2013-09-16 to 2013-09-19 Cubs vs Brewers

[pretendastronaut]

Tuesday 9/17

 

Brewers

 

RF Norichika Aoki

SS Jean Segura

C Jonathan Lucroy

3B Aramis Ramirez

CF Carlos Gomez

2B Scooter Gennett

LF Caleb Gindl

1B Sean Halton

P Marco Estrada

 

Cubs

 

SS Starlin Castro

LF Junior Lake

1B Anthony Rizzo

RF Nate Schierholtz

CF Ryan Sweeney

C Welington Castillo

3B Donnie Murphy

2B Darwin Barney

P Jeff Samardzija

[pretendastronaut]

Not that I don't appreciate a win, but we have to lead the majors in squeeze plays since RR took over.

[davego]

Because I'm a degenerate gambler, I wagered on the Brewers to win the series with a Cubs-friend like dude I know. Squeeze play gets Dave a free lunch!

[sdcheezhd]

You need tonight to clinch but it looks like you've got it.

[chadomac]

The Brewers have to be the worst day-game team of all-time, right?

[jerichoholicninja]

The Brewers have to be the worst day-game team of all-time, right?

 

Recent Brewers manager seem to think that day games mean automatic off days for your starters. Today not so much.

[BarneyStinston]

Day games are just horrible for the Brewers. Its funny how the team is over .500 in night games, yet only .333 in day games. To win only 17 of 51 day games is ridiculous.

[BruisedCrew]

The whole day game-night game thing is a puzzler. Once you throw in the other variables (home/road, getaway day or not, sun causing shadows or not, etc.) there probably isn't enough of a population size to draw statistically significant conclusions. But, I do wonder sometimes if the Brewers are more inclined than other teams to give regulars a rest in day games after night games, and if that is a factor.

 

It is worth noting, though, that the Brewers' best two teams in the last 10 years performed pretty much the same during the day as at night. The 2011 team was 31-21 (.596) in day games, virtually the same as their overall percentage of .593. In 2008, they were 36-28 (.562) compared to their overall percentage of .556.

 

While their day game record this year is awful, it isn't that hard to find other teams in recent years with similar records. There are some really awful teams (like the last few Astros teams) that have won less than a third of their home games. Just last year, Ned Yost's Royals were 16-37 in day games en route to an overall finish of 72-90, which is about where the Brewers are headed this year.

 

While looking into this I came across this article from last September which discussed day-night disparities for teams from 2008 up to September, 2012.

 

http://www.baseballnation.com/2012/9/1/3284591/fun-with-day-game-stats

 

As you can see from this there are several teams with disparities between their day and night records that are similar to the Brewers' spread.

 

If there's an explanation for this, it would be interesting to hear it. But, I'm probably inclined to think more that it's just one of those things. Maybe a more thorough study would show that weaker teams have worse day game records relative to their overall records than stronger teams because weaker teams have less depth and weaken themselves more when they rest a regular or two. Or, maybe it would just find that it's a random variation of chance

[jerichoholicninja]

Not every team can be bad during day games because someone has to win. But ya, this team has been pretty bad recently during the day and I think we all remember Nedly trotting out the B-squad every afternoon.