No Respect from the ESPN Power Ranking crew.

[WVUinVegas]

2012 MLB Baseball Power Rankings Week 11 - Major League Baseball - ESPN

Tied for first place in the NL Central, the Pirates have the best record in baseball since May 25 at 12-3. -- ESPN.com

..but the Pirates only moved up two spots to #17

:confused2:

 

[evolver115]

I agree...

Let's not forget who the Pirates have been for the last 19 seasons, though. While it doesn't give the folks at espn a legit excuse to use when ranking current teams' in MLB, it's an excuse, and they've taken it, apparently.

How else can you argue with the best record in baseball since May 25th?

 

[thecrow124]

We still have the worst offense in baseball, until that changes and we score consistently, we will get no love from them. Probably din't deserve it until then either.

 

[sychmd]

i was waiting for that this morning and it seemed to be late. thought we would be 11, maybe 12 at worst.

17 is major disrespect and a counters the view that the key to baseball is pitching and defense, which the pirates are doing well at both.

good thing espn doesnt decide games on the field, that is up to our guys.

 

[Burns80y]

I am actually surprised they are ahead of boston.

 

[huskers1217]

to be behind STL is bullcrap

 

[stillmatic32]

Run differential plays a major, major part in those rankings.

 

[magnumo]

There are several legitimate factors which lead to skepticism by the raters:

- The record CLS (current losing streak).

- Last season's collapse.

- The Pirates' negative run differential.

- The Pirates' composite player WAR (worst in the league at last check).

- The Pirates' lousy offense (worst in MLB).

- The Pirates' relative lack of financial resources (which limits adding or quick fixes).

- The raters' bias toward "proven" winners and teams with money to burn.

So..... I don't see the power rankings as "disrespect" for the Pirates, per se. While Pirate fans would prefer immediate recognition, "unbiased" raters probably would not be doing their jobs properly if they ignored all those factors. I think the Pirates will need to sustain their recent success a little longer in order to make believers out of the raters. I wish it weren't true, but it seems perfectly reasonable.

 

[sychmd]

There are several legitimate factors which lead to skepticism by the raters:

- The record CLS (current losing streak).

- Last season's collapse.

- The Pirates' negative run differential.

- The Pirates' composite player WAR (worst in the league at last check).

- The Pirates' lousy offense (worst in MLB).

- The Pirates' relative lack of financial resources (which limits adding or quick fixes).

- The raters' bias toward "proven" winners and teams with money to burn.

So..... I don't see the power rankings as "disrespect" for the Pirates, per se. While Pirate fans would prefer immediate recognition, "unbiased" raters probably would not be doing their jobs properly if they ignored all those factors. I think the Pirates will need to sustain their recent success a little longer in order to make believers out of the raters. I wish it weren't true, but it seems perfectly reasonable.

mags, great points if the power rankings were a projective test or a predictive exercise.
by definition, it is a snapshot of who is the best team right now, especially based on the recent week of activity and production.

none of those elements you described above every really change month to month even and some are relatively constant year to year.

but given the big rises and falls of various teams in the power rankings, a much more nearsighted, what have you done for me lately attitude is the norm, or at least carries much weight.
so the fact that they dont give us those same lenses and acknowledgments as they give to the other 25 teams(they probabaly dis 4 others) to me is disrespectful and changing the rules in examining the great effort that has been the 2012 BUCCOS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Etrius24]

If the Pirates played their games in New york...They would get the love of ESPN.... ESPN IS all about making money and they do that off the large market teams... Boston New York and Los Angeles get all the love...no matter what they do or how they are playing.

They always are on sportscenter and on the front page of the website...That is just the way it is.

If the Pirates and the Twins were to make the world series people in the accounting rooms for Fox and Espn would start getting suicidal because it would mean a dip in the ratings because no team from New York or California was participating...And that would cost them money...

 

[fordman84]

If the Pirates played their games in New york...They would get the love of ESPN.... ESPN IS all about making money and they do that off the large market teams... Boston New York and Los Angeles get all the love...no matter what they do or how they are playing.

