Who got hurt the worst?

I took a look at the injury reports for all teams with two weeks left in my first PEBA season.  My initial objective was to see if I had an unusually high injury count, or if my year was a typical PEBA year.   I took a look at the frequency and length of injuries in great detail, but only considered the caliber of the injured player briefly.

How the data was taken:  Injuries that happened during spring training were only considered if the injury spilled over or potentially spilled over into the regular season.  Any injuries that had a variable length were averaged, and converted to days.  For instance, an injury 3 to 4 weeks in length became three and a half weeks.  Since weeks have an odd number of days, I alternated between rounding up and rounding down.  1-2 weeks = 11 days.  2-3 weeks = 17 days.  3-4 weeks = 25 days and so on.  Therefore,  an injury on March 22^rd that lasted one to two weeks was considered a single 2-day injury (31-22 = 9 days not counted on an 11 day injury) even if in reality, that player was ready and playing on the first day of April.  Players that never came off of the DL and had an injury extended were considered two separate injuries.  This does not make sense, and I did not want to do it that way, but I figured I would miss some injuries if I did not do it this way.  If I do another report like this in the future, I will consider changing that if  I or others feel that it really matters.  Lastly, on the other extreme of the injury scale, I did consider some days that spilled over into the off-season, or into next season.  At first, this also may not seem to make sense.  But, I want the report to reflect season ending injuries in a more dramatic way.  A 5-month long elbow injury for a starting pitcher, for example, in the last weeks of the season, should reflect a bad injury since it is potentially years off of his career.  I don’t know if these rules make the most sense, but they were instinctually what I thought best on my first go around.

The Data: 

First up we have the team organized by their division as the finished in the 2019 season.  After the team name is the list of injuries, listed in ascending order.  N is the number of elements in the set, or number of injuries, again, not taking into account some pre-season injuries.  And, the median is highlighted and listed.

London Underground  {1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 11, 11, 49, 356}  N = 10, Median = 11

Connecticut Nutmeggers { 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 38} N = 15, Median = 4

Gloucester Fishermen {3, 4, 4, 7, 14, 14, 14, 17, 17, 25, 25, 35, 35, 39, 42, 90, 137} N = 17, Median = 25

Alrington Bureaucrats {1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 35, 35, 90} N = 23, Median = 7

New Jersey Hitmen {1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 25, 28, 28, 90} N = 17, Median = 14

Manchester Maulers {1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 7, 11, 11, 11, 14, 14, 28, 38}  N = 15, Median = 11

 

Florida Featherheads {2 , 2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 14, 17, 21, 28, 35, 42} N = 15, Median = 11

Kentucky Thoroughbreds {2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 11, 28, 38, 60, 90, 195} N = 19, Median = 7

San Antonio Calzones {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 21, 21, 21, 25, 135, 180, 330} N = 16, Median = 14

West Virginia Alleghenies {2, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 11, 14, 21, 21, 28, 32, 38, 56, 60, 75, 75, 300, 360} N = 19, Median = 21

Charleston Statesmen {1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 11, 14, 14, 17, 17, 21, 28, 28, 56, 275} N = 25, Median = 7

New Orleans Trendsetters {2, 2, 2, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 17, 17, 17, 28, 35} N =15, Median = 7

 

Crystal Lake Sandgnats {1, 1, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 11, 14, 17, 21, 21, 28, 28, 42} N = 18, Median = 7

Duluth Warriors {2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 17, 28, 28, 28, 45, 150} N = 22, Median = 14

Kalamazoo Badgers {3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 21, 25, 28, 35, 42, 120} N = 22, Median = 14

Fargo Dinosaurs {1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 28, 35, 35, 35, 56, 60} N = 23, Median = 7

Omaha Cyclones {1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 28, 35, 195, 425} N = 17, Median = 6

Canton Longshoremen {1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 7, 7, 11, 11, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 25, 28, 28, 35, 42, 42, 42, 60, 90, 90, 90, 100, 120, 210, 360} N = 31, Median = 21

 

Aurora Borealis {1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 28, 35, 35, 45} N = 21, Median = 14

Reno Zephyrs {1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 14, 14, 14, 14, 28, 35, 45, 56, 75, 105, 120, 130, 330} N = 24, Median = 11

Yuma Bulldozers {2, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7, 11, 21, 21, 21, 35, 42, 120, 150, 180} N = 15, Median = 21

Palm Springs Codgers {1, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 11, 14, 17, 56} N = 12, Median = 7

Bakersfield Bears {1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 11, 14, 14, 14, 25, 25, 28} N = 21, Median = 7

Tempe Knights {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 14, 14, 14, 14, 25, 28, 35, 38, 60, 75} N = 22, Median = 7

 

Another thing I considered doing with the data was to ignore all injuries seven days or fewer, as these injuries would equate to little more than days of rest.  If I did that, the total number of days missed and medians would look like the following:

 

London Underground  {11, 11, 49, 356}  N =4, Median = 30

Connecticut Nutmeggers { 14, 21, 28, 38} N = 4, Median = 24.5

Gloucester Fishermen {14, 14, 14, 17, 17, 25, 25, 35, 35, 39, 42, 90, 137} N = 13, Median = 25

