Posted by: Bernie H.
- [395452711] Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 13:45
I just came up with a fun little activity you can try if you want to waste some time.
Go to http://baseball-reference.com (an amazing stats site, if you didn't know). Their player pages are chock full of stats and other info, including cool lists like Most Similar Batters.
Here's the exercise: see how many clicks it takes you to get from Rey Ordonez to Babe Ruth.
- Start from Rey Ordonez (http://baseball-reference.com/o/ordonre01.shtml). - You can click on any player on any of the 3 lists "Similar Batters", "Similar Batters through Age X" and "Most Similar by Age". - See how many clicks it takes you to get from Ordonez to Ruth.
For example (this is NOT the path I took), on Ordonez's page you can click on Similar Batter #4, Rafael Santana. Then on Santana's page you can click on Most Similar by Age 29, Walt Weiss, assuming you think it's getting you closer to Ruth. And so forth.
You can try it a couple times using your gut - no back tracking! And then you can try to find the fastest possible path. My first try, with no back tracking, took me 9 clicks. I know for a fact that it can be done in fewer. I'll post my path later.
Have fun, Bernie
1
KrazyKoalaBears Donor
ID: 266182910 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 14:22
26 on the first try. Guess I don't know squat about tying Ordonez to Ruth. ;)
Still pretty fun and interesting.
2
costanza
ID: 5811810 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 14:42
16 on the first try. Thought I was home-free when I got to Grich in 3, but bounced around between Winfield/Jackson/Robinson types too long. I did see Ty Cobb at 11...
Great time-killer!
3
Mark L Leader
ID: 4444938 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 14:51
Also 16 on first attempt. Got hung up on Cubs (B Williams, Banks) and it took me longer to get through the 500+ HR club than I thought when I first got to those guys. Knew it was close when I saw my first old-time power hitter, Mel Ott.
4
KevinL Donor
ID: 10417811 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 15:00
23. Took me a long time to get any momentum at all. 12 picks and I was no closer than Garrett Anderson! Then I found Mel Hall, Larry Walker, Albert Belle, and I figured I might get there before sundown.
5
ChicagoTRS Sustainer
ID: 4324316 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 15:19
Got there in 12...I am betting it can be done in less than 10...
6
ChicagoTRS Sustainer
ID: 4324316 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 15:21
Just got there in 9 with a slight deviation.
7
Sludge Donor
ID: 29939249 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 16:14
Yeah, but how many clicks does it take to get to ?
Maybe TSN could build a database and title it "Six Degrees of " (random spelling and all) as a baseball version of the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon".
8
costanza
ID: 5811810 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 16:38
Got there in nine a couple times... can't seem to get any lower.
10
Makisupa Donor
ID: 19133810 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 16:57
First try, 9 clicks.
Second try, 3 clicks (Ordonez > Doc Lavan > 1918 AL > Babe Ruth)
11
Makisupa Donor
ID: 19133810 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 16:59
3 clicks to too.
12
kev
ID: 36925310 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 17:18
16 clicks.
Once I got to Joltin Joe, I knew I was close.
13
biliruben Sustainer
ID: 3502218 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 17:36
34 clicks.
I should have read the definition of similar!
I was sure Cecil Cooper was gonna get me there. ;)
14
ChicagoTRS Sustainer
ID: 4324316 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 18:40
Best I could do...Ordonez-->Veryzer-->Harrah--> Franco-->Griffey Sr-->Cedeno-->Mantle--> Mays-->Ruth
15
Bernie H.
ID: 19852422 Wed, Nov 07, 2001, 20:29
Pretty good, that's 8 clicks. I think that might be the best possible number. I can't do any better than 8. Can anyone top that?
My first try was 9: Ordonez->Veryzer->Harrah->Phillips->Downing->Nettles->Darrell Evans->Eddie Mathews->Mantle->Bonds->Ruth.
When you guys are bored with this, I got another fun one.
KevinL Donor
ID: 10417811 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 11:32
I suck. I was at Lenny Barker in 4, Roger Clemens in 7, and I'm now over 20 and still can't find the unit!
