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Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Jackie Robinson's barrier-breaking career, which is being honored across Major League Baseball today.
- $0.33: The price of a postage stamp in 1999 when the U.S. Postal Service issued a Jackie Robinson stamp as part of their "Celebrate the Century" program.
- 19: The number of times Robinson stole home in his career.
Shysterball takes issue with UCF's study. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the Houston Rockets' (46-20) amazing 22-game win streak -- the second-longest in NBA history -- which is on the line tonight against the NBA-best Boston Celtics (53-13).
- 33: The number of games the Los Angeles Lakers won from Nov. 5, 1971 to Jan. 7, 1972 to obliterate the previous NBA record for most consecutive games won (20: 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks).
- 16: The average margin of victory (528 total points) in the Lakers' streak.
- 69-13: The Lakers' overall record at the end of the regular season.
 The Lakers coasted through the playoffs and went on to win the NBA title over the New York Knicks in five games (4-1).
So, what does this mean for the Rockets' streak? Let's take a look at the numbers:
- 22: The number of games the Rockets have won from Jan. 29, 2008 to Mar. 18.
- 11.45: The average margin of victory (252 total points) in the Rockets' streak.
- 57-25: The Rockets' projected overall record.
With the roll Houston has been on, a strong playoff run shouldn't be out of the question.
Will they match the Lakers' success? We'll just have to wait and see.
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Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Brett Favre's official announcement that he is retiring from the NFL.
With that in mind, I want to know who the real "Iron Man" is ...
- 253 ÷ 16 ÷ 3.5 = 4.5:
The number of consecutive starts Brett Favre made in his 17-year career (253) divided by the length of a NFL season (16 games) = 15.8125 seasons, 4.5 times longer than the average player.
- 2,632 ÷ 162 ÷ 5.6 = 2.9:
The number of consecutive starts Cal Ripken, Jr. made in his 21-year career (2,632) divided by the length of a MLB season (162 games) = 16.2469 seasons, 2.9 times longer than the average player.
Using the equations above, Favre's longevity appears to be more impressive than Ripken's. But let's take this one step further.
- 97: The number of off days in the NFL's regular season.
- 20: The number of off days in the MLB's regular season.
- 97 NFL off days x 15.8 seasons played = 1533, Favre's total number of days off during his streak.
- 20 MLB off days x 16.2 seasons played = 324, Ripken's total number of days off during his streak.
You can argue that football is a more physically demanding game, but when it comes to the daily grind of a regular season, baseball takes a bigger toll on not just the body, but the mind as well.
Verdict: Ripken is the real Iron Man.
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Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Bobby Knight's 900th win, a 68-53 Texas Tech victory over Texas A&M last night.
- Three: The number of NCAA basketball coaches who have won 900 games or more (Knight, Pat Summitt and Jody Conradt).
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by O.J. Simpson, who finds himself in the throes of another criminal charge.
- 1,750: The number of points Simpson beat Leroy Keyes by for the 1968 Heisman Trophy, the largest margin of victory in Heisman history.
- 250,000: The amount of money Simpson was ordered to pay in bail by Judge Jackie Glass for violating terms of his original bail ($125,000) by attempting to contact a co-defendant in his armed robbery case.
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Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Brett Favre's longevity as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
- 253: The record number of consecutive games Favre, the NFL's Iron Man, has started in his 17-year career.
- 964: The record number of consecutive games Doug Jarvis, the NHL's Iron Man, played in his 13-year career.
- 1,192: The record number of consecutive games A.C. Green, the NBA's Iron Man, played in his 16-year career.
- 2,632: The record number of consecutive games Cal Ripken, Jr., the MLB's Iron Man, played in his 21-year career.
- 332: The number of Iron Man: Volume I issues -- featuring Anthony Stark as Iron Man, one of the most intelligent characters in comic book history -- that were published from May, 1968 through September, 1996.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the Baseball Writers Association of America finally getting it right and voting Rich "Goose" Gossage into the Hall of Fame.
 466: The number of votes Gossage received to garner 85.8 percent of the vote, well above the required 75 percent.
- 52: The number of games in which Gossage earned a save where he had to record seven or more outs.
- Nine: The number of years it took Gossage to be selected for immortalization into the Hall.
Consider the fact that the great Mariano Rivera has recorded only one save in a seven-plus outs situation over 13 seasons and it makes you wonder why Gossage wasn't elected sooner.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the impending MLB Hall of Fame elections.
The 2008 ballot features 25 candidates, with 14 returnees and 11 newcomers, but the focus of this entry is on the most notable (read controversial) player on the list, Mark McGwire.
Everyone knows about his prolific home run numbers, but do the rest of his statistics merit election to the Hall of Fame when you compare them to another prominent first baseman of his era?
Let's take a look.
- 583: The number of home runs McGwire hit in his 16-year career.
- 841: The number of extra-base hits McGwire amassed.
- .263: McGwire's lifetime batting average.
- Five: The number of awards McGwire won (excluding leading the league in any category).
- Nickname: Big Mac
Now let's compare him to Andres Galarraga, another big bopper who played from 1985 through 2004.
- 399: The number of home runs Galarraga hit for seven teams.
- 875: The number of extra-base hits Galarraga amassed.
- .288: Galarraga's lifetime batting average.
- Four: The number of awards Galarraga won.
- Nickname: Big Cat
Galarraga will be eligible for the 2009 ballot, but I don't know anyone who thinks he's a sure-fire Hall of Famer. And if that's the case, then how can McGwire be elected either?
Think I'm off my rocker? Post your comments below.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry in inspired by the release of the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing substance abuse in Major League Baseball.
