It's happened to all of us. We're sitting down
watching our stud fantasy pitcher, and before we get out of the first inning
it's apparent that it's going to be a long day....a real long day. Your pitcher
is getting squeezed by the home plate umpire and there is absolutely nothing you
can do.... except take solace in the fact that this umpire might be a habitual
tight K zone umpire.
Below is a quick and dirty list of the umps who
have a 3 year history of Strikeout / Walk ratio at 2.0 or below. The average
K/BB ratio is 2.35, so although a 1.9 K/BB ratio doesn't sound like much...it
is...it's ~20% less than the typical. Which means more base runners, more runs,
and possibly a shorter outing for your pitcher:
| Unfriendly Pitcher Umps | |||
| Ump | G | K/BB | ERA |
| TSCHIDA T | 86 | 1.8 | 4.00 |
| MCCLELLAND T | 103 | 1.9 | 4.08 |
| SCHRIEBER P | 73 | 1.9 | 3.97 |
| GIBSON G | 93 | 1.9 | 3.22 |
| COUSINS D | 100 | 2.0 | 3.57 |
| HICKOX E | 71 | 2.0 | 3.69 |
| WEST J | 106 | 2.0 | 3.59 |
| DANLEY K | 77 | 2.0 | 3.65 |
| RAPUANO E | 103 | 2.0 | 3.77 |
| WEGNER M | 81 | 2.0 | 3.82 |
| KELLOGG J | 102 | 2.0 | 3.67 |
Again the typical k/BB ratio is 2.35, this
according to the data posted at
The Logical Approach,
and the typical ERA over the last 3 years for starting pitchers is 3.44. Now
80-100 observations (games umped over the last 3 years) isn't a huge number, but
many circles consider a sample size in the 100 vicinity as a acceptable number
of observations.
Now lets take a look at the friendly pitcher
Umps, umps who have a higher Strikeout to Walks ratio (Above 2.6):
| Friendly Pitcher Umps | |||
| Ump | G | K/BB | ERA |
| RUNGE B | 82 | 2.7 | 3.13 |
| REYBURN D J | 60 | 2.7 | 2.66 |
| MILLER B | 104 | 2.7 | 3.21 |
| BELLINO D | 65 | 2.6 | 3.05 |
| CUZZI P | 102 | 2.6 | 3.09 |
| RANDAZZO T | 101 | 2.6 | 3.09 |
Notice the considerable difference in ERA over
the other group! If you play in daily leagues, this information simply can not
be ignored.
