coupla plots we hatched at curveblog that will continue here:
david eckstein's not aggressive enough early in the count: not a popular theory so far, but we'll keep working it. it's widely believed that eckstein's patience at the plate and ability to foul off pitches are valuable assets, but i don't think they translate into very many runs -- not nearly as many as eck might create if he swung more often at get-me-over first-pitch fastballs. he has had a 1-0 count 779 times since 2002 and only put the ball in play 79 times . . . .
the devil taketh away: drives you nuts when your team outhits and outpitches the other yet still loses with the assistance of unseen forces. i'm tracking how often the cardinals profit from such deviltry and how often they suffer its pangs -- and whether devil's on their side or agin'm in '05.