Dan, can you describe (or link to) the work around translating BABIP. I know you and I touched on it in some other thread around high-K hitters (Brandon Wood maybe?). As I understood it then, you were basically positing a curvilinear relationship with, essentially, an asymptote for BABIP. However at the time I was a bit confused as to whether you were talking about BABIP or BA on-contact (the numbers you cited seemed to high for BABIP to me) and whether this asymptote applied only to high-K hitters or everyone.

I'm interested of course because of my fascination with K-rate and on-contact BA/SLG and, as I poke around here and there (not systematically), I'm having a hard time finding anybody who hits over about 345 BABIP (or about 385 on-contact) for any stretch of time.

I'm almost to the point of putting forward a "Dial-like" (I hope it was Chris) argument that it's just kind of impossible no matter how hard you swing or how often you K. Chris brought this up with regard to Gibson's ERA and that it may just be essentially impossible to give up fewer runs than that (and I disagreed with him!). I'm not convinced that it's impossible to surpass 400/800 on-contact but even in today's game with huge sluggers more than willing to sacrifice Ks for power, it seems nobody can sustain higher rates. Obviously there are a lot more folks putting up very high on-contact numbers but not pushing past that boundary.

So wondering what your research shows. I know I'm talking more about over a whole MLB career rather than the transition from minors to majors so it's not a perfect fit ... but still I think it would be useful for me.

Dan, can you describe (or link to) the work around translating BABIP. I know you and I touched on it in some other thread around high-K hitters (Brandon Wood maybe?). As I understood it then, you were basically positing a curvilinear relationship with, essentially, an asymptote for BABIP. However at the time I was a bit confused as to whether you were talking about BABIP or BA on-contact (the numbers you cited seemed to high for BABIP to me) and whether this asymptote applied only to high-K hitters or everyone.

I'm still working and condensing the research into an article (and perhaps make a SABR presentation proposal if it turns out interesting enough). Your memory of what I'm positing is correct, though, I'm just trying to find the model that makes the most sense. For those that have done nonlinear modeling, there's quite an artistic aspect involved.

I'm finding this to be a fun little toy to mess around with.

I don't see NW Arkansas, the AA affiliate of the Royals. Is that because its a new park and thus park factors aren't known?

Never mind, I see Wichita.

How should "zMLE" be pronounced?

Zumaya

Zoomley?

I haven't done the new parks yet. Tonight I'll make neutral parks for the new cities/parks.

Zoomley works.

Anyone who downloaded the hitter spreadsheet, download the update!

How should "zMLE" be pronounced?

Thrope Warbler Mangrove

Zoomley? Wasn't he an early Don Adams sidekick?

Glad I could be the one to point out the error, even inadvertantly! Thanks for your hard work Dan!

Thanks Dan - this is great! Any intention of releasing a version where the sheets are unprotected (I'd like to ad-hoc an '08 version)?