They always are on sportscenter and on the front page of the website...That is just the way it is.

If the Pirates and the Twins were to make the world series people in the accounting rooms for Fox and Espn would start getting suicidal because it would mean a dip in the ratings because no team from New York or California was participating...And that would cost them money...

Like last years Texas vs STL matchup. I loved it and I'm sure baseball fans loved it, but ad sales departments probably were dying.

 

[stillmatic32]

Certainly a great World Series last year for any baseball fan.

 

[Etrius24]

I remember reading a couple of blogs talking about how frantic ESPN and Fox were because the possibility that tampa bay and the Cardinals might have made the world series... Texas is better than Tampa Bay... but it is still not New York or California...

 

[magnumo]

mags, great points if the power rankings were a projective test or a predictive exercise.
by definition, it is a snapshot of who is the best team right now, especially based on the recent week of activity and production.
<snip>

sychmd,

I always thought ESPN's power rankings WERE intended to be projective and predictive..... based primarily off of year-to-date performance (although I believe that "carry-over" from the Pirates' many years of futility creates a virtually inevitable psychological bias for the raters).

Your post suggests otherwise in pretty strong terms. Are you aware of a reference which states ESPN's criteria for their power rankings? If so, I would appreciate your sharing same..... and I will reconsider my logic.

 

[sychmd]

no, i ave no definition that they use, but based on the 4 sports that they have there power rankings for, they all seem to be snapshots of who is best now, based on the past week rather than in the, say week 4 rankings, showing the likelihood of who they feel will win the super bowl.
you wouldnt have such wild fluctuations if you were looking at the long term predictions (unless a permanent and injury to a star player occurs). teams really dont change that much week to week. maybe month to month.
these and other subtleties are the basis for my analysis as to their criteria,
then based on that conclusion(who knows if it is accurate), i believe they disrespected or battling bucs(not so battling as you described on another thread).

 

[magnumo]

Reply to sychmd

OK..... I hear what you're saying. I just see it differently. Here's why:

My view is that if such power rankings were based only upon the previous week's performance (or whatever previous interval one chooses), they wouldn't be very useful. Heck, for MLB, all you would need would be the won-lost records from the previous week (or whatever the interval is between updates), with perhaps some weight given to key stats (e.g., run differential, team OPS, team ERA, WAR, whatever one chooses) and injuries.

However, when reading the team descriptions in power ranking articles, there seem to be frequent references to season-to-date performance. I gotta believe that the raters consider EVERYTHING they know about a given team..... and the ratings are intended to be projective and predictive based upon ALL current information.

As far as wild fluctuations go, I don't see many of those in articles about "power rankings," and the fluctuations seem to get smaller as the season progresses. If the ratings were based only upon performance since last week for example, it would be conceivable for teams to move many more places than is typical in ESPN's power rankings. It would not be all that unusual for a team to have a 1-6 week followed by a 6-1 week or vice versa..... which could potentially mean a 1-week swing from 30th to 1st in a weekly power ranking.

That's an example of why the criteria I perceive being used are somewhat broader than you described.

On the other hand, it's perfectly conceivable that the guys who do such rankings for ESPN have never discussed criteria. I've encountered a similar lack MANY times over the years.

 

[sychmd]

you are probably right, but i still feel disrespected and have to blame someone!!!!!

 

[magnumo]

you are probably right, but i still feel disrespected and have to blame someone!!!!!

Fair enough!

But whether the ESPN raters use your criteria or mine (or something else entirely), I gotta feeling this sweep by the Orioles ain't gonna help the Pirates' power ranking.

At any rate, I'm gonna keep my eyes open to see if ESPN ever DOES publish their criteria.

 

[WVUinVegas]

#14 in this weeks power rankings

 

[thecrow124]

Up to #11 this week, starting to get some respect, it is probably an accurate position for us right now with how we have been playing.