On PEBA Nicknames

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DougO
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On PEBA Nicknames

#1 Post by DougO »

DISCLAIMER --
I’ll be frank.  I hate putting together analytical work.  It bores me.  I want color.  I want to look at the world as a three year old looks at the world – everything is mine to devour either with my mouth or with finger-paint and mud covered hands.  I don’t want it in a box.  If it’s in a box, I want it out of the box -- Now!  I don’t want it organized.  I want the wild mountain lion peering at the world from his perch in a twisted old tree – oh, the possibilities, the wild scenarios!  Give me the mountain lion!  I want to pet it.  Or eat it.  I just want it!
But, good god, here I am, placing before you, my gracious reader, a work of analytics.  My dearest apologies.


On PEBA Nicknames
My feet ain't got nothing to do with my nickname, but when folks get it in their heads that a feller's got big feet, soon the feet start looking big.
-- Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige

Upon inspection of baseball organizations, the prevalence of nicknames given, or rightly earned, by ballplayers is often in direct correlation to its current success.  I did not seek out this information.  It merely fell upon my lap as I delved into my humble Shisa ballclub and found a grand total of zero ballplayers with any form of nickname.  Upon further research, none had been given any form of moniker as a child by friends or enemies.  They all, boringly, were called, always, by the name scrawled on their birth certificate.

Okinawa’s two best hitters this year, according to some Wizard-of-Oz, Behind-the-Curtain stat known collectively as WAR, both have names that should actually be considered nicknames, but they are not – Tom Patton and Jerry Rutledge.  One would think, as I well did, that Tom was a nickname of Thomas and Jerry was a nickname of Gerald, but, no, that was the name written on their birth certificate.  When Mrs. Willifredo Patton was asked about this transgression, she stated: “I knew a Thomas in school, he peed his pants a lot.  I didn’t want no desk-wetter as a child.”

Willifredo’s comment aside, a baseball team cannot win without camaraderie, and camaraderie comes from nicknames.  As any coach worth his salt knows, you tear down egos by building a nickname on them.  On the flip side, you build up timid ballplayers by morphing their strengths into their new nickname.  A Joey is never a Joey on a winning ballclub.  A Joey is a “Hulk” for that one time he smashed his bat on the plate after a called strike he disliked and, on the next pitch, proceeded to hammer one to the gap.  Joey – ha – no one wants to be a Joey.

As far as the 2029 Okinawa Shisa are concerned, it’s no wonder they can’t climb their way atop the wild card standings.  They are a team full of nobodies in a world full of somebodies, at least in terms of nicknames.  And, it’s not just Okinawa.  If your team is awful, it’s your own fault for not loading it with a bunch of guys with nicknames like “Flyswatter” or “Whiskey McWhiskeyface” or “Donkey-Socks”.

Below is the extreme scientific research I did to prove my point.  These are the current division standings with the number of guys with nicknames on each team.  It's not difficult to see the direct correlation between division placement and the number of nicknamed guys.  My apologies if I just broke OOTP  (It would be a perfect thesis if only the Wind Dancers would either play up to their nicknamical projections or trade away their nicknamed players).
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I'd do more sensitive research into this wild nickname phenomenon, but I'm bored with it.  Plus, I need to trade for some nicknamed guys or call up Milkman or Two Face from the minors.
Last edited by DougO on Sun Aug 25, 2019 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#2 Post by Leones »

"I’ll be frank. I hate putting together analytical work." My first smartass thoughts were, 'well who will Frank be?' and 'well, let Frank be Frank, he loves that analytical stuff' :)

After reading this though I think's it analysis of the highest order. From some simple numbers a profound correlation. Yep, you've broken OOTP. :-B

A very interesting discovery. Well presented. Nice work! :clap:

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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#3 Post by Borealis »

The key piece to this highly scientific analysis is to account for players who came to use with their moniker (Randy 'Tugboat' Smith) and those whose nicknames have been earned (Mike 'Big Whiskey' Britt or Manny 'Fido' Castro)...
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#4 Post by Vic »

It's truly exciting to find a new piece of analytics that we can use to better understand the league and why teams win and lose.

