Arizona Republic: No logic behind D-Backs success

Links (2)

Ten Things I Didn’t Know Last Week
Published 8/9/2007 by Dave Studeman at The Hardball Times
... en you look at the progress of records during the season, primarily because it's easier to have a bigger winning percentage variance when fewer games have been played. But it is a kick to see how each of these teams fared at season's end: The 1997 Giants finished 90-72 (10 games above their Pythagorean record) despite being outscored by their opponents 793-784. The Mets also finished 90-82 (12 games above their Pythagorean projection) despite being outscored 676-652. The 1978 Orioles finished 90-71 and actually wound up outscoring their opponents 659-633 (for a seven-game Pythagorean variance). The Cardinals finished 82-70 in 1917 (which projects to 87 wins over a 162-game schedule) and were outscored 567-531. They beat their Pythagorean record by 10 games. So, every single team wound up closing the run differential gap (the difference between runs scored and runs allowed) and three of the four teams won 90 games. Seems like a reasonable projection for the Diamondbacks too. ...

Young D-Backs Unfazed by Pennant Pressures
Published 8/21/2007 by Larry Brown at FanHouse
... They have been one of the year's greatest mysteries. How have they been getting it done? How are the Diamondbacks the top team in the NL this year? Well, judging by their pythagorean record, ...