Baseball GPA

Gross Productivity Average, or GPA, is a new baseball statistic that measures performance. Accounting for the effect that each plate appearance or baserunning play has on scoring opportunities, it is reported on a scale similar to that for batting average, making it easy for the average fan to understand.
Beginning with a detailed explanation of the statistic and its derivation, the book identifies, in Part II, historical patterns in league-average GPA (even the steroids effect is quantified). Practical applications are then explored, as GPA is used in Part III to settle long-running arguments about strategy and in Part IV to reassess players and awards voting from 1952 to 2012.

David P. Gerard is a practicing gastroenterologist in the Chicago area and is actively involved in research. He lives in Oak Brook, Illinois.

David P. Gerard
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 268
Bibliographic Info: 223 graphs & tables, glossary, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7256-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0123-6
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Preface 1
Part I. GPA: The Basics
Statistics, Simple and Otherwise 5
Creating GPA 9
The 2010 through 2012 Seasons 23
Best Individual Seasons, 1952–2012 48
Ballpark Corrections 56
Baserunning Strategies 66
Applying Baserunning Corrections 73
Baserunning Corrections, 1952–2012 83
Part II. GPA and Baseball Eras
The Relationship Between GPA and Batting Average 93
Baseball Eras, 1952–2012 100
The Pitching Era, 1971–1984 105
The Steroid Era, 1994–2004 112
Part III. GPA, Game Strategy and
the Baseball Game Simulator
The Baseball Game Simulator 117
Constructing the Best Lineup 121
Run Production 129
Winning Games 136
Chance in Baseball 144
Should They Have Walked Bonds? 149
The Sacrifice Bunt 164
Baserunning Revisited 174
Part IV. Using GPA
GPA and Wins Above Replacement 181
Who Should Have Won the Cy Young Award? 201
Who Should Have Won the MVP Award? 217
GPA and Free Agency 235
Jim Rice’s 1984 Season 245
Conclusion 251
Glossary 255
Index 261

“Recommended”—Choice.