Delving into Goose-Eggs

Phil Gurnee ♦ April 18, 2017 ♦ 2 Comments

Last night Joe Davis was describing a new stat that Nate Silver would like to implement to replace the horrid save stat. It is called Goose-Eggs after the great HOF relief pitcher Goose Gossage. I knew even before Joe started describing what the stat would entail that I would like it because I’ve always disliked the modern save stat, and the bullpen usage that has become commonplace because of the stat.  Modern day managers, manage to the stat and not to the game situation. That started to change last year with Andrew Miller shedding light on something that was commonplace in the 60’s and 70’s.

Suffice to say, I LOVE GOOSE-EGGS

A relief pitcher¹⁰ records a goose egg for each inning in which:
It’s the seventh inning or later;

At the time the pitcher faces his first batter of the inning:

His team leads by no more than two runs, or

The score is tied, or

The tying run is on base or at bat

No runs (earned or unearned) are charged to the pitcher in the inning and no inherited runners score while the pitcher is in the game; and
The pitcher either:
Records three outs (one inning pitched), or

Records at least one out, and the number of outs recorded plus the number of inherited runners totals at least three.

Nate has provided a whole database for every season for every pitcher. This will be a quick overview of the top LAD Goose Egg seasons but I hope to delve into this in more detail later as this isn’t just a new stat, but in theory, the proper way to use your best bullpen pieces. Here are top ten Goose-Egg seasons by a LAD relief pitcher:

Here are top ten Goose-Egg seasons by a LAD relief pitcher:

Here are the top ten gWAR (goose egg WAR) by a LAD relief pitcher:

Mike Marshall had the most goose eggs but he also had the most broken eggs thus knocking him off his perch. Gagne wins out the GWAR because he pitched so many perfect innings and because the LAD offense was so limited in 2002 and 2003 he came in many times in close situations. I have not broken down his seasons, that is just what I think happened.

Definitions:

Broken Eggs:

A relief pitcher records a broken egg for each inning in which:

He could have gotten a goose egg if he’d recorded enough outs;
At least one earned run is charged to the pitcher; and
The pitcher does not close out the win for his team.