podcast | short hops | trivia
Game of Chance is a weekly podcast about
baseball stats, history, and culture which puts current
events in a historical context and constantly questions
what we think we know about the national pastime.
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iTunesEpisode 20: April 15, 2011
Fielding Statistics
Finally! In two years or so we should finally have the data we need for some real fielding statistics.
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Episode 19: April 07, 2011
Predictions
Everyone loves reading and making preseason predictions, but it’s really all futile.
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Episode 18: October 01, 2010
The Unbreakables (Part Two)
Is Ty Cobb’s .366 lifetime batting average really an unbreakable record? What about Barry Bonds’ 762 career home runs?
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Episode 17: September 24, 2010
The Unbreakables (Part One)
A lot of baseball records are huge, but which ones are actually unbreakable?
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Episode 16: September 17, 2010
Tough Guys
We expect athletes to be fearless and unemotional, even super-human. What are the consequences of these expectations?
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Episode 15: September 10, 2010
Why Baseball Has Statistics
Right from its beginnings in the 1800s, baseball has been accompanied by a barrage of numbers. Why are statistics so important to baseball?
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Episode 14: September 03, 2010
Pitch Counts
Pitchers today don’t throw as many pitches as they used to, and they rarely finish games. What’s the deal with pitch limits? Do they even work?
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Episode 13: August 27, 2010
The Legend of Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is often referred to as the second best shortstop ever. Is this accurate? Where does Jeter fit among the greats?
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Episode 12: August 20, 2010
Speed (Part One)
Speed is an exciting part of baseball, but how important is it for an offense to have fast players?
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Episode 11: August 13, 2010
Taking Stock: The 2010 Mets
Every year the Mets’ payroll is one of the highest in baseball and their results are mediocre. What’s going on?
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Episode 10: August 06, 2010
Luck (Part One)
Luck plays a huge role in baseball, more than most people realize. In fact, baseball players behave a lot like coin flips.
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Episode 9: July 30, 2010
Milestones
Why do we care if a batter hits .300 or a pitcher wins 20 games? How have these arbitrary milestones become so important to baseball fans? And, more importantly, how do they affect the players and the game itself?
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Episode 8: July 23, 2010
Dominance
Debunking the myth that Barry Bonds was a more dominant home run hitter than Babe Ruth, and exploring the idea of dominance in baseball.
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Episode 7: July 15, 2010
Correct vs. Fair
An argument against instant replay, and a summary of the Mets injury situation heading into the second half of the season.
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Episode 6: July 08, 2010
First Half Flukes?
There have been some surprising performances in the first half of 2010. Are they flukes or for real?
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Episode 5: July 02, 2010
The Great Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero is destroying baseballs the way he has for the past 14 years, and still not getting the recognition he deserves.
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Episode 4: June 25, 2010
A Tribute to Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel is on a very short list of players (which includes Babe Ruth) who have been legitimate pitchers and position players at the major league level.
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Episode 3: June 21, 2010
Replay Is Coming
It seems instant replay review is destined to be a part of baseball at some point. How will it affect the game?
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Episode 2: June 17, 2010
Don't Throw Away Next Year
The Mets are not going to make the playoffs this year, but Omar Minaya will probably trade young talent for mercenary veterans anyway, destroying next year’s team in the process.
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Episode 1: June 03, 2010
Start a New List
Umpire Jim Joyce missed a call last night that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game…or did he?
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