Sitting out for the batting title...

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by packs

A person who wins the batting title while sitting out has outhit everyone all year. I don't see the big deal in sitting out. It gives a person a chance to beat them, but it doesn't take away from the performance over a full season.

Right, all games count. Sitting out a game the first month of the year is the same as sitting out a game the last game of the year. Players dont typically play all 162 games even if healthy.

I was making the stronger point though that if you have the most hits for the year (and highest batting average) even after sitting out the last 30 games or whatever games than i still have no complaints. You have the most hits out of any other player and still have the highest batting average. No amount of sitting to me would tarnish the batting title in that scenerio.

D.J. i dont think was the total hit champion but like i said above, all games count and you dont play typically in all games.

[Peter_Spaeth]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor

[packs]

Very interesting. While we were talking about space I brought up Minute Maid as being I think the largest park in the league, or at least the deepest to center. It seems as though despite being one of the larger parks in the league, it is actually pretty hard to get a hit there.

[Peter_Spaeth]

ESPN analysis of Coors prominently mentions field size.

1. Coors Field, home to Colorado Rockies
Runs: 1.427, HR: 1.323, HR (RHB): 1.310, HR (LHB): 1.342
Dimensions: 347' (8')-390' (8')-415' (8')-375' (8')-350' (14')
Altitude: 5,186 feet; Open-air stadium; Grass field

It's the No. 1 run-scoring environment in baseball, but not merely due to the distance a baseball travels at the mile-high altitude (a common misconception). Coors' expansive outfield, creating the largest amount of fair territory in baseball, results in the game's best venue for hits of all kinds (1.247 factor) and second-best for extra-base hits (1.298), and the offensive benefits are mostly balanced for rightes and lefties. In addition, the effects of the altitude upon a pitched baseball -- breaking pitches won't break quite so sharply and it's more difficult to keep pitches down -- force an adjustment for the Rockies when traveling and their opponents when visiting, with the more frequent trips for Rockies players a logical explanation for their extreme home/road splits. Breaking down Coors' park factors into the Rockies' and their opponents' stats, from 2011-15, opponents had a 1.199 run and 1.244 home-run factor; the Rockies had 1.669 and 1.409. This is why it's a dangerous thing to extrapolate a departing Rockies hitter's road stats, like Corey Dickerson's career .249/.286/.410 triple-slash rates, to a full season elsewhere. Take those Coors visitors' park factors to heart, too, as fantasy owners are often quick to exaggerate its impact upon a visiting player.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Looks like Coors is mostly bigger than Minute Maid.

14. Minute Maid Park, home to Houston Astros
Runs: 1.009, HR: 1.123, HR (RHB): 1.119, HR (LHB): 1.130
Dimensions: 315' (19')-362' (25')-435' (10')-373' (10')-326' (7')
Altitude: 21 feet; Retractable-roof stadium; Grass field

It's another one of those venues that is most favorable for "three true outcomes" players, with top-10 factors in terms of home runs, walks (1.026) and strikeouts (1.066). Minute Maid provides a boost to righties with pull power -- think Evan Gattis -- thanks to its Crawford Boxes in left field, but is otherwise neutral.

[packs]

I'm having a hard time drawing conclusions from that information though. For example, Colorado is listed as the top hittable place presumably due to the size of fair territory there. Yet, Fenway Park, which is noticeably smaller and tighter, is second. Kauffman Stadium is only slightly smaller in fair territory than Coors, but it is ranked 6th in hit probability.

[Cliff Bowman]

No controversy about a batting title will ever top the story behind the American League Batting Title in 1976 between George Brett, Hal McRae, Rod Carew, and Lyman Bostock on the last game of the year between the Royals and Twins which also involved Steve Brye and Gene Mauch.