron Roenicke did a fabulous job in his first season with the Brew Crew leading them to a N.L. Central Division title, but Gibson’s D’Backs made significant strides in his first full year at the helm. Consider:
* The D’Backs became the fifth team in major league history to make the playoffs after multiple 90-loss seasons (Arizona lost 92 in 2009 and 97 in 2010). The last team prior to Arizona to accomplish this feat were the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008; they made the playoffs after ten straight seasons of 90 losses or more, the major league record. The other three teams: Detroit in 2006 after five straight 90-loss seasons; Atlanta in 1991 after four straight 90-loss season; and the first team to accomplish this feat, the 1967 Boston Red Sox, who had three straight 90 or more loss seasons before making the playoffs in ’67. Four current teams are hoping they can replicate Arizona’s turnaround from this year… Pittsburgh has now had seven straight 90-loss seasons; Baltimore has had six, Kansas City has had three; Seattle had their second straight 90-loss season in 2011.
* Arizona made the largest win gain of the 30 big league teams from 2010 to 2011. The D’Backs won 94 games in 2011, 29 more than the 65 they won in 2010. Here’s a look at the biggest gainers and the biggest losers in terms of wins from 2010 to 2011:
Biggest gainers in wins: Arizona +29; Milwaukee +19; Pittsburgh +15; Detroit +14; Cleveland +11; Washington +11
Biggest drops in wins: Minnesota -31; Houston -20; San Diego -19; Cincinnati -12; Colorado -10
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A TRIVIA QUESTION: The Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001. Who was their manager that season? Answer at the end of the blog.
Did you know? The Philadelphia Phillies not only won 102 games this season (the only team with 100+ wins) but they also increased their win total for the fifth straight season. In 2006 the Phils had 85 wins; they have increased their win total each year to 89, 92, 93, 97, and 102 this past season. This is the longest active win increase streak in baseball. Texas has increased their win total in four straight seasons (75, 79, 87, 90 and 96 in 2011). On the down side are the Chicago Cubs; they have gone from 97 wins in 2008 to 83, 75 and 71 (in 2011).
TRIVA ANSWER: Bob Brenly was the Arizona skipper in their 2001 World Series winning season.
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