- 7: The number of Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards won by the two most high-profile players on the list, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's potential record-setting season.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by the blockbuster trade between the Tigers and Marlins.
- 11,000,000: The Marlins estimated payroll for 2008, based on last year's salaries, minus Cabrera and Willis.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the rampant trade rumors surrounding three of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball.
- 4 to 2: The number of 15-win seasons Santana has in comparison to Haren and Bedard.
- 2 to 0: The number of Cy Young Awards Santana has in comparison to Haren and Bedard.
- 28, 28 and 27: Santana, Bedard and Haren's ages, respectively.
So why is it that A's GM Billy Beane and Orioles GM Andy MacPhail are looking for trade offers on par with those for Santana?
The comparisons are not even close.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by two of the better young goaltenders in the NHL.
 Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Nate Robinson.
- 285: The length in inches of the three-point line from the basket at its furthest point.
- 444: The length in inches (37 ft.) of Robinson's buzzer beater.
÷ 9: The length in inches of the average No. 2 pencil.
= 49.3, The number of No. 2 pencils you could line up end-to-end in the distance of Robinson's shot, which prevented the Knicks from setting a franchise record for least amount of points scored in regulation in their 104-59 loss to Boston Thursday night.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by the amazing amount of kickoffs and punts returned for touchdowns in the NFL this season.
- 2,653: The total number of yards kickoffs and punts have been ran back on 31 touchdown returns.
- 39: The record for kickoff and punt returns for TDs combined, set in 2002.
Even though it hasn't been finalized yet, we've all heard about the whopping 10-year agreement that Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees are about to wrap up in a pretty red bow just in time for the holidays.
This beauty of a deal also has home run achievements packaged in that could raise A-Rod's new contract to $305 million over the 10 years!
 Now, I'm not into math like my Stats Shmats buddy, David Rabinowitz, but that averages out to $30.5 million a season! That's more loot than the entire 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays and roughly the same amount of dough the 2007 Florida Marlins were worth.
If you want the best, I guess you gotta pay, huh? But what about these home run achievements?
A-Rod can bag $6 million each for tying the home run ranks of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762). Plus, he'd receive an additional $6 million for breaking Bonds' all-time mark.
Does this seem insane to anyone else?
I'm totally on board with Joel Sherman's thinking that if the Yankees are going to dish out historic figures for A-Rod, they should just give him the money without tagging any incentives onto the deal. We all know what happens to A-Rod when he thinks too much, and Lord knows he'll be thinking greener pastures when approaching each of these milestones.
Glad to have ya back A-Rod! You're a true Yankee.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by the record-breaking deal Alex Rodriguez is about to finalize with the Yankees.
- $305 million: The potential, and likely, total value of the new record contract A-Rod will sign.
- 28+10+7=45: The number of professional sports franchises that are worth less than A-Rod's contract, according to the most recent Forbes valuations for the NHL, NBA and MLB respectively.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by professional sports teams who embrace the age-old adage, "it is better to give than to receive."
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by Philadelphia Phillies shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, winning the 2007 National League MVP Award.
- 17: The number of votes Rollins beat Colorado's Matt Holliday by (353 to 336) in a tight race for the award.
- 22: The number of times teammates have won MVP awards in back-to-back seasons. Philadelphia first baseman, Ryan Howard, won the award in 2006.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the most exclusive, statistical clubs in sports.
- 1: The number of wins Martin Brodeur needs to become just the second goalie (Patrick Roy) in NHL history to record 500 victories.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the annual Cy Young Award handed out to the best pitcher in the American League and National League, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
 20: The number of unanimous winners since the inaugural award was handed out in 1956.
- 11: The number of winners who also won the pitching Triple Crown (Wins, Ks, ERA).
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by Alex Rodriguez's decision to talk with the Yankees about a deal to return to New York.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by Jorge Posada's decision to re-sign with the Yankees.
- 12: Posada's all-time rank in home runs by a catcher (218).
- $13,100,000: The average annual value of Posada's new four-year contract, the highest ever for a catcher.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by recent professional sports milestones.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by excellence on the defensive end of the baseball diamond.
- 1957: The year the first Gold Gloves were awarded. In the inaugural season, there was one award given out at each position for both leagues. Every year since, the awards have been split between the American League and National League.
- 166: The number of players who have won multiple Gold Gloves. Only Darin Erstad has won at multiple positions (OF, 1B).
Do you think the voting is based on performance or reputation? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
 Today's entry is inspired by Andy Pettitte's decision to decline his 2008 option.
- $16,000,000: The amount of money Pettitte left on the table.
- 15.9: The percentage of Yankees regular season wins Pettitte accounted for in 2007.
- 14: The number of career postseason wins Pettitte has amassed.
- 9: The number of postseason wins the Yankees projected 2008 rotation, without Pettitte, has combined.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by potential NFL record-setters.
- 9-0, the Patriots win-loss record heading into Week 10.
17-0, the 1972 Dolphins perfect season.
19-0, the new record (including playoffs) the Patriots could set with two more games on the regular season schedule now than when the Dolphins played in '72.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the hirings of Joe Girardi (Yankees) and Joe Torre (Dodgers).
- $20,800,000: The amount of money the teams will pay their new managers over the next three seasons in an effort to face each other in the Fall
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42: Robinson's jersey number was retired league-wide on April 15, 1997 in an on-field ceremony at Shea Stadium.
Four: The number of quarterbacks (Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Brady) who have 
.447: Rick DiPietro's career win percentage (
5: The number of 
One: The number of 
Two: The number of 
129.5, RB