Alrington Bureaucrats {14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 35, 35, 90} N = 9, Median = 21

New Jersey Hitmen {14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 25, 28, 28, 90} N = 9, Median = 21

Manchester Maulers {11, 11, 11, 14, 14, 28, 38}  N = 7, Median = 14

 

Florida Featherheads {11, 14, 14, 17, 21, 28, 35, 42} N = 8, Median = 19

Kentucky Thoroughbreds {11, 28, 38, 60, 90, 195} N = 6, Median = 49

San Antonio Calzones {11, 14, 14, 14, 21, 21, 21, 25, 135, 180, 330} N = 11, Median = 21

West Virginia Alleghenies {11, 14, 21, 21, 28, 32, 38, 56, 60, 75, 75, 300, 360} N = 13, Median = 38

Charleston Statesmen {11, 14, 14, 17, 17, 21, 28, 28, 56, 275} N = 10, Median = 19

New Orleans Trendsetters {17, 17, 17, 28, 35} N =5, Median = 17

 

Crystal Lake Sandgnats {11, 14, 17, 21, 21, 28, 28, 42} N = 8, Median = 21

Duluth Warriors {11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 17, 28, 28, 28, 45, 150} N = 12, Median = 17

Kalamazoo Badgers {11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 21, 25, 28, 35, 42, 120} N = 14, Median = 21

Fargo Dinosaurs {11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 28, 35, 35, 35, 56, 60} N = 11, Median = 28

Omaha Cyclones {28, 35, 195, 425} N = 4, Median = 115

Canton Longshoremen {11, 11, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 25, 28, 28, 35, 42, 42, 42, 60, 90, 90, 90, 100, 120, 210, 360} N = 22, Median = 39.5

 

Aurora Borealis {11, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 17, 21, 21, 28, 35, 35, 45} N = 13, Median = 17

Reno Zephyrs {14, 14, 14, 14, 28, 35, 45, 56, 75, 105, 120, 130, 330} N = 13, Median = 45

Yuma Bulldozers {11, 21, 21, 21, 35, 42, 120, 150, 180} N = 9, Median = 35

Palm Springs Codgers {11, 14, 17, 56} N = 4, Median = 15.5

Bakersfield Bears {11, 14, 14, 14, 25, 25, 28} N = 7, Median = 14

Tempe Knights {14, 14, 14, 14, 25, 28, 35, 38, 60, 75} N = 10, Median = 26.5

 

I did not feel like total number of injury days or mean was nearly as significant as the median.  As we know, the mean, as opposed to the median, is more affected by outliers.  Furthermore, not all multi-month injuries are equal.  If a 0.5 star bench player is injured forever, it is not nearly as bad as losing a starting pitcher for as little as five weeks.  However, there is something to be said about the total number of days injured.  I include those numbers below.

 

Total Injury Days                              Sum of Injury Days Over 1 Week In Length

Connecticut        104                               Connecticut        63

Palm Springs      137                               Palm Springs      98

Manchester       158                                 Bakersfield         103

New Orleans      162                                New Orleans      114

Bakersfield         174                               Manchester       127

Florida                  210                              Florida                  182

Crystal Lake        234                             Crystal Lake        182

Aurora                  267                             Aurora                  238

New Jersey        292                              New Jersey        258

Arlington             323                             Arlington             261

Fargo                     363                             Fargo                     316

Tempe                  364                              Tempe                  317

Duluth                  419                              Duluth                  380

Kalamazoo          432                            Kalamazoo          397

Kentucky             477                           Kentucky             450

London                 489                           London                 472

Gloucester          522                           Charleston          502

Charleston          543                           Gloucester          504

Yuma                     632                          Yuma                     601

Omaha                 728                            Omaha                 683

San Antonio       811                            San Antonio       786

Reno                     1021                         Reno                     966

West Virginia     1118                         West Virginia     1091

Canton                 1500                        Canton                 1464

 

As you can see, there is not much difference in the order of the sums between these teams, weather I consider the single digit days lost or not.  There also is not going to be much a difference in the order when the medians are considered.  The sums help to rank them, not just place them in separate categories, but this is insignificant.

 

Conclusion  1:  Got off Easy

1.(almost))London:  Fewest Injuries, but the worst injury was very significant.

1.)    Connecticut:  Only four injuries longer than a week

2.)    Palm Springs: ditto

3.)    New Orleans:  only slightly worse

 

Conclusion 2:  Got Slammed

1.)    Canton:  1500 injury days, 31 injuries, 3 week median.  Nobody is even close.

2.)    West Virginia: 1118 injury days, also a 3 week median.

3.)    Reno: 1021 injury days, 24 injuries

4.)    Yuma:  Median of 3 weeks.  Not as many days, but some significant loses.

 

I think the best indicator would be talent lost per day.  But, since our league is a scouts league, each of us would see this differently.  Perhaps next year I will keep a running tally of the injuries as the year goes on and try to add that into my report.  Oh, and the answer to my original question… did I have an exceptionally bad year for injuries?  It was bad, but it was more like top five or six bad.  Only Yuma and Canton had a higher median than Gloucester before taking out the single-digit numbers.  (I think the median after taking out the lower numbers is misleading.  It only describes just how bad the worst injuries were.)