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Two Words
2005-04-22 15:11
by Ken Arneson

Rich Harden.

I don't really need to say anything else about last night's game, so I won't.

Instead, I'll talk about a useless stat Jayson Stark made up called "runs not scored". Runs Not Scored is Runs Scored subtracted from Times On Base. Stark notes that Ichiro didn't score many runs for a guy who was on base so much, and wonders who else in history has had such problems.

Ordinarily I'd ignore such a stat, because "RNS" is misleading: it sounds like you're measuring a bad thing, but it's actually a good thing. Teams that have a lot of RNS usually have a lot of runs scored too, because they have a lot of baserunners overall.

But I was certain that last year's A's team must have had a ton of Runs Not Scored, so I was curious to see just how much.

We Bay Area baseball fans saw an awful lot of runners left on base last year. The 2004 A's had 1,415 RNS, which was second only to Barry Bonds the Giants, who had 1,427. The Giants' total was 16th all time, while the A's total was tied for 35th all time.

That's not quite as many as New York fans saw in 1999, though. The '99 Mets had 1,465 (2nd all time), while the Yankees had 1,441 (12th all time).

This year's A's team does not actually have this "problem"; the 2005 A's are actually tied for 16th in RNS with 124. (The Yankees are first with 150.) The problem with this year's A's, despite Eric Chavez being 0-for-15 with RISP, is not so much driving in runners; it's getting enough of them on base in the first place.

The all-time record for team RNS is held by the 1989 Boston Red Sox, who had 1,476. Below, I'll put a list of the top 50 all-time teams for RNS. You'll notice that most of these teams were good teams. Only 12 of the top 50 teams were below .500.

teamyearrtobrnswl
BOS1989774225014768379
NYN1999853231814659766
SLA1941765222814637084
CLE1982683214414617884
NYA1997891234914589666
BOS1949896235214569658
CIN19768572308145110260
DET1993899234614478577
DET1921887233314467182
BOS1956780222514458470
MIN1978666210914437389
NYA1999900234114419864
CLE1980738217114337981
BOS1990699212814298874
CLE1996952237914279962
SFN2004850227714279171
CLE2000950237514259072
DET1949751217614258767
BOS1988813223714248973
CHA1996898232114238577
DET1947714213714238569
MIN1974673209614238280
NYA1996871229414239270
DET1950837225914229559
MIL1999815223714227487
HOU1999823224314209765
NYA1993821224014198874
CLE19991009242714189765
BOS1948907232414179659
FLO1997740215714179270
SFN1998845226214178974
BAL1992705212114168973
MON1973668208414167983
WS11937757217314167380
BRO1947774218914159460
MIN1973738215314158181
OAK2004793220814159171
SEA1990640205514157785
DET1924847226114148668
SFN1970831224514148676
BOS1954700211314136985
PHA1949726213914138173
BOS1996928234014128577
PHI1975735214714128676
BAL1973754216514119765
PHI2002710212114118081
PHI1979683209214098478
BOS1985800220714078181
CHA1949648205514076391
BOS1997851225714067884

Comments
2005-04-22 23:12:25
1.   Adam B
While interesting, the stat seems rather pointless, doesn't it?
2005-04-23 00:11:37
2.   Ken Arneson
Not pointless, Adam. Useless.
2005-04-23 01:13:22
3.   Joe
From this point on, I'm only referring to him as "Filthy" Rich Harden.

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