May 29, 2012

Baseball Simulates Life

Numbers make sense to me.  I can look at a page of numbers and draw relationships that describe what the numbers measure.  I guess i learned to be a stat junkie when i was a kid - reading the backs of baseball cards and rolling the dice while simulating the games i was watching - while playing strat-o-matic baseball.

I wonder if the game still exists.  The player threw three dice - if the colored die was 1,2 or 3 you refer to the batters card for the result; 4,5 or 6 places you on the pitchers card.  These cards had probable outcomes based on the prior year's statistics.  My friend Steve and I once tried to recreate a whole season - got into mid- June as i recall, before burnout and other interests struck our chords.

Fantasy baseball now gives me the same daily fix.  I peruse line-ups looking for that player that will provide me with an ultimate advantage as i garner saves and strikeouts based on actual major league performance.  I will shy away from Ryoto Igarshi and his 35.00 ERA - and make trades to other players.  It gives me context to pay attention to the season.

Baseball has statistical significance because of all the games played.  No matter how rare the event might seem, it will happen because there are so many games.  I noticed that the White Sox had their first two outs in an inning at home plate in a game this weekend - and i rooted for the third out to be a tag play too. ( Noticed only because my player de Aza tried to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park-home-run ).

So, dear reader, why can't we measure actual performance at real jobs with the same intensity as we measure baseball (and other sports).  Surely there are performance measures and their derivatives that cross professions and provide a measure of real value.  Why do people have to bargain for their salaries and get ripped off by the greed of the other side that has the real information that is never provided to an individual.  We the people need agents to negotiate our salaries.

Not really - agents are mostly lawyers.  I will not get into my opinion of lawyers - their performance can at least be measured by won/lost records of court cases that have come to trial.  But how many consecutive perfect loaves of bread does your baker have in his current streak?  How many haircuts has your barber given without complaint?  How many keystrokes does your secretary make before she hits the backspace key?

If we look at things that are important and start to make accurate measurements on how they have evolved, then maybe we can create a merit system that makes sense and rewards people for good work, rather than for greed and the ability to negotiate a salary.   Perhaps your preacher counts his saves, just like my relief pitcher does.

Namaste'   doc

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