Clifford Blau <brak2.0@...> wrote:
> I'm posting this to both Retrolist and Baseball Databank.
> Apologies to those who get it twice.
>
> I was aware of the problem of unbalanced statistics in distant
> seasons, but still I was surprised today. Upon commencing some
> research into walks, I found some large discrepancies between
> batter and pitcher totals. Taking 1911 for instance, there is a
> difference of 76 walks between the AL batting and pitching totals.

I think the question is how to set priorities, including where it is
worth doing at all.

We (bb-db) should have a guide to major league statistics that shows
and tells the sources, not player by player but year by year. In my
mind's eye, it is largely graphical, relying on color- and line-
shading. Clerical error in compilation of e-databases would be the
unstated or once-for-all stated source of all data. For 1871-1968,
ICI would be one general source but the guide would be finer grained:
ICI daily newspaper research, ICI sum(by computer) of dailies, ICI sum
of team pitchers (maybe nowhere used), etc. Historical research since
1969 would be another general source --or two, one being research by
Pete Palmer and those who worked directly with him.

Paul Wendt