22
KevinL Donor
ID: 10417811 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 11:35
Twenty-six. Finally got to Schilling at 24.
23
Khahan
ID: 12432113 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 12:27
Woah, I got from Byung Kim to Schilling in 7. Byung Kim to Fransisco Oliveras, Bill Zepp, Sammy Ellis, Len Barker, Pedro Astacio, Bert Blyleven, Ken Forsche. Curt Schilling is on Forsches list, believe it or not. Backtrack 1 go Blyleven and from there you are 6 clicks from Cy Young and only 5 from Walter JOhnson.
24
James K Polk
ID: 32012715 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 12:42
This is pretty geeky/cool. Got from Kim to Unit in 7 clicks. Took a couple fliers at first that paid off, getting to Dave Stewart quickly.
Kim > Allen > Aase > Stewart > Stieb > Fernando > Cone > Unit.
Unit's actually pretty tough to get to, IMHO, because he doesn't have many similarity scores that are very high. Under "Similar Pitchers" and "Similar Pitchers by Age 37" he doesn't even have any above 900. Under "Most Similar by Age" he has some above 900, but nearly all of them are obscure. Free Chris Nabholz!
(Assuming people are avoiding using the "similar batters" links for pitchers.)
26
James K Polk
ID: 32012715 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 13:00
DOh! Originally had typed that it took 8 clicks -- then went and counted what I'd typed and saw that it was only seven. That's because I forgot to type one of the names :)
It should read 8 clicks, and ...
Kim > Allen > Aase > Stewart > Stieb > Fernando > Gooden > Cone > Unit.
27
ChicagoTRS Sustainer
ID: 4324316 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 13:00
Polk...? I don't see any way to go from Fernando to Cone?
Unit is especially tough...best bet is find a way to Cone and you can get there.
Another tough pitcher is try going from anyone to Nolan Ryan...not many similar to him at all. Only two pitchers let you get to Nolan.
28
ChicagoTRS Sustainer
ID: 4324316 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 13:07
Here is a tough one: Ivan DeJesus to Alex Rodriquez.
I love clicking through these players and looking at some of the names/memories that come up...
29
KevinL Donor
ID: 10417811 Thu, Nov 08, 2001, 13:54
Cedeno->Mantle isn't really a big stretch at all. While I'm not old enough to remember his debut either, he burst onto the scene with a big season at age 19. I'd guess that many Mantle-type comparisons were made when Cedeno debuted.
I don't remember Cedeno's debut, but I do remember Griffey's. Cedeno was always the "cautionary" comparison people made when projecting what kind of player Jr.Griffey might become.
31
Khahan
ID: 12432113 Fri, Nov 09, 2001, 10:59
couldn't do the A-rod. I started hitting some decent company (Palmiero, Hrbek, Dawson, Gallaraga, etc) thinking A-rod will be soon. Then I started hitting the like of Yaz, Snider, and Robison. Gotta be soon, I thought. Then I hit Babe Ruth. I figured ok, if anybody, its him. Still not. What is interesting is Babe Ruths list: Mantle, Mays, Robsinson, Ott, Musial, Bonds, Williams, Foxx, Gehrig, Greenberg, Mike Greenwell....umm, never would have guessed it.
32
Chris McClinch
ID: 3710341222 Mon, Nov 12, 2001, 22:34
Another fun one: Alfonso Soriano to Babe Ruth. It's faster than you might think.
Ordonez- Jose Pagan- Billy Martin- Jimmy Bloodworth- Delino DeShields- Rod Carew- Sam Crawford- Hank Aaron- Babe Ruth
It can be done in 8 since both Martin and Bloodworth are on Pagan's comp list.
34
costanza
ID: 5811810 Wed, Nov 14, 2001, 10:28
I got Soriano -> Ruth in five clicks several ways...
35
KrazyKoalaBears Donor
ID: 266182910 Wed, Nov 14, 2001, 11:13
Yankee Generations Ruth -> Clemens
10 clicks is about the best I can get.
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