Applying Doug's sophisticated new "Nickname Win Valuation" tool to the Surf and Snow Amalgamation HL Archipelago Division race between Kauai and Lana'i City, we can expect the chase to go to the wire: both teams have 2 nicknamed players on their roster.

However, I have developed a new advanced version of the tool: "Nickname Win Valuation +", if you will.

This exhilarating statistical enhancement takes into account not just the quantity of the nicknames, but also the quality.

Using NWV+, I predict the Archipelago Division race will go to Kawai - and it won't be particularly close.

Admittedly, this is not at first obvious. You must take a deep dive into the rosters of both teams.

Kauai opens with 1B Francis "Wasp" May, which isn't bad.

But Lana'i City counters with SP Andrew "Sourface" Parker, a clear win for the Pineapples. But wait a minute: Parker is injured with a partially torn labrum and out for 4 months. Can we count him as part of the roster going forward? It's a tough call, but we rule "yes," because even though he's injured, he's still part of the team. And the nickname is still potent, even if his pitching arm isn't.

So, while it's on a roll, Lana'i City unleashes its second nicknamed player, SP Joe "Scotty" Scott. And, oh my - this is a pretty lame nickname by any measure. So lame, it actually deducts points from Sourface.

It will take virtually nothing to crush "Scotty" Scott. But is Kauai content to just roll out some outfielder nicknamed "Wheels" or an infielder nicknamed "Hoover"?

No. No it is not.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet RP Hector "Death to Flying Things" Pena.

Need we say more?

Nay, we need not.

NWV+ conclusively awards the division title to the Kauai Monsters.

Go ahead and book your playoff tickets now.
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#5 Post by Denny »

Great article! Palm Springs has always liked players with nicknames, and in fact DiamondLook™, our proprietary prospective draftee rating system, gives nicknamed players a slight statistical bump.

A few more nickname facts:
1. In the earliest versions of OOTP, the game only gave nicknames to players with higher potential skills--so it made sense to target such players. Eventually the developers caught wind of this little stratagem and now game-created nicknames are generated randomly regardless of ability.

2. OOTP generates its nicknames from a list mostly drawn from baseball history. However, any time you create a nickname for one of your players, it will also be added to the game's potential nickname pool; so you may see future players receiving the same nickname down the line! For instance, when I named Palm Springs' Felipe 'El Niño' Días due to his having been born on Christmas Day, he was the first ever to receive that moniker, but there has been another since then.

And Vic....the spirit of 'Sourface' suffuses all the Pineapples :angelic-green:
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#6 Post by DougO »

Codgers wrote:Great article! Palm Springs has always liked players with nicknames, and in fact DiamondLook™, our proprietary prospective draftee rating system, gives nicknamed players a slight statistical bump.
Wow, I love reading old stuff like this from the forums. I'm not sure how we, as the Okinawa organization, plan to gain an advantage over your DiamondLook™ system, but it may involve the kidnapping (or freed from your demonic slavery) of an elf or two.

Side note: I've been looking for guys to bring back as coaches. When I noticed Jorge Jimenez pitched two season for the Shisa in 2023 and 2024, I called him up, and he was beyond excited to become a coach in our organization. Of course, he did mention his frustration over not being asked by Palm Springs.
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#7 Post by Fishermen »

Good read. I like the fun and unique angles you are going for in your articles.

And Hartford is upping their nickname game for sure.
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#8 Post by Lions »

Leones wrote:"I’ll be frank. I hate putting together analytical work." My first smartass thoughts were, 'well who will Frank be?' and 'well, let Frank be Frank, he loves that analytical stuff' :)
It's the only thing I'm any good at.
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#9 Post by Sandgnats »

This is great Frank!
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#10 Post by Lions »

Sandgnats wrote:This is great Frank!
This was Doug's article... ;)
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#11 Post by Alleghenies »

Badgers wrote:
Sandgnats wrote:This is great Frank!
This was Doug's article... ;)
Frank hijacked it I guess. Probably not right word to use today but oh well
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Re: On PEBA Nicknames

#12 Post by Sandgnats »

Alleghenies wrote:
Badgers wrote:
Sandgnats wrote:This is great Frank!
This was Doug's article... ;)
Frank hijacked it I guess. Probably not right word to use today but oh well
Wow... I am definitely starting to lose it... Sorry Doug!
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