April 13, 2010

First of all let me thank each and every one of you for the beautiful watch and card you presented me with last night. Your friendship means a great deal to me. It is an honor to lead our chapter.

At the meeting we had 26 members and friends in attendance. Our first speaker, former Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves player Norm Miller, told a host of funny stories about some of his illustrious teammates and then turned very serious to discuss the current state of amateur baseball in this country from his prospective. His thought provoking statements, based on personal experience, shed new light on what is really taking place today between coaches, players and their parents and the pressures brought to bear. It is no wonder so many of our youth are turned off about baseball.

Scott Barzilla then led us through his "erosion factor" analysis using Baseball Prospectus data. Bill James says that a team which makes no roster changes during the off season, will be expected to regress and lose more games the next year. By analayzing roster changes, players ages, previous performance etc. you can statistically compare each teams' progress or lack of it. From this data Scott presented his findings and individual team ratings. This led to a vigorous debate about how to measure player desire and whether or not a General Manager should have professional playing experience.

Our next meeting is set for Saturday May 22nd at Minute Maid Park. A separate email will provide more details.

Come join us for our lively meetings.